We are delighted to introduce the SIPS Summer Newsletter 2017 jam packed full of news of what we have been up to for the past few months.
Month: June 2017
The ‘do it yourself’ future of social care
Social care unintentionally became a key election issue for the Conservatives through the inclusion in their manifesto of what MP Nigel Evans referred to as 'a full frontal assault on our core voters - the elderly'. The party had previously committed themselves to a new green paper, but care minister David Mowat has lost his Warrington South seat, and his role has not yet been filled in the cabinet reshuffle. The future of social care under a minority Conservative government is uncertain.
Navigating the Marxist Universe of energy policy in 2017
Energy policy is not a key General Election battleground. There were some flickers of it early on in the campaign, but since then it has barely been mentioned in the final phase of election campaigning as the major parties double down on the repetition of their key campaign phrases.
Theresa May does not like human rights but they lie at the heart of key election issues
The phrase “human rights” is almost entirely absent from the Conservative manifesto. The party prefers instead to use the term "British values". The decision to avoid the language of rights is perhaps unsurprising given that, according to a 2014 YouGov poll, “only half of Conservatives and four in ten UKIP voters believe human rights exist”.
‘Reading’ the 2017 manifesto statements in Education and HE policy
The two main educational headlines from the party manifestos in 2017 are the Conservative's endorsement of more Grammar Schools, and Labour's pledge to abolish tuition fees, re-introduce maintenance grants and write off student debt. They both represent radical breaks from their parties' recent previous manifesto statements, but neither necessarily break new ground or threaten to lose party support. So how do parties decide what to put in their election manifestos? How should we 'read' the story of the 2017 election?
Building houses out of hot air? How the 2017 party manifesto housing plans stack up
The UK is a facing a housing crisis. Whichever party wins the election will be confronted by numerous problems including: a lack of affordable housing in many of parts of the country; the challenges associated with housing an ageing population; a housing stock which is showing signs of obsolescence and fatigue; a highly unregulated and unchecked private rental sector; the challenge of ensuring that younger households are able to access affordable; high quality housing and home ownership; and, increasing levels of homelessness and rough sleeping.
Cross Party Silence on the real challenges of youth unemployment
The International Labour Organisation estimates that 71 million young people are unemployed in the world today. This figure is down from a post financial crisis high of 75 million in 2012; nevertheless it remains an alarming figure.
The Sheffield Institute for Policy Studies 