The etymology of quangos – and academic self-effacement
Chris Game Initialisms (abbreviations pronounced as individual letters) are obviously necessary and useful, but acronyms, properly defined (abbreviations pronounced as words), are surely more fun. That’s always been my rule of thumb, anyway. Actually, fun’s perhaps not the best word, especially as examples I’ve occasionally used include HIV/AIDS: HIV – initialism for Human Immunodeficiency Virus; … Continue reading The etymology of quangos – and academic self-effacement

Tackling social problems: why don’t we do ‘what works’?
Jon Bright One of the most significant problems in public policy has been the persistent failure to draw on evidence of “what works”—and, perhaps more crucially, what doesn’t. Despite a growing interest in evidence-based policy, we still have a long way to go in identifying and scaling up successful practice. Take, for example, the findings … Continue reading Tackling social problems: why don’t we do ‘what works’?

The abolition of NHS England 
Councillor Dr Ketan Sheth, We all recognise that the current government inherited a deeply entrenched crisis in our NHS. Years of austerity, coupled with the immense strain of the Covid pandemic, have left our health service at breaking point. Across the country, patients are facing unacceptable delays — whether in A&E, for a GP appointment, … Continue reading The abolition of NHS England 

Transport issues are the most common concern raised in residents’ petitions in London local government
Richard Berry The e-petitions system introduced by the UK Parliament has gained considerable attention in recent years. This is often when a noisy cause claims hundreds of thousands of signatures and forces its way onto the parliamentary agenda. At the time of writing, for instance, there are live petitions for suspending all immigration, rejoining the … Continue reading Transport issues are the most common concern raised in residents’ petitions in London local government