By Professor Judith Smith, Director of Health Services Management Centre School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham For the NHS, there were in effect two Budgets: one for the short-to-medium-term to address the Coronavirus crisis, and the other to continue with the previously announced five-year investment in the NHS to enable it to meet its … Continue reading “What does the 2020 Budget mean for health and social care?”
Tag: politics
What is developmental leadership?
Kyle Smith, DLP and Professor David Hudson, International Development School of Government, University of Birmingham Development and change take more than a leader: it takes organisation, politics, a network and a voice. Political will alone is not enough. Follow Teuila’s journey in creating change. By working with a diverse group of individuals and organisations from … Continue reading “What is developmental leadership?”
Saudi-Canadian Diplomatic Spat: An intersection of Twitter Diplomacy and Political Optics
By Umer Karim, Doctoral Researcher School of Government and Society, University of Birmingham The Saudi-Canadian tensions that started from a string of tweets from the Canadian foreign minister and subsequently by the Canadian Embassy in Saudi Arabia has now developed into a full fledged diplomatic spat. With Saudi Arabia declaring Canadian Ambassador to the Kingdom … Continue reading “Saudi-Canadian Diplomatic Spat: An intersection of Twitter Diplomacy and Political Optics”
Volcano eruption in Guatemala – a tale of natural and political disasters
By Dr Sanne Weber, Research Fellow International Development Department, University of Birmingham The eruption of the volcano ‘Fuego’ (Fire) in Guatemala last Sunday and the government’s response to it laid bare once again the severe social and political crisis in the country, the result of years of corruption, social and political conflict. The eruption flooded … Continue reading “Volcano eruption in Guatemala – a tale of natural and political disasters”
Taking responsibility for our prisons: lessons to be learnt from Norway
By Dr Anna Kotova, Lecturer in Criminology Department of Social Policy, Sociology and Criminology, University of Birmingham Only about 25% of former prisoners in England and Wales are in employment after release, as per the government’s 2016 figures [ii]. About half of employers would not consider employing someone who had been to prison [iii]. In a recent … Continue reading “Taking responsibility for our prisons: lessons to be learnt from Norway”
The National Assistance Act 70 years on – Lessons for the social care green paper
By Catherine Needham, Professor of Public Policy and Public Management Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham As the weight of expectations builds on the forthcoming social care green paper, it is timely that this week is the 70th anniversary of the National Assistance Act 1948 which created social services in their current form. The … Continue reading “The National Assistance Act 70 years on – Lessons for the social care green paper”
Beneath the Fawcett statue: The descriptive and substantive representation of women in British Politics
By Cherry Miller, Teaching Fellow Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham On Tuesday 24th April 2018, a statue of suffragist Millicent Fawcett- who was instrumental in getting the vote for women over 30 who met a property qualification- was unveiled in Parliament Square. Amidst the commemoration events surrounding women’s suffrage, we can … Continue reading “Beneath the Fawcett statue: The descriptive and substantive representation of women in British Politics”
Star Wars, democracy and elites
By Paul Jackson, Professor of African Politics Department of International Development, University of Birmingham The Star Wars franchise is one of the most successful sets of films in the history of cinema. It deals with a range of complex issues including a hero’s journey, good versus evil, tolerance versus oppression, however one of the most … Continue reading “Star Wars, democracy and elites”
20 Years since the Good Friday Agreement: What we can learn from Northern Ireland’s Peace Process
By Dr Giuditta Fontana, Leverhulme Fellow Institute for Conflict, Cooperation and Security (ICCS), University of Birmingham On 10th of April 2018, former negotiators gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. The Agreement put an end to three decades of what are known as Northern Ireland’s ‘Troubles’, which resulted in over 3,500 deaths … Continue reading “20 Years since the Good Friday Agreement: What we can learn from Northern Ireland’s Peace Process”
Why we need experts
By Scott Lucas, Professor of American Studies Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham There has been a lot of bashing of “experts” in recent years. Promoting Britain’s departure from the European Union in June 2016, Michael Gove – a hardline Brexiteer and now Environment Secretary said: “I think that the people … Continue reading “Why we need experts”