Skip to content

Tagged Content

The coalition starts its white-knuckle ride

On 7 December 2010, a British Academy Forum debated the ‘Implications of the present coalition for British politics’. One of the participants, Martin Kettle, of the ‘Guardian’, reflects on the forces that brought together – and still hold together – the coalition government.

The function of the financial services sector

July 2012 saw the publication of the final report of ‘The Kay Review of UK Equity Markets and Long-Term Decision Making’. At a British Academy Forum in January 2012, Professor John Kay FBA queried the effectiveness of the financial services sector in satisfying the needs of the wider economy.

The 2010 Spending Review: Implications for the state and its reach

The Coalition Government has said that the 2010 Spending Review ‘will be a complete re-evaluation of the Government’s role in providing public services’. ‘It is time to rethink how government spends our money,’ the Chancellor has said. On 30 July 2010, a British Academy Forum sought to address the ‘big …

‘Multicultural’ London

Professor Pat Thane FBA reports on a British Academy Forum held on 15 June 2010.

The Strange Career of British Democracy

When the British Academy organised a discussion on the current state of British democracy on 2 March 2009, no one could have predicted the storm that was about to overwhelm the political establishment. Martin Kettle discusses how the current furore highlights some deeper failings in our democratic system.

The Fiscal Challenge

The state of the public finances, which have deteriorated markedly since the onset of the recession, is a major Election issue. It provoked an exchange of letters in the ‘Sunday Times’ and the ‘Financial Times’, leading to media focus on the pace of tightening in the near term. Fellows of …

Financial and Economic Horizon-scanning

In December 2009 a British Academy Forum considered what steps might be taken by government agencies to anticipate and prepare for any future shocks to the financial system and the global economy. The two convenors of the Forum, Professor Tim Besley FBA and Professor Peter Hennessy FBA, summarised the discussion …

The Global Financial Crisis - Why Didn’t Anybody Notice?

On 17 June 2009, a group of leading academics, economics journalists, politicians, civil servants, and other practitioners met at the British Academy for a round-table discussion of the current financial crisis. The question under discussion in this British Academy Forum had been framed by Her Majesty The Queen on a …

Political decision-making in a crisis

In March 2010, a British Academy Forum looked at how political decisions are taken during a crisis (whether ‘foot and mouth’ or 7/7). Dr Catherine Haddon considers the lessons that can be learned for the future.

Social mobility: drivers and policy responses revisited

In December 2010, a British Academy Forum reviewed the drivers of social mobility and policy programmes to enhance it. Professor Anthony Heath FBA and Dr Anna Zimdars reflect on what we have learned and what we still do not know.

Individual electoral registration and the future of representative democracy

In December 2011, a British Academy Forum discussed the government’s plans to introduce Individual Electoral Registration in the UK, and to feed in comments and concerns ahead of the publication of a Bill in early 2012. The British Academy Forum was attended by the Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform, …

Two Decades of Military Interventions: Questions of Law, Morality, and Effectiveness

In the past two decades, the UK has been involved, along with other countries, in many military interventions. There have also been cases in which states have failed to intervene. These actions, and failures to act, have raised a range of questions. In July 2009, a British Academy Forum explored …

Sign up to our email newsletters

Preferences

I'm particularly interested in updates on: