Help to buy and the death of Keynesianism
“£720,000. For an affordable home. Good grief. We are in an unacceptable and unsustainable situation. But I’m yet to be convinced that a solution is being quite as “vigorously facilitated” as it needs to be.” Alex Marsh looks at the Coalition’s Help to Buy 2 scheme and the looming housing boom.
The bedroom tax: A triumph of framing
“The success of the framing of the Bedroom Tax should give Labour great cheer that it is possible to win seemingly unpopular battles. Applied well and on the right issues we are capable of moving the agenda and the electorate.” Emma Burnell takes heart from Labour’s success in framing the Bedroom Tax as a regressive policy.
Department of Health response to my email to Jeremy Hunt: the smell of rotting fish
“Yesterday I received the following email from the Department of Health. It alleges to be a reply to my email of 8/9/13 to Jeremy Hunt (see previous post). It does not address any of the concerns I raised in that email.” George Farrelly shares the response that he has received to his recent email to Jeremy Hunt MP.
Tales from the party conferences: The Liberal Democrats (or is it the Coalition Party?)
In the first of a three-part series, Guerilla Policy goes to the party conferences to examine the political class up-close. First, the Liberal Democrats - and the question of ‘whose conference is it anyway?’
What are the Lib Dems for?
“For about fifty years, until Nick Clegg agreed to a coalition with the Conservatives, probably most people would have agreed that LibDems or Liberals, the third party in UK politics, were “for” providing an alternative to Labour or the Conservatives…” Jane Carnall poses the question what are the Lib Dems for in an era of coalition politics?
The dangers of weak policy foundations
“Today we witnessed a number of important developments, if you happen to be a policy geek. These developments have a substantially different character, and provide students of the policy process with much to chew on.” Alex Marsh questions the weak foundations of a variety of Coalition policies from the Lobbying Bill to Universal Credit.
A responsible approach?
“…when it suits them, this government (perhaps all politicians) are more than happy to characterise something that was making (slower than expected) progress as an ‘exhausted’ approach that failed and actually made things worse.” Stephen Crossley challenges the Coalition’s portrayal of their child poverty strategy.
Protests and government extremism
“So interesting that the Taxpayers’ Alliance got a free, media-wide pass yesterday to bitch again about people on benefits…” Kate Belgrave disputes the idea that disability rights campaigners are extremist.
The Coalition’s pernicious lobbying bill
“Through the injection of such ambiguity the power of the state to enroach upon and manage society is gradually enhanced. That is why constant vigilance is required.” Alex Marsh is concerned about what the Coalition’s Lobbying Bill will mean for campaigning charities.
The NHS at 65: the Coalition are retiring our public health service
The National Health Service (NHS) celebrates its 65th birthday today. While coalition politicians cut ribbons, they are also busy cutting the lifelines that make the service viable. Ceaseless scare stories, never ending costly reorganisations, rampant commercialisation and privatisation, and deliberate loading of unsustainable debt onto hospital balance sheets. It is time for a reminder of what […]
Payday Loans: Profit from misery and the throw back to the age of the Debtors Prison – but this time without brick walls
Desperation, the emotion it brings and the knee-jerk response to any opportunities that might even just temporarily stop the cause of that pain, can lead those of us experiencing it to do what others may consider to be some pretty illogical things. The prospect of escape at any level can certainly lead to the failure […]
Spending Review and local authorities: We need change and a resurgence of ethics…
Spending Review and local authorities: We need change and a resurgence of ethics, not coercive micromanagement by stealth and an even greater distance between people and Government With £11.5 Billion in further cuts set to be outlined in the Coalition’s Spending Review later today, I will probably not be alone in asking myself if this […]