• How do Parliaments cope in a ‘lock down’?

    How do Parliaments cope in a ‘lock down’?

    In a public health crisis such as coronavirus, buildings have had to be closed and gatherings banned.  That has included political institutions such as the House of Commons, which went into recess early. Yet if Parliament cannot meet, not only can there be no legislative progress, there also can’t be proper scrutiny of the Government. …

  • Everything you need to know about metro mayors – and the latest Labour nomination

    Next year will see the election of England’s “metro mayors”, in Greater Manchester, the Liverpool City Region, the North East, Sheffield City Region, Tees Valley, West Midlands, and the West of England. The role has been created by the Conservative Government and will see powers from Whitehall handed over to regional leaders – who will…

  • Emergency services collaboration: role and future of the ambulance services?

    Collaboration between emergency services is neither novel nor new. Many emergency services are already working with each other and other public bodies to provide better services while improving efficiencies. It was however argued that the present levels of coordination and collaboration are uneven and not as well developed as they might be. In September 2015,…

  • Why cutting Parent Governors out of schools matters

    Professor John Diamond (Director of the University’s Institute for Public Policy) comments on the Government’s White Paper on Education: The significance of the many changes announced by the Government recently will be taken up by a number of groups over the next few months. Clearly the headlines have focused on the way teachers are educated…

  • The Budget and the Northern Powerhouse: Why what happens next is important

    Professor John Diamond (Director of the University’s Institute for Public Policy) reflects on what the story behind the budget means for devolution: One of the big claims by the Conservative Government has been their willingness to devolve services and decision making to local decision makers. The full story of the underlying motivations over the Northern…

  • Why charity trustees matter: Getting governance and accountability right

    Professor John Diamond (Director of the University’s I4P) comments on the report on Kids Company by a Parliamentary investigation: The details of the collapse of the charity Kids Company are likely to be subject to much debate and criticism. The likely negative impact on the lives of those young people who relied on the support of…

  • Interoperability between Emergency Services: A Missed Opportunity?

    Professor Paresh Wankhade (Business School) analyses the latest Interoperability proposals offered by the government: The governance of the emergency services in England is complex and the three main emergency services (ambulance, police, and fire & rescue) are structured differently, largely as a result of the relatively ad-hoc nature of their historical development. In September 2015,…