spending cuts

Squeezed middle: all pain, no gain

30 January 2012 | Matthew Whittaker

Average incomes in the ‘squeezed middle’ group will take until at least 2020 to return to their 2007 level – a trend made even worse by public sector cuts    Read more

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Health committee tells it like it is

24 January 2012 | Judith Smith

Today’s Health Select Committee report has many home truths to tell, and they go way beyond the headline-grabbing observations on the Health Bill Read more

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Chuck out the deficit, Swedish style

17 January 2012 | Lauren Thorpe

Should we extend the British love affair with all things Scandinavian – from Ikea to its crime series – by modelling our deficit reduction strategy on Sweden’s? Read more

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Autumn statement: keep calm and carry on

22 November 2011 | Patrick Nolan

Next week’s autumn statement should not be an occasion for U-turns. There will be no long-term gain without short-term pain Read more...

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Education spending: all shall not have prizes

26 October 2011 | Conor Ryan

With education spending facing its largest cuts since the 1950s, the pupil premium is one of the few areas to gain. But how shall we measure its success? Read more

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Brent libraries’ Indignados strike a global chord

17 October 2011 | Heather Wakefield

The campaign for the survival of Brent’s libraries faltered last week when it lost its High Court battle. But the public anger given voice by the Brent campaigners is being replicated across the world, and politicians need to start paying attention. Read more

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Localism: no longer a fringe issue

27 September 2011 | John Tizard

Localism is being debated across the party conferences, including at yesterday’s Public Finance/CIPFA fringe event. It needs to move centre-stage Read more

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Lansley’s hypocrisy on NHS cuts and PFI

26 September 2011 | Mark Hellowell

The PFI is being blamed by Andrew Lansley for the NHS’s financial problems. But the policy has been supported by successive governments, including this one – and the bigger cause of cuts lies elsewhere  Read more

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Public sector talent: don’t waste it

20 September 2011 | John Tizard

Smart ‘talent management’ needs strategic leaders to drive it – rather than process-driven, competency-obsessed functionaries Read more

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Bleak outlook for living standards

15 September 2011 | Robert Joyce

The recession that started more than three years ago has taken some time to impact on household income, but the pain has only been postponed and not avoided Read more

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