The Government aims to build one million more homes by 2020, the Prime Minister has announced. Michelle Custodio puts the need for more homes in perspective. How many more homes does the UK need? Back in May last year, the then business secretary Vince Cable argued that the UK should build an extra 300,000 a […]
The limits to equal pay audits
Earlier this month David Cameron set out plans to force large firms to reveal data on the gender pay among their staff. Here Jill Rubery explores the possibilities and pitfalls of the policy. The rather surprising conversion of the Cameron government to the need for large organisations to conduct and publish equal pay audits has […]
British Muslims do feel British, Prime Minister
While David Cameron has urged British Muslims to assert their British identity, the evidence is that they already do, explains Saffron Karlsen. There is a widely held perception in society that Muslim people living in Britain do not feel British. Comments by David Cameron and others, for example, describe a need to address the lack […]
Under new management? Devolution and regional economies
The gap in economic performance between London and the regions is large and will not be closed by devolving limited powers to city regions and Celtic nations that will adopt conventional economic policies, argues Professor Karel Williams. “It is time for you to take control of your own affairs….we will hand power from the […]
Devolution: it’s a constitutional issue
Government today is trying to create a ‘system’ of devolution from a legacy formed of a tacit constitution and Thatcherite centralism, explains Professor Michael Moran. Devolution – whether to the Celtic nations or within England – has many faces and raises many issues – of economy, identity and political strategy. But it is worth remembering […]
The quest for solidarity in a fractured Europe
With conflict raging in Calais between lorry drivers and would-be migrants to the UK, Tanja Müller asks what happened to European solidarity. World Refugee Day 2015, on 20 June, coincided with a huge anti-austerity demonstration in London. This was narrowly concerned with the specific politics on the British Isles – politics that seems to become […]
Employment targets for ethnic minorities will not reduce racial inequalities
Omar Khan, Director of the Runnymede Trust, assesses the prospects for ethnic minorities under the new Conservative Government. The Prime Minister David Cameron’s commitments during the 2015 campaign will continue rather than reduce racial inequalities in the labour market. His underwhelming targets suggest we need better evidence, proper legislative scrutiny and public debate to make democracy […]
A Tale of Two Speeches?
What does the Conservative election victory mean for the North of England and higher education? Professor Andy Westwood interprets the signals. Just in case you didn’t know, the Northern Powerhouse is ‘GO’ and was confirmed in today’s Queens Speech. George Osborne reaffirmed his commitment to the idea almost immediately after he and the Conservatives won […]
One night in May [Part 2] – The strange resurrection of the British political tradition?
Professor Dave Richards and Professor Martin Smith analyse what the general election result means for the British political system. The 2015 general election was supposed to produce one type of policy earthquake, but may have produced another. The assumption by nearly everyone until 10.01 pm on May 7 was that we would see the further […]
The online challenge facing government
Creating a coherent digital policy that addresses both opportunities and threats is likely to prove a challenge for the new Government, argues Tarlok Teji. One of the major policy challenges facing the new Government is defining our relationship to the hyper-connected digital world. While that world brings fantastic opportunities, it also creates risks of global […]