Odd One Out? »

In a tribute to our most loved BBC current affairs satire show not hosted by Dara O Briain Have I Got News For You, Chamberlain Forum’s very own pictorial puzzler….
Who is the Odd One Out?  Is it….

a) Prince William?

b) Bank of England Governor, Mervyn King?

c) Brummie comedian, Jasper Carrott?

d) Prime Minister, David Cameron?
Answers on the [...]

Chamberlain Forum Manifesto Review: Part II – Communities and mutualism »

In the second of this two-part series on the main party manifestos, we are going to look more specifically at what provision they make for community groups, community networks and the third sector.
First is the most ambitious and high-profile of the related policies – the Conservative Party’s Big Society idea.  Earlier today, Michael Gove went [...]

Chamberlain Forum Manifesto Review: Part I – Local Government Governance »

In the first of a two-part series on the election manifestos from the three main parties, Claire Spencer looks at the potential changes we could see in the structure of local government.

How Can We Hear When The People Speak? »

For all of us who want an election that is fought on the issues, the challenge of making sure that people are heard at times seems daunting. I’ve seen enough on the doorstep during election times to show me what happens when people don’t feel they have effective means of making their voices heard. Lack of information leaves voters open to manipulation. An experiment in London this weekend may shed some light on how to change all that.

Conservative Health Plans – The Neighbourhood View »

The Conservatives launched the first part of their draft election manifesto – to do with the NHS – earlier this week.  The response of Chamberlain Forum members to it – and to David Cameron’s proposal to ringfence health spending so far has been lukewarm.
Chris Wadhams:
‘The commitment to target NHS extra spending on poorer neighbourhoods risks being ineffective [...]

Why People Matter More Than ‘Defending Public Services’ »

The dust blown up by an election campaign tends to obscure a clear view of what government is really about. Or should be about.  Take the locking horns of the two major UK parties over the NHS.  Neither has successfully moved the debate along beyond who would transfuse more cash into State healthcare (or rather [...]