Safari So Goody?
10 December 2007EU, Africa, Brown, Buffalo, EPA, Trade
The Blog
Actions Speak Louder than Words
4 December 2007Slowly, slowly, I sense the beginnings of a great historic sea-change in public opinion at home and abroad concerning the wisdom of President Bush’s decision in 2003 to go to war in Iraq. Initially, his decision was greeted with very widespread condemnation both here and abroad, condemnation that grew louder as any suspected WMD failed… [Read More]
The Europeanisation of Education: Open Debate?
3 December 2007On Thursday 22nd November 2007 Civitas hosted a seminar with Global Vision and Chris Heaton-Harris MEP, on the impact the EU is having on education. A summary of the key points from the presentations and subsequent discussion are detailed below.
Quite like heaven?
29 November 2007In an important new report for Civitas, Nick Seddon argues compellingly that it is out of respect for the founding principles of the NHS – to provide universal and comprehensive health care – not to mention better care, that it must embrace fundamental, market-based, reform. Described in a foreword by Mr Bernard Ribeiro, CBE, President… [Read More]
State control means state schools struggle to shine
28 November 2007The number of privately educated pupils being accepted into the UK’s top 20 universities is gaining over state educated pupils, despite government policy to encourage universities to widen their intake. The BBC’s somewhat aggressive headline ‘Private pupils grab top courses’ makes it sound almost like their achievement is more down to their superior grappling technique,… [Read More]
Secularism poses a worse threat to social cohesion than does Islamophobia
27 November 2007In a follow-up piece in today’s Guardian Unlimited to his important debate on Islam last week with Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Ed Husain laments the woeful ignorance about that religion whch he claims is displayed by her and other ex-Muslims and non-Muslims who condemn it in toto on the strength of what he argues are only… [Read More]
Let’s play the PCT lottery
26 November 2007Last week, this blog wrote strongly in favour of David Nicholson’s hints that it might not be too long before choice might eventually be expanded to allow patients to choose their commissioner or PCT – and not least because it could end the postcode lottery in the NHS. If ever there is a case to… [Read More]
Show me the money!
22 November 2007Despite Alan Johnson’s protestations in the FT that the newspaper is ‘wrong to suggest the government is reversing the NHS reforms’, few are that inclined to believe him. As Blair’s former health advisor, Julian Le Grand, has said: the government no longer seems to believe in, or at least wants to pay for, the idea… [Read More]
School choice: our best hope for equitable access to education
21 November 2007The Conservatives have barely stuck their head above the parapet with their new education green paper but the backlash from the self-appointed champions of the disadvantaged has already begun. Fiona Millar attacks their policies as re-heated Thatcherism. Admittedly, the Tories have left themselves open to this sort of criticism. Their policies are a bit of… [Read More]
While our government feebly pleads…
20 November 2007…our fishing industry slips into crisis. The European Union’s Fisheries Commission places strict quotas on fishing in the North Sea, areas that were previously sovereign British territory. The purpose of this policy is to encourage fish stocks to recover from over fishing that previously took place because of the free for all policy that allowed… [Read More]