Here we are, with just over a week to go. I always think of elections as sacred moments in our collective life, when we fulfill our covenant with those who have fought, and often died, so that we have the privilege of living in a free society. This time, though, there are other undercurrents: the [...]
We seem to be living through one of those moments in history when it’s difficult to process all the things that are happening across the globe. And yet somebody has to do so. Our political leaders, of course - but they in turn depend on advice from policy officials. One of the key recent learning [...]
I won't be the first commentator to note that the current perfect storm of crises, centred on Ukraine in the international sphere, the cost of living at home and Brexit somewhere in-between, barely registered in the Conservative Party leadership contest that, today, gave us a new Prime Minister. It puts me in mind of the [...]
Too early to start thinking about a post-Covid public inquiry? Maybe so - everyone and everything is maxed out. Those working night and day to contain and improve the situation have better things to think about. And yet. And yet. Even in the midst of a crisis, establishing an audit trail is important. Why? Because [...]
No, not an astronomy blog, but one that builds on my last two pieces. I want to explore how narrative and truth in public policy play out with the citizen in the context of the current Covid crisis. And to do so, let me introduce you to Julie. Julie is a composite character drawn from [...]
The truth. Isn’t that the beating heart of everything? It’s tempting to say that the issue of what is true, and what isn’t, has never been more important in human civilisation than it is currently. But I suspect that, pre-Enlightenment, people walked round in a fug of myth, misinformation and misunderstanding that makes even today’s [...]
It was all well and good saying, as I did, that my first blog was just a trailer, but now I’ve got to come up with the main feature - a regular blog. Where to start? There’s a lot to tackle in the world of public policy, to say nothing of the other subjects I’d [...]
You might think that, popping out the other side of a 30-odd year career in the Civil Service, I would want to devote more time to tending my roses. But the fact of the matter is, I’m a pretty rubbish gardener. So blogging it is. And this first one will be a bit of a [...]
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