Demos Greenhouse
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The new politics of personal information
We've been telling anyone that will listen for a long time that personal information is really important. In the past couple of days it seems like we, and people like the Information Commissioner, have been proved right. The story details some terrible mistakes, but we can't stop with the bad news story. This is an opportunity to open the serious debate we need about how and why personal information is so valuable.
That's a debate we're calling for in the forthcoming pamphlet FYI: The new politics of personal information, which we're launching on 7th December. continue reading on 22nd November 2007 in For Your Information - Education is about more than making sure the numbers add up The Conservatives yesterday unveiled some education policy proposals, but what is surprising about the substance of these policies is that there is a distinct lack of new ideas. Moreover, it seems that there is also something of a reluctance to look beyond a familiar source for policy inspiration. continue reading 21st November 2007 Comments (4)
- Evidence vs Information Here’s a question. Who knows best about how to teach children to read: teachers and headteachers, or the government? And here’s another question: who knows best about how to keep discipline in schools: teachers and headteachers or the government? They are serious questions, but one that policy still fails to answer. continue reading on 19th November 2007 Comments (2)
- Making collaboration work It's quite obvious that the Brownites won't be led by competition and markets, but less obvious what should replace choice as the new reform mantra. I had a crack at articulating the Demos vision at the PM's Strategy Unit yesterday, picking up a lot of the arguments we made in the Collaborative State, but also drawing on our work in New Zealand and Australia. continue reading 16th November 2007 Comments (7)
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Lord West's abrupt ‘about turn’
Yesterday Lord West was asked whether he thought the police needed more than 28 days to question terrorist suspects.
08:20 (on the Today Programme): 'I'm not convinced we need to hold terror suspects longer than 28 days'
continue reading on 15th November 2007 in The Public Value of Security Comments (3)
09:05 (having had breakfast with Gordon Brown): 'Actually, I am convinced' - Crossing the 'e's Yesterday the Prime Minister announced various anti-terrorism measures, including updates on the 'e-borders' program. There's a comment, about the speech and approach generally, from Timothy Garton-Ash here. I thought it was worth mentioning the e-borders news, especially in the light of our upcoming pamphlet on personal information. continue reading on 15th November 2007 in For Your Information Comments (1)
- Podcast: Community Based Counter-Terrorism So, apparently the police are watching 2,000 terror suspects, but they aren’t the only ones watching them – there’s the rest of us too. Last week Jamie Bartlett gave a lecture about community based approaches to counter terrorism - the terror threat may come from global networks, but it’s in local communities that young Muslims become radicalised. Jamie's lecture makes up this weeks podcast (it's 35 minutes long).You can listen to the free Demos podcast...1.... continue reading 13th November 2007 in Demos Podcasts From Threat to Opportunity
- 'Power to the people' - but how..? I wonder if David Cameron has prompted an interesting debate this morning – not about council tax and local referendums, but about the politics of power. The question for the Right and the Left (pdf), is whether it is localism or marketisation of services that is best at giving people real power over their own lives. continue reading on 13th November 2007 Comments (1)
- What equals what? My hopes for some a bit more progressive action in the blogosphere may have been answered. Liberal Conspiracy, launched this week, looks like a promising place for some good debate on the liberal left. Chris Dillow writes an early post arguing against equality of opportunity as a key policy goal, in favour of more redistribution instead. His argument is basically that: continue reading on 8th November 2007 Comments (2)
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Out of Step
Earlier this week we launched Out of Step: The case for change in the British armed forces. The crux of our argument is that the Government and senior commanders have consistently overlooked the men and women of the armed forces in pursuit of the 'big ticket, hi-tec equipment'.
I have been searching for a pithy one liner since Monday which sums this approach up and found the following quote on the US DoD website regarding their most important resource... continue reading on 8th November 2007 Comments (1)