Here’s a good question: where are the Tories going on health policy? Do they even know? It doesn’t seem so. First, the macro stuff. Is health spending to increase in real terms as pledged, or has – as today’s response to the King’s Fund and IFS’s projections for the NHS tends to suggest – reality… [Read More]
Problems with primary testing, from distorting the curriculum to painting a misleadingly positive view of basic standards in primary school have been at the forefront of the school standards debate for well over a year now.
Earlier in the week, the Health Service Journal published the results of a survey of NHS finance directors, in which 32 out of 35 participants, from PCTs, mental health and acute trusts. Two things are worth noting.
By Nicola Di Luzio The only symbol the opening ceremony lacked was the figurehead; all the other trappings of a fully-fledged parliament were in place. And in fact, first on the agenda this week for the 736 newly elected MEPs was the election of that figurehead: yesterday Jerzy Buzek, former Polish PM, was announced as… [Read More]
“This was a pilot scheme and the point … of a pilot scheme [is] to find out if something works. There is no dishonour in piloting something to see whether it works and if it doesn’t work then acknowledging it and trying to press on and find out what does work.” So did Harriet Harman… [Read More]
According to reports yesterday, Nick Griffin and Andrew Brons (the two British National Party (BNP) politicians who made headlines in June when they were elected to the European Parliament, becoming 2 of the UK’s 72 MEPs), are facing isolation in Brussels, writes Nicola Di Luzio.
Yesterday, European Union finance ministers decided that in periods of economic growth, bank loans will be tightened, writes Nicola Di Luzio. This is in order to make sure that funds are available when recession hits.
Cardinal Newman, it was reported at the week-end, is to undergo beatification. He is to do so on account of Pope Benedict having judged his soul to have interceded on behalf of an American deacon who had prayed to him for help in connection with a painful back condition that miraculously had cleared up by… [Read More]
By Daniel Isenberg Every policy has costs and benefits alike, and in today’s world of tight purse strings, worth is often determined on the basis of financial outcome. The political narrative is dominated by debates over ‘spend or cut’, ‘waste or value’. Whilst the Conservatives are placing themselves firmly in the corner of financial prudence… [Read More]
Middle class parents seeking out the ‘best’ schools for their children shouldn’t be demonised – instead we should address the weaknesses leading them to desert their local schools. Read further on Guardian’s Comment is Free: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jul/03/school-admissions-fraud-intake