2013
6 February 2013Economic policy-making is haunted by the spirit of Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes said people are naturally selfish and need a strong ruler to keep the peace. Ironically, we have turned Hobbes on his head. Nowadays we assume that because politicians are selfish, they need to be constrained by strong and simple rules when governing. The scope for judgement and discretion in politics and particularly economic policy has been narrowed. This has had significant costs, particularly in macroeconomic policy. We need to trust politicians to govern if we want a sustained economic recovery.
4 February 2013In the wake of David Cameron’s referendum announcement, a new pro-EU group launched last Wednesday (30th Jan) to considerable media fanfare. The Centre for British Influence Through Europe (CBIE) sports figureheads including Kenneth Clarke, (Minister without Portfolio), Danny Alexander (Chief Secretary to the Treasury), and Lord Mandelson. Their goal is to keep the UK in… [Read More]
1 February 2013By Mervyn Stone Just before Christmas 2012, Sir David Nicholson initiated an ‘urgent, fundamental review‘ of Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) funding formulas. Just before Christmas, I was preparing to tell a meeting of The Community Voice about some particularly striking nonsense I had come across in a paper in the British Medical Journal. It came… [Read More]
By Mervyn Stone The plate on the door is that of the new Secretary of State for Health. The GPs are waiting to be told what they or their CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) will get for next year’s commissioning. That wait may be over by the New Year but there may be a longer wait… [Read More]
31 January 2013On 31st January, the Resolution Foundation released a report No Clear Benefit examining the increase in hardship that will be caused by reductions in Council Tax Benefit. They include some remarkable findings, not least the number of working claimants whose marginal rate of taxation or loss of benefit will stand at 81 per cent of… [Read More]
Ed Hoskins has produced some invaluable comparisons of CO2 emissions. There is a Word file HERE. A Powerpoint display HERE. And the raw data in Excel format HERE.
One of our authors, Alan Reece, has died. A tribute by David Green is to be found HERE.
23 January 2013The updated Civitas online briefings on health systems are available here. Recently in British politics we’ve seen the rise on both sides of the political aisle of a phenomenon calling for a new society and political economy, first with Phillip Blond’s ‘Big Society’ influence on David Cameron and now with Ed Miliband’s ‘One Nation Labour’,… [Read More]
7 January 2013by Anna Sonny The Eurosceptic United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) has recently enjoyed a rising wave of popularity. The decision by Rotherham’s Labour Council to remove three eastern European foster children from a couple because they were UKIP supporters turned out to be rather timely for the party; it sparked public outrage just before the… [Read More]
The Eurosceptic United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) has recently enjoyed a rising wave of popularity. The decision by Rotherham’s Labour Council to remove three eastern European foster children from a couple because they were UKIP supporters turned out to be rather timely for the party; it sparked public outrage just before the by-elections, and possibly… [Read More]
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