Local politics has been shaken by the performance of Ukip in yesterday’s elections, but it’s far from being a transformative moment. For most councils, the direction of travel will remain unchanged Read more
A preoccupation with local government bookended Margaret Thatcher’s political career, but her time in Number 10 failed to resolve the fundamentals of the Whitehall-town hall dynamic. Read more
Tackling economic inequality must be central to Ed Miliband’s vision of ‘one nation’. He needs to be bold and use ‘predistribution’ to achieve this Read more
Labour’s leader may be a wonk, lacking in concrete policies or charisma. But that doesn’t mean he’s a political basket case Read more
Are we any closer to knowing what the Liberal Democrats and their leader stand for now they have been in power for half a Parliament? Not given the evidence of this week in Brighton Read more
Unemployment is becoming a more important concern for the electorate and is likely to be a big talking point at the party conferences over the next few weeks Read more
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
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
The donor dining debacle is deeply embarrassing for the government. More state funding for political parties is the only solution to the problems it raises Read more
Many distinctive policies have been successfully introduced by the devolved Scottish Parliament. So why is Scotland looking to England for a sustainable funding model? Read more
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