Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues
By Colin Talbot Filed Under: Westminster Watch, Whitehall Watch Posted:
“The last government defeat over estimates was in 1921 … nowadays any amendment would be tantamount to a vote of no confidence.” (Whener, 2010: p8). Could we see, in March 2015, the first example of a real conflict within Parliament on the Government’s Budget proposals, leading to a Washington-style impasse? There are several reasons to […]
By Stuart Butler Filed Under: Featured, Science and Technology Posted:
The beginning of the month marked the 50th anniversary of Harold Wilson’s iconic ‘white heat’ speech. Stuart Butler asks what we can learn about participation in European scientific and technological collaboration from decisions made by Wilson’s government. This post originally appeared on the Guardian’s Political Science Blog At the beginning of this year George Osborne […]
The UK government was one of a minority of states that voted against the EU ban on insecticides said to be responsible for desecrating the honeybee population. Its rejection of a precautionary approach to this issue suggests that deep public anxiety about risks associated with technological and scientific ‘progress’ is justified, writes Dr Richie Nimmo. In […]
By Carole Talbot Filed Under: All posts Posted:
The Political Power of the Business Corporation, Stephen Wilks. Edward Elgar. March 2013. In The Political Power of the Business Corporation, the author argues that making corporations accountable is one of the most fundamental problems facing 21st century society along with terrorism, nuclear war and epidemics. It provides both an up-to-date analysis of how big […]
By Colin Talbot Filed Under: Whitehall Watch Posted:
The IPPR report on “Accountability and Responsiveness in the Senior Civil Service: Lessons from Overseas” is a welcome contribution to a debate that has been bubbling away for some time now about the fundamental relationship between Ministers and Mandarins in Whitehall. I’m not going to go through the whole report, but just give my reaction […]
By Colin Talbot Filed Under: Whitehall Watch Posted:
I have been thinking about what sort of moral principles ought to apply to finance, including banking. The sort of thing I’ve been thinking about are some fairly simple things that would appear obvious to most of us, but apparently don’t apply to the world of finance. Today I heard a Lib Dem MEP say […]
By Colin Talbot Filed Under: Whitehall Watch Posted:
PA Times (USA) 21 September 2001 The column below was written immediately after 9/11 and published by the US magazine PA Times. You can find the archived online version here. I was going to write a fresh piece for the 10th anniversary of 9/11, but I think this stands the test of time rather better […]
By Colin Talbot Filed Under: Whitehall Watch Posted:
So – apparently I have been to Atlantis. And there was me thinking I was just going on a short holiday to somewhere warm, sunny and quiet….. Please indulge this post, which has little to do with Whitehall or even public management, but I just wanted to share.