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Category Archives: Public Services
Will Labour let the Tories win the 2015 election?
Margaret Thatcher’s death on Monday has distracted attention at rather an interesting moment in British politics. There is a vigorous debate about how Labour should fight the next General Election, which should be in 2015 (one of the very few … Continue reading
Posted in Politics UK, Public Services
Tagged Conservatives, David Cameron, Ed Miliband, George Osborne, Jonathan Freedland, Labour, Tony Blair, welfare reform
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The NHS: how the accountants are hiding dubious policies
The NHS is quite high up the news agenda these days. From the media there seem to be two big issues: culture and privatisation. The mainly right-wing press say that much of the NHS lacks a caring culture and this … Continue reading
Posted in Politics UK, Public Services
Tagged health policy, health service journal, NHS, NHS reform, UK politics
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As aqua fades, should the Lib Dems drop Helvetica?
Today British political commentators are absorbed by the 2013 Budget. I don’t believe in the value instant comment, and my commentary on the 2012 Budget proved way off the mark anyway. So I will talk about graphic design instead. In the … Continue reading
Posted in Communications & Design, Public Services
Tagged aqua, fonts, Helvetica, Lib Dems, Liberal Democrats
1 Comment
London’s schools: awkward facts for both left and right
Last Friday I attended and seminar for school headteachers and chairs of governors addressed by Sir Michael Wilshaw, head of Ofsted, the body that inspects English schools. It was convened by the London Borough of Lambeth, for whom I am … Continue reading
Posted in Politics UK, Public Services
Tagged education policy, Lambeth, London schools, Michael Wilshaw
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The dark side of evidence-based policy
Speaking at a Lib Dem conference in the Coalition’s earlier days Linda Jack, a Lib Dem activist, called for a commitment to “evidence-based policy”. She was interrupted by strong applause from the floor. Ms Jack is a feisty activist, but … Continue reading
Posted in Politics UK, Public Services
Tagged Ben Goldacre, Evan Harris, Evidence-based policy
10 Comments
My heart attack
Last Monday, three days ago now, I lay, conscious, on an operating table at St George’s hospital, Tooting. A tube had been inserted into my artery in the right arm at the wrist, through which dyes and then wires were inserted. … Continue reading
Why healthcare may grow to 50% of GDP and still be affordable
I can’t over-emphasise how important the concepts in this article in last week’s Economist are: An incurable disease, and I would urge my readers to try and get to grips with it. If you want to understand how our economy … Continue reading
The Lib Dems struggle with education policy
Saturday was education day at the Lib Dem conference. Education is dear to the hearts of most Lib Dems, but the party struggles to come up with a clear party line beyond the important policy of Pupil Premium, where state … Continue reading
Posted in Politics UK, Public Services
Tagged education policy, Lib Dem Conference, Lib Dems
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The Olympics and Hillsborough: two faces of the public sector
Brendan Barber, the outgoing General Secretary of Britian’s Trade Union Congress, called for “an Olympic approach to the economy“. He was, of course, only one of many politicians and others trying to use the example of London’s success in putting on … Continue reading
Let’s learn the right lessons from the Winterbourne View scandal
On Monday the government published its serious case review into the Winterbourne View abuse scandal. Winterbourne View was a specialist private sector hospital for learning disabled and autistic people – people who were sectioned and could not fend for themselves … Continue reading
Posted in Politics UK, Public Services
Tagged NHS, NHS reform, public service reform, Winterbourne View
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