In today’s PBR, the Chancellor will likely announce further upward revisions to the record borrowing projections for this year. The Government’s fiscal rules were already looking thread-bare at the...
CHRIS LESLIE | Given the impending general election, it would not be unreasonable for the seasoned observer to strike a note of cynicism in response to the barrage of announcements from politicians...
ANNA DIXON | The NHS is entering a new era. After years of relative plenty, the health service faces a period of austerity and a ‘perfect storm’ of rising costs and growing demand fuelled by an...
JUDY HIRST | Don’t work longer, or harder. Work smarter. This favourite bit of management-speak has finally risen to the top of ministerial in-trays and is being regurgitated all over the show
ROB OLDHAM | Conservative proposals to transfer public sector property to a new company are all about incentives – incentives to release space and sell surplus assets
HEATHER WAKEFIELD | Inadequate funding of home care will make the laudable aims of the National Care Service unattainable. The poor treatment of the workforce will undermine the need to raise...
STEVE FREER | Getting real alignment of political and management agendas is one of the critical challenges that needs to be addressed ahead of any large cuts programmes
TONY DOLPHIN | Politicians are prioritising plans to reduce the budget deficit in the run-up to the election. But they should hold off major spending cuts until growth picks up
MIKE THATCHER | Christine Gilbert had a glimpse this week of what it’s like to be berated for poor performance and to have your apparent failings dissected by what were once known as Fleet Street’s...
CONOR RYAN | Today's Ofsted annual report has both good and bad news. There has been a substantial increase in the number of 'good' and 'outstanding' schools - the equivalent of 1800 extra good...
INSTITUTE FOR FISCAL STUDIES | One of the 13 bills in the recent Queen's Speech was the Child Poverty Bill, carried over from the previous Parliamentary Session.
IAN MULHEIRN | All the political parties are competing to find solutions to the record numbers of unemployed young people. But this should not be at the expense of the over-24s
VIVIENNE RUSSELL | The prime minister, who yearns to regain his reputation for careful stewardship of the nation’s finances, put fiscal responsibility firmly at the heart of his new, and possibly...