mandate blog
International variations in health: do they matter and should we care?
Posted by Mike Birtwistle at Tue, 27/07/2010 - 10:42am in Health Mandate commentary
The charge that the UK 'lags behind' the rest of the world on any form of health service makes a great story for the media and can be politically toxic for ministers. Voters hate the concept that England might be the poor man - let alone the sick man - of Europe. Yet being different from Europe is not necessarily a bad thing. After all, on many other issues the same commentators who decry variations with Europe in healthcare are all too proud to be different than our European neighbours.
It sometimes takes a late convert to ask an awkward question.
Posted by Gary Cleland at Thu, 22/07/2010 - 12:28pm in Digital news
This week the BBC's Andrew Marr revealed he wishes he could turn the clock back and begin again in journalism, such is the opportunity presented by digital.
By his own admission he is somewhat behind the curve in reaching this conclusion, certainly comparative to early adopters if not, perhaps, Fleet Street-era journalists.
I fell in love with David Beckham when...
Posted by Gemma Irvine at Wed, 21/07/2010 - 2:14pm in Brand best practice
I fell in love with David Beckham when he was just a young promising footballer at Manchester United - admittedly then it was all about the floppy hair and twinkly eyes. Since then, as he has grown into a global icon, I have witnessed one of the greatest PR stories develop alongside his fame.
The history of Prime Minister's Questions
Posted by Mark Pack at Wed, 21/07/2010 - 9:35am in Political commentary
Today sees Nick Clegg take to the Despatch Box to answer Prime Minister's Questions in David Cameron's absence from the UK.
Several Liberal Democrats have taken to twitter expressing their anticipation, such as Jo Swinson:
reserving a seat to watch a little bit of Lib Dem history later today - Nick Clegg taking #pmqs, first Lib leader to do so since 1922
Is it newspapers rather than politicians who should be learning from the 2010 election?
Posted by Mark Pack at Tue, 20/07/2010 - 8:58am in Internet
Most of the punditry about the internet and the general election has focused on the impact of the internet, and social media in particular, on politics. Although journalists often get a mention, the basic frame of reference is "how is politics changing?"
However, there was a hint of a different perspective at the launch at Google UK on Tuesday of Nic Newman's report for the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism into the impact of the internet on the politics and the media during this year's general election.
Birds of a feather: how the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party shapes up
Posted by Mark Pack at Tue, 13/07/2010 - 7:57am in Political commentary
The June/July edition of Parliamentary Brief ran this piece looking at the state of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party:
A great transformation? What will the White Paper mean for the NHS?
Posted by Mike Birtwistle at Mon, 12/07/2010 - 3:38pm in Health Mandate commentary, Political commentary
For years in opposition, Conservative health policy has been something of a paradox. Policy papers setting out fundamental change in some detail (at least for an opposition) were accompanied by an almost boringly repetitive message of reassurance about the Party's belief in the NHS and its competence to manage it. The reassurance achieved cut through but the radical change which was explicit in the policy rarely did.
Health Mandate stars at Communique
Posted by Mike Birtwistle at Fri, 09/07/2010 - 1:56pm in Health Mandate commentary
Last night was a very good one for Heath Mandate, winning three prestigious Communiqué awards:
Press Complaints Commission review makes 75 recommendations but suggests no major change
Posted by Mark Pack at Wed, 07/07/2010 - 3:18pm in Political commentary
An eleven month review into the workings of the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) has made 75 recommendations but is not suggesting any fundamental alterations in the ways in which the PCC works. The relatively modest total set of recommendations is in contrast to the views of the Culture, Media and Sport committee in the House of Commons, which earlier this year recommended major changes to the work of the PCC, including giving it the option of fining publications for breaching its code.
The size of the House of Commons in historical context
Posted by Mark Pack at Mon, 05/07/2010 - 4:18pm in Political commentary
Earlier today the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, announced plans to cut the size of the House of Commons to 600 seats from the current 650 size. The Commons has often changed in size over the previous decades, but as this graph shows 600 would be the smallest number of MPs since the 1867 Reform Act and only the fourth time the Commons has been reduced in size. The cut however is smaller both in seat numbers and proportionate terms than that introduced after 1918:
