Yesterday Ed Balls, the secretary of state for children, schools and families, unveiled the government’s plan to make Britain “the best place in the world for our children to grow up in” – writes Claire Daley and Nick Cowen.The so-called “Children’s plan” aims to tackle crucial education and social issues facing children today in the… [Read More]
Yesterday at the Old Bailey, three young men, Sodrul Islam, Delwar Hussain and Mamoon Hussain, were convicted of the attempted murder of a thirty-one year old fourth man, John Payne. The attempted murder took place in April 2006 on the Clichy estate in Stepney in London’s Tower Hamlets. continued on the Centre for Social Cohesion… [Read More]
EU, Africa, Brown, Buffalo, EPA, Trade
Slowly, 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]
On 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.
In 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]
The 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]
In 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]
Last 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]
Despite 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]