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A&E’s Crisis of Leadership

A&E’s Crisis of Leadership

    By Haseeb Arif MPs have slammed A&E crisis plans, aimed at relieving the immense pressure placed on these departments at times of high risk. These findings, made by a cross party commission of MPs have come amid claims that A&E departments throughout the country are missing the 4 hours waiting times. Their probe came as a result of […]

by · 6th August 2013 · Blog
Book Review: Boomerang by Michael Lewis

Book Review: Boomerang by Michael Lewis

By Matthew Gass Michael Lewis’s last book, The Big Short, sought to tell the story of the 2008 financial crash through the eyes of a handful of people who people who saw it coming. They tried to warn a lot of people, but they also made huge and risky bets on the outcome which paid off enormously. Many might view […]

by · 29th July 2013 · Blog

Japan Revisited

A few weeks ago Parliament Street blogged about how Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s aggressive economic strategy of loose monetary policy, heavy fiscal stimulus and radical liberalisation of the economy might not be living up to the hype, at least on the liberalisation front. The concern was that the necessary reforms were being blocked by special interests, not least because […]

by · 22nd July 2013 · Blog
Three letters, three numbers

Three letters, three numbers

By Haseeb Arif A National Health Scandal 13,000 – The number of “excess deaths” between 2005 and 2010. 1,600 – The number of deaths “above the national NHS average” recorded at Basildon and Thurrock university hospital. 14 – The total number of failing NHS trusts in England alone. Former Conservative Chancellor Norman Lamont once called the NHS “the closest thing […]

by · 17th July 2013 · Blog
IPSA funny old thing…

IPSA funny old thing…

By Shaun Dias The latest twist in the expenses saga was depressingly predictable The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has decided that MPs’ salary should be increased by more than £6,500 after the next election, stating that political salaries have fallen behind those of other professions. The salary increase will be around 10 per cent and will be offered in […]

by and · 16th July 2013 · Blog
Meanwhile, In Japan

Meanwhile, In Japan

Source: Reuters Japan is undertaking an economic experiment with heavy implications for the rest of the world. George Osborne has declared time and time again that there is no Plan B. Ed Miliband and Ed Balls’ have also been talking tough on borrowing over the last few weeks. However, if growth hasn’t picked up after the next election a return […]

by · 4th July 2013 · Blog
The Future of Local Government

The Future of Local Government

By Luke Mackenzie The future of Local Government is perhaps one of the biggest issues that victory in 2015 will need to face. Recently Lord Heseltine published a report on how to create wealth, titled ‘No Stone Unturned’, he listed 89 recommendations. Recommendation 11, in my view is one of the most important and consequential of these:  ‘All two-tier English […]

by · 1st July 2013 · Blog
How a Byron Burger Knocked Labour Out of the Headlines

How a Byron Burger Knocked Labour Out of the Headlines

By Steven George-Hilley The Spending Review was always going to be a tough sell for George Osborne. Economic progress has been slower than expected, health and international aid budgets have been ring-fenced meaning that savings would have to come from already hard hit departments. This should have been the perfect opportunity for Ed Balls to remind voters of his ‘Too […]

by · 30th June 2013 · Blog

It’s Not All Cheques and Balances

A recent YouGov report puts support for the Conservative message of limited government, financial responsibility and lower taxation up amongst those aged between 18 and 24. 31% of the aptly named ‘Generation Y’ endorse the Tories. George Osborne’s statement that he will put a “limit on the nation’s credit card” will then presumably be met with a relatively warm welcome. […]

by · 27th June 2013 · Blog

Brazil at a Crossroads – Can it cope with being a First World Power?

By Jacques Arnold Brazil, where football is almost a religion, is seeing rioters complaining against the vast expenditure on preparations for the Football World Cup to be held in Brazil next year. Something very serious is afoot for that to happen. Brazil, the “B” in the Brics, has had a remarkable run since the end of the military dictatorship in […]

by · 25th June 2013 · Blog