Jan 2012: It is time to fix broken Britain

The challenge of the century

 Simon Lee 09 Jan 2012

'It has been widely accepted that the UK's economics performance reflects a significant competitive disadvantage, in institutional and policy terms, when compared with its major competitors'

Dr Simon Lee is Senior Lecturer in Politics and Director of the Centre for Democratic Governance, University of Hull. 

Health and welfare

Trouble-shooting problem families is worth every penny it costs

 Rob Williams 09 Jan 2012

Is it really worth spending money on troubleshooters to help families with multiple problems?  Indeed it is.  Just look at the numbers.  Existing local authority family intervention programmes (FIPs) have … » more

Rob Williams is Chief Executive of the Fatherhood Institute www.fatherhoodinstitute.org

Tackling drug-abuse is a national priority, er, depending on where you live

 Noreen Oliver, Martin Barnes 09 Jan 2012

There is a strong commitment within government to drug policy and particularly drug and alcohol treatment. This is evidenced by the cross-departmental representation on the Inter-Ministerial Group on Drugs and, … » more

Noreen Oliver MBE is chief executive officer of BAC O’Connor Centres and Martin Barnes is chief executive of DrugScope. 

Despite the fuss, it must be better to keep fathers in the picture

 Nick Woodall 09 Jan 2012

As the Welfare Reform Bill makes its way through the House of Lords, the controversy surrounding those elements relating to the proposed reforms of the child-maintenance system shows no sign … » more

Nick Woodall works on policy and development at the Centre for Separated Families.

A merciful muddle

 John Perry 09 Jan 2012

Britain's legal approach to euthanasia may be a messy compromise, but it is much better than anything that could take its place

John Perry is McDonald Postdoctoral Fellow for Christian Ethics & Public Life at Christ Church, Oxford. His book, ‘The Pretenses of Loyalty: Locke, Liberalism and Political Theology’, was published last summer by OUP.

The scandal of slavery in Britain

 Simon Chorley 09 Jan 2012

Ten years after the United States was violently awoken to its vulnerability to terrorist attacks, the date 9/11 marks another rude awakening much closer to home. On 11 September 2011, … » more

Simon Chorley is the UK Coordinator for STOP THETRAFFIK www.stopthetraffik.org

EU

Would hard-hit Ireland vote 'Yes' to a new Euro treaty?

 Brigid Laffan 09 Jan 2012

In the short time-span of fifteen years, Ireland experienced a boom, a bubble and a bust. The boom which began in the first half of the 1990s was characterised by … » more

Brigid Laffan is Professor of European Politics UCD, Dublin

The crisis that could give France the kind of club it always wanted in Europe

 Laurent Cohen-Tanugi 09 Jan 2012

Along with Germany, France has assumed a leadership role in dealing with the eurozone debt crisis since its inception, in the same way as it did with the global financial … » more

Laurent Cohen-Tanugi is an author and Managing Partner, Law Offices of Laurent Cohen-Tanugi.  He is also the Former Chair of the French Governmental Task Force on Europe and Globalization (2007-2008).

The logic of one currency only having one finance minister

 Guntram B. Wolff 09 Jan 2012

'The eurozone needs to significantly step up its efforts to fight the crisis.  This ultimately will require the creation of a true eurozone finance ministry with tax-raising powers'

Guntram B. Wolff is deputy director of the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel and co-author of ‘What kind of fiscal union?’ 

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January 2012 edition

The economy: the challenge of the century; also inside: child maintenance: the government has got it right, euthanasia: a merciful muddle, and eurozone crisis: views from Dublin, Paris and Brussels