Archive for February, 2011

Of all the cities I have visited so far, Newcastle is the least enthusiastic about reforming its system of government. Labour and the Lib Dems dominate the city council and I could not identify a single councillor or MP from either party in favour of the mayoral proposition.

On Friday 11 February the Prime Minister launched a new approach to government procurement. As part of his Big Society vision, public services would be thrown open to competition and there would be a “right to bid” for delivery of public services.

Cycling in London requires agility. By that, I don’t mean being limber (although that does help). You need to be prepared to react quickly to changing circumstances and to revise your planned route as circumstances require.

In Australia, if there is a problem – what to do about the gambling industry; how to fund long term care for the aged; how to deal with scarce urban water – the Government’s answer is to ask its Productivity Commission to take a look.

10 years ago tomorrow – a Monday morning – a farm worker at an Essex abattoir noticed some pigs, held over from Friday’s shift, in obvious distress.

The creation of the coalition has changed politics in many unexpected ways—not least over relations between the Houses of Commons and the Lords.

There’s a lot being invested in the Big Society. The banks are dipping into their pockets to help capitalise a ‘Big Society Bank’. The investment community is being invited to support emerging social investment vehicles such as social impact bonds. And individuals are being encouraged to invest in ‘Society ISAs’.

Two influential political commentators – Phil Collins of the Times who worked in No.10 under Tony Blair and Andrew Rawnsley of the Observer, documenter of the internal tensions of the last government, have recently opined on the current accident proneness of the government – whether on health, prisoners’ votes, school building or the forestry...

Liverpool, the immensely wealthy “second city of the Empire,” has more Georgian buildings than Bath. Some of its historic grandeur has revived with the successful regeneration of the dockside and city centre, and the dysfunctional Derek Hatton Eighties are ancient history.

Eight major charities wrote to The Times this week complaining about “a gap between rhetoric and reality” in the proposed NHS reforms. They argued that plans to make GP consortia accountable to the public are “far too weak”.