Public services
School concrete crisis shows the danger of short-term capital budget thinking
Capital budgets need to be made less prone to unpredictability.
Public sector pay is not the only aspect of fiscal policy that can stoke inflation
Is fiscal policy really the right way to try to cut inflation?
A full statutory inquiry is needed into the Letby murders
A thorough assessment is what families deserve and what only a statutory inquiry can provide.
‘Health week’ can’t hide slow progress on Rishi Sunak’s NHS pledge
While some waiting time data is moving in the right direction, the prime minister is still some way off meeting his NHS pledge.
Cross-government co-ordination to improve health and reduce inequalities
The opportunities for both the centre of government and individual departments to take a more ambitious whole-government approach to improving health.
Rishi Sunak’s public sector pay offer makes sense but is unlikely to stop the strikes
The government appears to have made a breakthrough in ongoing public sector pay disputes, but big questions remain over where the money will be found.
What does the Office for Local Government need to succeed?
The new Office for Local Government (Oflog) is welcome – but it needs independence from government to succeed.
The NHS workforce plan is welcome – but just one part of improving the health service
The NHS workforce plan is backed by Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak – and is a huge commitment to substantial health spending increases.
George Osborne’s Treasury could have done more to prepare for the pandemic
The former chancellor appeared at the Covid Inquiry this week to defend his record in the years leading up to the pandemic.
Brandon Lewis
Sir Brandon Lewis discusses the benefit of local government experience, the challenges of the Home Office and his time as Northern Ireland secretary.