If there’s one thing we do exceptionally well, it’s political pageantry. Yesterday (July 17) was the State Opening of Parliament, and the King’s Speech, setting out the government’s legislative agenda. In the morning, the Yeoman of the Guard conducted a ceremonial search for explosives in the cellar, thanks to the Gunpowder Plot. The Imperial State …
The UK’s new Labour government has set itself the bold target of building 1.5 million homes in five years to deal with the critical shortage of housing. To achieve this, it will have to deliver 50 per cent more than the previous government managed over the same period. Can it be done, and if so, …
The new Government is very much at work. The King’s Speech this week mentioned many new bills that will be introduced, including one on English Devolution, referred to widely as the ‘Take back control’ bill, and a formal commitment to the new Council of Regions and Nations. The approach of mission-led government, including the idea …
You don’t have to look far to find calls for better collaboration between universities and business. The Tory Government’s 2017 Industrial Strategy placed university and business collaboration at the core of its agenda, acknowledging that businesses could access new knowledge from universities that would directly boost business performance. This culture is prevalent in STEM (science, …
It remains to be seen whether Labour’s landslide victory in the General Election will herald a period of radical political change in the UK, or whether it will simply usher in a spell of boring, competent, predictable government — the political equivalent, if you like, of Gareth Southgate’s England teams. But however things turn out …
Amid the many historic appointments in his cabinet, the new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer made one particularly noteworthy announcement: James Timpson to become Minister for Prisons, Parole and Probation. Timpson is not a politician but the head of the key-cutting and shoe-repair company of the same name. He was also the chief executive of …
In the first General Election since the UK officially left the EU, both Labour and Conservative leaders were conspicuously mute about Brexit. There have been some vague aspirations to ‘seize its opportunities’ or ‘make it work’, but otherwise, nothing. As prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer will have to deal with it, particularly as more Britons …
As JFK once said: “Ask not what your devo deal can do for you, but what you can do for your devo deal.” OK — not quite — but the misquote implies an important logic: Devolution is intrinsic to the future of the UK. Universities are central to the success of devolution. But this success can only …
Labour’s plans for housing as revealed to The Sunday Times reminds us how little housing policy we have seen in recent years. These proposals may stem from a genuine concern about homelessness, but they suggest a problematic approach to property markets. Homes are not free flowing commodities, where flooding the market drops the price. On …
There are lots of different ways to talk about what’s possible in policymaking. Perhaps the policy agenda is a container ship which takes years to turn. Or your preferred policy is a raft sat on the water’s edge. You’ve done the work gathering all the pieces and lashing them together, and now you’re just waiting …
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