Parliament
Copying EU Green Rules Will Kill Labour’s Growth Agenda
Avoiding the EU’s red tape is essential for the UK to foster growth and prevent sustainability from becoming a costly burden
Labour Must Prioritise Policy-Makers Over Spin Doctors
A troubling shift in Keir Starmer’s strategy favours slick media management over urgent need for substantial policy reform
The British public needs more practical advice on diet and nutrition
Updating the UK’s Eatwell Guide to include practical tips, could provide evidence-based, actionable advice in the fight against obesity
MPs back charity’s plan for sports and mental health ‘revolution’
The Lord’s Taverners is the UK’s leading youth cricket and disability sports charity, empowering and positively impacting the lives of young people facing challenges of inequality
We can force Putin pay for Ukraine’s reconstruction
The New Lines Institute, a leading US Foreign Policy think tank, presented at the roundtable event the framework by which Russian funds already frozen by several Western Nations can be lawfully used to compensate Ukraine.
Boris Johnson will be remembered for keeping Europe safe
Unprecedented times require leaders who buck trends, writes Prof Azeem Ibrahim
Cold War II
Lord Hannay on the invasion of Ukraine
Erskine
The Scottish draft Bill on gender recognition throws up uncertainties and would weaken women’s sex-based rights in the UK. Political dialogue is urgently needed
Leading without vision
Premiers are different to the crowd: an electorate teeming with Thatcher’s drive and Blair’s self-belief would be a nightmare
Pepys: sorry not sorry
Saying the word itself is easy – unless you’re Elton John. But a well pitched apology is an art that eludes most politicians
In defence of lobbying
There’s more to engaging with government than short-term lobbying for single issues
Future fuel
Jacob Young MP tells Mace why he’s backing clean hydrogen as the fuel of the future
Dressing down
Sir Lindsay Hoyle is on a mission to sharpen MPs’ dress sense, but will clothes alone inspire better behaviour?
The polluter will need to pay
Why the ‘cake, have, eat’ approach won’t fix the climate emergency
Digital Confidential: Why toxic big tech must be held to account
Now we know that the likes of Facebook and Instagram know their harmful content damages its young users, these tech giants should have nowhere to hide
Beyond social care
How can the government prepare to deal with an ageing population?
Keeping the lights turned off
Light pollution means most of us rarely see the full beauty of the sky at night. Stargazing MP Andrew Griffith plans to change that
New trade secretary must stand firm against pro-Brussels lobbying
For Bill Cash, trade is the policy area where the UK can most significantly, and successfully, depart from the Brussels bureaucratic model.
It’s Disingenuous for the Government to Celebrate Windrush Day
Helen Hayes MP flags the Government’s ongoing failures – which continue to devastate the lives of those affected by the Windrush Scandal.
I Drank Because I was Ashamed to be Gay
In his moving speech from Parliament’s Pride Debate, Dan Carden MP reveals how the trauma of hiding his sexuality led him to alcohol abuse.
The UK has a Duty to Hongkongers
After mounting evidence of China breaking the Sino-British Joint Declaration, Tom Randall MP argues that due to the UK’s recent colonial history with Hong Kong, the Foreign Office now has a duty to stand up and protect Hongkongers’ freedoms and rights.
The History Curriculum Needs Diversifying
Within 48 hours, 100,000 people signed Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson’s petition calling for the Government to teach Britain’s colonial past as part of the UK’s compulsory curriculum. Launched in June 2020, it has since reached 240,000 signatories.
Chris Evans, Labour MP for Islwyn and chair of the APPG on archives and history, makes the case for diversifying the history curriculum.
The Case for Vitamin D Prescriptions
Jim Shannon draws on medical research to argue that vitamin D prescriptions are a crucial component to living in a post-lockdown Covid world.
Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict
Anthony Mangall MP, chair of the APPG on the prevention of sexual violence in conflict initative (PSVI) reminds Parliament why it’s time to reignite the UK’s global initiative in recognising, punishing and supporting the victims of crimes committed on the sidelines of war.
Plugging the gap? Different approaches to road pricing
As EV uptake grows, so too does another headache for the government, writes Patrick Hall.
Here’s how to make COP26 momentous
Westminster observers are concerned the landmark climate conference could prove little more than a showpiece. Stakeholders advised how to avoid that fate.
Who is the Skills Bill for?
WEA head Simon Parkinson says we should herald the law’s opportunities – but be aware of its shortcomings
Introducing the Mace Index of Special Advisers
Peter Cardwell, special adviser to four cabinet ministers, introduces our exclusive survey of the Top 50 Spads across all political parties – and explains why the politico breed are here to stay
Beyond Westminster: Consultancy Across the Regions
Devolution has been good business for public affairs consultants with specialist knowledge of Holyrood, Stormont and the Senedd
Introducing the Political Consultants Index
As political lobbying receives new scrutiny in the wake of Greensill, our peer-reviewed Mace Top 100 Political Consultants Index explores the best professional advocates moving and shaking Westminster policy.
In Conversation with Sylvie Bermann, former French ambassador
Sylvie Bermann was France’s ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2014 to 2017, the first woman to hold the role.
Why do some countries succeed with electric vehicles?
Greater incentives are needed to make electric cars more attractive to UK drivers
The UK Should Learn from the EU’s Mistakes on Trade Protectionism
An independent trade policy with an eye on Due Diligence will improve the UK’s relations and diplomatic links with key strategic partners
Stuck between the snobs and the critics
Fashion can make or break in Westminster, says former aide to Jeremy Corbyn Frances Leach
Remembering ‘The Minister’, aka Patrick Paines
The PM has Forgotten Where Power Truly Resides
To soothe public outrage, says Marie Le Conte, the government need to look beyond the green benches
APPG – Football Brings People Together
As a proud season ticket holder at Manchester United, my passion for football started at a young age, writes Katherine Fletcher MP
The Corridor – Blues Brother
The ascension of Davie to the top job at the Beeb in June aroused a considerable degree of suspicion among the corporation’s not insubstantial number of lefties on account of his Tory history.
Long Table: Peter Mandelson’s Cosy Country Life in Lockdown
Tucked away in Wiltshire, Peter Mandelson read his way through lockdown, when he wasn’t zooming into the Lords
Erskine: Bernard Jenkin MP
Attempts to modernise the civil service, one of the great institutions of state, will put unnecessary strain on the UK constitution
Constituency vitae: David Lammy on Tottenham
The north London constituency is not without its problems, admits David Lammy, but it remains a destination second to none…
The Clown Prince Ascends to his Throne
There’s plenty of egg-on-face – or just embarrassed silence – for the many pundit hacks, often former Tory colleagues of Boris, who wrote him off as a priapic clown.
Long Table: Lord Butler on the Ship of State
The former cabinet secretary, now a Lords crossbencher, describes his life as a peer and the differing demands of serving under five prime ministers.
Breaking the code
The government seems to believe pragmatism and practice should outweigh the law or international treaties