-
Putting people first, making the public case for Proportional Representation
If you’re far enough into policy discourse to be reading a blog about Proportional Representation (PR), it’s somewhat likely that you already know what the main arguments are on either side of the electoral reform debate. As Tom Brake detailed in his blog earlier in this series, detractors of PR claim that it leads to […]
-
A better relationship between workers and management
We have railway workers on strike over pay, terms and conditions changes, redundancies. The workers going on strike are those employed by Network Rail, a company owned by the Department of Transport, alongside London Underground workers who will also be going on strike. These strikes are mostly by the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union but […]
-
The future of Scotland’s electoral system
The use of the Additional Member System (AMS) in Scottish Parliament elections has been in place since its opening in 1999. It has never been subject to a majoritarian style vote, and so it is almost impossible to tell if a change in systems benefits any one cause or party. However, the election of certain […]
-
Proportional Representation – tropes and triumphs
Just a few days ago the Conservatives came within a cat’s whisker (or three) of a leadership contest. With their advocacy of a voting system which ensures ‘the candidate who wins the most votes …is elected’, it may come as a surprise to learn that First Past The Post (FPTP) would not have been used […]
-
Comparing Rishi Sunak’s plan to a single universal payment
Today, the Chancellor of the Exchequer followed February’s Energy Bills Support Scheme with a new Cost of Living Support package. The package primarily comprises stackable cash transfers to households of varying types: £650 to those receiving means-tested benefits £150 to those receiving non-means-tested disability benefits £300 to those receiving the Winter Fuel Payment (i.e., those […]
-
Education, Education, Education – Harm Reduction Begins At School
Providing young people with simple, practical and accurate information is the best way to ensure their safety, allowing them to make informed choices about their use of alcohol, tobacco and all other drugs. Educating children should not just be about impressing upon them the values and skills needed to become the next generation of the […]
-
Ending the war on drugs: tackling the injustice of our current policy
The UK has the highest drug death rate in Europe, three times higher than the next country on the list, Germany. Drug deaths are at an all-time high, rising year-on-year. At Cranstoun, we believe there is a way to tackle this tragedy – and now. I have worked extensively in policing policy – for five […]
-
Getting serious about mental health
At the age of 17 I had left home, my future was uncertain and my mental health was dire. After being enlisted as a vulnerable child by social services I moved in for the half term to my ex’s house in Warrington while independent accommodation was negotiated for me so I could continue my education […]
-
The land dividend
In 2020 and 2021, government spending rose by almost £400 billion, covering policies from furlough to free school meals. This spending dominated the national conversation, but as many of those programs wound down and inflation began to rise, the focus inevitably shifted to taxes. At the Autumn and Spring Budgets of 2021, the Chancellor announced […]
-
Proportional Representation, a sensible solution
The United Kingdom’s voting system in General Elections is perhaps one of the simplest in the world. Voters choose their favourite candidate in their local area (usually based on the party they represent), put a cross in the relevant section, then put their ballot in the designated box. The ballots in each constituency are counted […]