Wider appeal isn’t what a dying Labour should worry about – it’s core voters May 19, 2015 Could Labour disappear? The party has been a prominent feature of British politics for a century, but could we now see it just vanish? There is a clear historical precedent. In 1906, the Liberal Party won 399 seats in the House of Commons. It was a great, reforming government, which laid the foundations of [...]
Zero hours contracts: A godsend for high-flying professionals May 19, 2015 The professions are not well-known for the flexibility of their working environments. But with technology allowing employees to work remotely, and staff wanting to juggle family life or keep a work/life balance, many employers are finding that their employees want more innovative solutions. Flexibility can benefit employees, the employer and clients. Advantages can include: a [...]
As Greece’s finance minister says a deal could be made within a week, is Grexit off the cards? May 19, 2015 Marina Prentoulis, senior lecturer at the University of East Anglia and a member of Syriza London, says Yes The Greek government has always maintained that a solution for all debt ridden countries is possible without an exit from the Eurozone. The political will of all the partners can reverse the catastrophic direction of the union, [...]
UK deflation: Why the normal rules just don’t apply May 19, 2015 Today, it was announced that the UK is in a period of deflation. It will almost certainly be a brief period. On the face of it, there is not much difference between the price level being stable and the price level falling by 0.1 per cent a year. At that rate, it would take [...]
Healthcare needs radical reform – but Cameron must brace for the backlash May 18, 2015 The new government’s policy on public services was launched yesterday by the Prime Minister, with an uncompromising statement of NHS reform. He pledged more competition, including in the private sector. He promised wholesale changes in the delivery of services, so that GPs, hospitals and other services work together and prevent ill health in the first [...]
Why David Cameron’s legacy hangs on tackling four huge economic challenges May 18, 2015 I once asked one of Margaret Thatcher’s senior advisers whether her governments had been “too obsessed with economics”. “Economics,” he replied, “is not the most important thing in life, or in public policy. But it is something that governments can really mess up”. Recent events have made me reflect on that sentiment. When David Cameron [...]
Why now is the time for energy policy to champion consumers May 18, 2015 The election of a Conservative government has led to a big change in personnel at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) – one of the few Liberal Democrat run departments in the previous Parliament. Now, this fresh team has an opportunity to get a grip on the many challenges facing the UK’s energy [...]
As Shia militias battle for Ramadi, is current UK military intervention against IS sufficient? May 18, 2015 Simon Mabon is a lecturer in international relations at Lancaster University and a research associate at The Foreign Policy Centre, says Yes Since last summer, RAF fighters have participated in an international coalition created to defeat Islamic State (IS), dropping some 200 bombs. After the gains made by IS in recent days, the US-led coalition [...]
Obama’s free trade grand strategy is now perilously close to total failure May 17, 2015 It’s one of the great failings of modern foreign policy analysis. Analysts of all stripes seem intent on confusing “not having a plan” with “not having a plan I particularly like”. More than most, this has held true of Barack Obama’s foreign policy; if I had a dollar for every sceptical analyst who believes that [...]
The UK leads the world as an education exporter – and it can do better still May 17, 2015 With a new government in place, it won’t be long before Prime Minister Cameron and his team of ministers start to jet off across the globe to key international markets. India, China, Brazil and the Gulf States will be the most likely countries to see a British Airways plane land on the tarmac in the [...]