Opinion/blog

Emergency exit

Both town halls and Whitehall need to establish effective exit strategies should their suppliers go bust. Service delivery can be outsourced, but responsibility for it cannot Read more

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Care funding: back to the drafting board

Confusion reigns as to what the government is planning on social care reform. But one thing is clear after the Queen’s Speech – funding changes are off the agenda Read more

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Wanted: CEO for UK plc

As the health secretary is heckled down by nurses, and other ministers preside over a continuing ‘omnishambles’, Cameron needs to get a grip on his government Read more

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Decent education still at a premium

Nick Clegg has renewed his faith in pupil premiums as a vital way to improve  education and social mobility. But there is little evidence of serious benefits for disadvantaged pupils Read more

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Civil service blame games

Who should take responsibility for civil service underperformance? Judging from past experience, ministers will just blame the infantry Read more

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After May 3: the democratic deficit

The low turnout on May 3 highlighted the urgent need for democratic renewal, at both local and national level. And that means more than just technical solutions Read more

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What a performance

With more than 20 years of management experience, Lewisham Council’s chief executive has seen it all when it comes to justifications for poor service performance. Here he offers his top ten explanations and excuses Read more

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All in this together

A debate that pits public spending against economic growth misses the point. The public sector and business should come together to share values, space and resources Read more

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Cost-cutting and cash control

An analysis of government data shows that billions of pounds could be saved if changes were made to financial management, fraud detection and cash flow Read more

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Queen’s Speech: Don’t forget local government

The Communities department was missing in action today as the Queen outlined the coalition’s priorities for the year ahead. Local government ministers need to get more involved and press for amendments to a number of the Bills Read more

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