The UK woke up reeling from the astonishing news that Prime Minister David Cameron has walked out of an EU Summit and effectively removed the UK from EU treaty negotiations: treaty negotiations which were aimed at ‘salvaging’ the Eurozone. Not just making headlines in the UK; it seems David Cameron’s decision has captured attention across… [Read More]
IT is not just higher borrowing and lower growth that is grabbing the headlines. Despite the Government’s attempt to rebalance the economy, Britain is struggling to increase goods exports and the resurgence in manufacturing hoped for by ministers is not coming. It is a question seldom asked when discussing the country’s economic woes, but is… [Read More]
Universities are educating 6,000 fewer British engineers a year than 10 years ago British universities are adding fewer STEM subject graduates to the labour market than total student figures suggest, according to a new Civitas report. The STEM subject push by Stephen L. Clarke finds that the number of overseas students attending British universities to… [Read More]
By Lucy Hatton Next week’s EU Summit provides the perfect opportunity to review Serbia’s progress towards EU membership – a contentious issue since Serbia applied in 2009. Earlier this year it was suggested that Serbia might be granted official candidate status at the EU Summit on Friday (9th December), yet this is looking increasingly unlikely,… [Read More]
Civitas is now on Facebook, find us here at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Civitas-the-Institute-for-the-Study-of-Civil-Society/281404671895147 A convenient place for Facebook users to keep up to date with all our research and activities!
‘Equalities industry’ undermines true equality As youth unemployment rises to record levels, a new Civitas report reveals that British workplaces spend up to a billion pounds a year complying with clumsy equality legislation. The costs put particular strain on public sector organisations, as well as making it more difficult for businesses to create and retain… [Read More]
Our friends at the Acton Institute send word of a fascinating conference in London on foreign aid and prosperity: Please join us for this unique day-long conference exploring questions of the limits and unintended consequences of aid, the emergence of cultures and institutions that facilitate economic growth, and the place of business in poverty-alleviation. Thursday,… [Read More]
Earlier this week, Finland announced it no longer opposes Bulgaria and Romania’s accession to the Schengen zone in 2012, providing their entry is managed in two-phases. No doubt in pre-Eurozone crisis days Finland’s decision to drop their veto would have been closely analysed, but the fact that it has only captured limited attention should not be… [Read More]
Government’s mistake is to misunderstand the scale of de-industrialisation The Government wants economic growth as much as anyone. Why isn’t it happening? A new report from Civitas argues that growth is faltering because the Government has been solving the wrong problems. The Coalition thinks that the national debt and global warming are the biggest challenges… [Read More]
By Emily Clarke In 2001 Portugal abolished all criminal penalties for personal possession of drugs, from cannabis to heroin, in an attempt to reduce the number of drug related deaths and the spread of HIV/AIDS. After several years there was tentative discussion about the success of Portugal’s scheme (see for example the Economist’s article of… [Read More]