Print magazine - Parliamentary Brief

Print magazine: July 2008

From chef Gordon, a pudding without a theme

Philip Nortonstruggles to find an end-point in the draft Constitutional Renewal Bill
Talk, and the Taliban could fall apart

As violence escalates in Afghanistan and the British death toll rises, Sultan Barakat explains why 'jaw jaw' may be a better answer than 'war war '
42 Days, with the kind of safeguard we used to get from Henry VIII

John Spencer, professor of law at Cambridge University, argues that certain clauses in the 42 days proposal are a dangerous departure from established constitutional principles
An unconventional Bill

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Rodney Austin, a senior human rights lawyer and academic, sets out the Bill's provisions and what it means in practice, and questions its compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights.

A voice from the Commons

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Chris Huhne, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, on the wrongs of the legislation and the failings of its safeguards. (based on his speech at 3rd reading)
Opinion: How about leaving this footprint, Mr Brown?

An Energy Efficiency Regulations and Loans Bill should be in the 2008 legislative programme, insists Roderick Crawford

Britain powers ahead (of Luxembourg and Malta)

Coming 23rd in the EU renewable energy stakes, Britain needs better policy support fast, believes Bridget Woodman

Six years on, Mr Wicks, it's time to start knocking some heads together

Gordon MacKerron traces the recent history of energy policy and outlines the urgent changes that are needed

Left in the dark

If we don't curb energy demand then the lights could go out, warnsJonathan Stern, director of Gas Research at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies

Steel comes clean

Commonly seen as 'dirty' and 'old-fashioned' the image of a steel plant today is more that of NASA’s Mission Control Room at Houston, says Ian Goldsmith, UK Public Affairs Manager for Corus
Getting into No.10?

The real challenge for Cameron will come once he's inside the door. Tim Bale considers what this means for the Tory party now.

Wooing the Scots

Andrew Gamblelooks at the new Tory Unionism set out by David Cameron at the Scottish Conservative Party Conference, and what this means for Scotland

A cloud no bigger than a man's hand

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Arthur Aughey looks at Kenneth Clarke's Democracy Task Force report
No, Minister, we don’t have a Roll's Royce in Whitehall

The recently published results of the Whitehall capability reviews show much reveal much room for improvement says Colin Talbot

The servant and his master

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Michael Barber, former head of the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit, analyses the relationship between ministers and civil servants

A skilful civil service?

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Jon Davis talks to Andrew McDonald, head of Government Skills, about future strategy within Whitehall and the public sector
From chef Gordon, a pudding without a theme

Philip Nortonstruggles to find an end-point in the draft Constitutional Renewal Bill

Judged wanting

Alexandra Runswick, deputy director of Unlock Democracy, analyses the detail of the draft bill and proposes changes that would make it genuinely reforming

Governing well

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Sir Christopher Foster, chair of the Better Government Inititative, argues for an improved policy-making process

In the end, is doing nothing the best future for Whitehall?

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Martin Lodge looks at the Civil Service Act and wonders whether codifying values is the best way forward.

My prerogative?

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Andrew Blick argues that the royal prerogative could be most powerful for Gordon Brown if he surrenders it
Three lessons for ten pence

Donald Hirsch takes the long view of the ten pence affair

The canny Scot who wants to save the British their water

Fiona Harvey talks to Alan Sutherland, Commissioner of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland, about how he can save businesses £500m that they flush away each year