Latest thinking

Maybe we can eat our way out?

Blog

23 Dec 2014

Jonathan Schifferes

Food cuts through society on so many levels that perhaps focusing on how we feed ourselves is the best chance we have to achieve progressive social change.

The path to transformation: 'Help'

Blog

18 Dec 2014

Matthew Taylor

If we want to survive austerity, let alone improve places and lives, we must attend to the human dimensions of public service leadership. During 2014 I have attended, chaired, or spoken at, countless meetings on public service reform strategy. Yet two of the most powerful examples of the possibilities of reform were spontaneous and personal.

The biggest deficit - leadership

Blog

03 Dec 2014

Matthew Taylor

George Osborne’s autumn statement appears to be is a sophisticated package; written to maximise advantage to the Conservatives with a strong ideological undertow, but also containing a popular top line policy - on stamp duty - that has already commanded cross-party support.

And the winner of the nostalgia contest is...

Blog

21 Nov 2014

Matthew Taylor

Of the many unflattering comments I received on school reports one of the most memorable was: ‘O Levels are for the mediocre and accordingly he passed’. An echoing phrase came to mind when listening to the coverage of yesterday’s by-election: ‘politics is for those seeking to recreate the past, accordingly UKIP won’.

10PP - How to achieve a step change in the arts offer of schools

Blog

19 Nov 2014

Matthew Taylor

It’s a funny old world. It’s already been a long week and I wasn’t really looking forward to chairing a round-table discussion on ‘Ensuring an entitlement to a cultural education for all in London’ at Whole Education’s annual conference.

Sir John Elvidge on Citizen Power

Video

13 Nov 2014

Sir John Elvidge, former Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government, visits the RSA to explore how the state can improve public services and wellbeing by harnessing the strengths of its citizens, and devolving power to communities.

The power to create power

Blog

05 Nov 2014

Matthew Taylor

Since we started talking at the RSA about the Power to Create, I have been asked to apply the idea to a variety of subjects. The most recent is the energy sector….

Joining up is hard to do

Blog

27 Oct 2014

Matthew Taylor

Better integrating services around citizens needs is a no brainer. So why is it so difficult?

Three baby steps to direct democracy

Blog

23 Oct 2014

Rowan Conway

In his blog last week, Adam Lent talked about a crisis of representative democracy, referencing a YouGov survey in which 72% agreed with the statement: ‘politics is dominated by self-seeking politicians protecting the interests of the already rich and powerful in our society’. He eloquently made the case for political parties to  “shift away from the current highly representative approach to democracy based on strong party discipline, to one with a larger element of direct democracy”.