Loss of liberty is enough punishment – without gang violence
11 July 2013HMIP reports critical of Feltham find that, with too many violent offenders in one place, violence is not being satisfactorily controlled.
The Blog
Are we ready for 3D printing?
10 July 2013Future economic historians may judge this particular week to have been of seminal importance. This is the week the mass-market retailer Maplin announced that it would start selling a 3D printer, the Velleman K8200, for £700. A potentially revolutionary technology will be put in the hands of consumers. A 3D printer literally allows objects to… [Read More]
The NHS turns 65
9 July 2013Friday saw the 65th anniversary of the founding of the NHS, a date marked in different ways by the health and political worlds last week. Civitas released a new report, After Francis, reviewing current evidence on NHS performance, the mood of the reform debate this year and how the service could go forward.
Wharton’s bill reveals Europhile Tories and Labour sceptics
8 July 2013Parliament had its first chance to debate James Wharton MP’s private member’s bill, which proposes a referendum on European Union membership for 2017. Since such a referendum would be in the next parliament, the substance of Wharton’s bill is effectively meaningless – it’s constitutionally impossible to ‘bind’ a future parliament.
Lithuania takes over EU Presidency
5 July 2013Lithuania has now taken over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It is the first time a Baltic state has ever held the 6-month Presidency. The outgoing Irish Presidency can give itself a pat on the back, having overseen the overwhelmingly complex task of securing an agreement on the EU Budget… [Read More]
New report on the NHS: the post-Francis case for reform
4 July 2013Tomorrow is the 65th anniversary of the founding of the National Health Service. However, while a respected part of British national life and rightly lauded for its core principles, this year the service has faced considerable tumult; the fallout of Mid Staffordshire and the Francis report, investigations into high mortality at 14 other trusts, Morecambe… [Read More]
Target-culture in Kent police
Kent police have been criticised for behaviour more related to meeting targets than to good policing.
The government’s incoherent nuclear policy
3 July 2013Previously I blogged on the great difficulty the government appears to have in negotiating terms for new nuclear investment with nationalised (though not by our nation) power company EDF Energy. The company, which runs eight out of nine of Britain’s nuclear power stations, is a subsidiary of EDF S.A., a nuclear energy company controlled by… [Read More]
The NHS and migration: does the continent have the answer?
2 July 2013Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is set to outline plans on Wednesday to curb ‘health tourism’ on the NHS, an issue which has crept onto the health agenda in recent months. Though Hunt hopes to work with GPs on the plans, the basic idea involves a tracking system related to a migrant’s NHS number. Estimates of… [Read More]
On the trappings of power
Last week, for the first time in my life, I attended the Wimbledon tennis championships. My wife entered the ballot for tickets last year (the closing date was in December) and she hit the jackpot: Centre Court, three rows from the front. We had a memorable day. Glancing up at the Royal Box, there was… [Read More]