News archive by theme

Climate change and environment
Criminal justice and law reform
Culture and media
Economy, taxation and finance
Education
Families and children
Global economy and development
History in practice
International affairs and security
Local government and services
Medicine and public health
Migration and nationality
NHS
Pensions and ageing
Political institutions and ideas
Trade Unions and employment

Climate change and environment

Britain more energy efficient than in Shakespeare's time.

News release, Friday 19 October 2007

A new History & Policy paper by Paul Warde of the University of East Anglia says that restricting energy use is the only way to tackle climate change. In an analysis of four centuries of energy consumption, he warns that over-reliance on energy efficiency will not curb carbon emissions. Read the news release [pdf file, 45KB].

Personal carbon allowances

Select Committee, August 2007

History & Policy contributor Mark Roodhouse has submitted a memorandum to the Environmental Audit Select Committee inquiry into personal carbon allowances. Read his memorandum [pdf file, 77KB]. For further information about the inquiry see the parliament website.

Rekindle Blitz spirit to combat climate change

Media coverage, Monday 16 April 2007

Mark Roodhouse's History & Policy paper on carbon rationing has attracted extensive national media coverage, including articles in the Guardian; the Sunday Times; the Financial Times; the Daily Telegraph; and the New Statesman.

Criminal justice and law reform

Exploding the historical myths around juvenile justice

News release, Wednesday 4 July 2007

With new rules on the physical restraint of young offenders coming into force this week, Abigail Wills of Brasenose College, Oxford, argues that the government's approach to juvenile justice is the most punitive for 150 years. In her History & Policy paper she explodes the twin myths that there was a golden age of respect and deference, and that current juvenile justice policy is more enlightened than in the past. Read the news release [pdf file, 41KB]

Crimes and misdemeanours

New online journal, April 2007

A new, online history journal is launched this month by SOLON, a partnership of four universities that promotes inter-disciplinary studies in crime and bad behaviour. Crimes and Misdemeanours will be published monthly, showcasing work that confronts and challenges accepted histories and examines the implications for current and past professional practices relating to the study of offensive or anti-social behaviour and its implications. See the inaugural edition of Crimes and Misdemeanours.

LGBT equality one of Blair's finest achievements

News release, Thursday 1 February 2007

Professor Jeffrey Weeks of London South Bank University argues that progress towards equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people should be celebrated as a legacy of the Blair government. His paper has been published to mark the start of LGBT History Month 2007, and the 50th anniversary of the Wolfenden Report later this year. For more information, see the LGBT History Month website. Read the news release [pdf file, 48KB]

The women who still walk the streets of Victorian Britain

Article, January 2007

History & Policy contributor Julia Laite calls for a radical new approach to government policy on prostitution, with greater investment in projects to protect and support vulnerable women. This article is published in Parliamentary Brief magazine.

Prostitute murders spark calls for amnesty

Interview, Tuesday 12 December 2006

The tragic serial-killings in Ipswich have sparked discussion of the policy and legal framework governing prostitution, what drives vulnerable women onto the streets and keeps them there. The Press Association carried an interview with History & Policy contributor Julia Laite. Read the interview on the Mail on Sunday website.

Prostitutes will still be paying the price under 'new' government strategy

News release, Wednesday 8 November 2006

Cambridge historian Julia Laite says the Home Office should learn from previous, failed 'crack-downs' on street prostitution. This was picked up on 17 November by New Start magazine [pdf file, 1MB]. Read the news release [pdf file, 31KB]

Culture and media

Behind the News/ History Lessons

New History & Policy series in BBC History Magazine, April 2008

History & Policy is collaborating with BBC History Magazine on an exciting series, Behind the News/ History Lessons. Every month a historian in the History & Policy network will examine a topical news issue, exploding historical myths and sharing their thoughts on how history might help solve current problems. In January's magazine, Abigail Wills investigates Youth Culture and Crime. In February's edition Ina Zweiniger-Bargielowska wrote about Obesity and the modern lifestyle. In March David Feldman wrote on Making immigration work for Britain. In the current issue Peter Shapely considers the housing crisis.

The shock of the old

Interview, January 2007

In his new book The Shock of the Old: Technology in Global History Since 1900 David Edgerton of Imperial College, London argues that new technology is not always the best technology and revisits seminal inventions ranging from the rickshaw to the Pill. For more details, see his interviews with Education Guardian and BBC Radio 4's Today Programme. His book is published by Profile Books in January 2007, for further details see the Profile Books website. For further details of the launch event, hosted by Demos, see the Demos website.

Is Britain's voluntary sector in decline?

Articles, Friday 14 July 2006

A debate between historians Frank Prochaska, Yale University, and Pat Thane, Centre for Contemporary British History. Download the debate [pdf file, 23KB]. Articles first published in New Start magazine.

Volunteers and voluntary organisations in a changing world

News release, Friday 30 June 2006

History and Policy hosts a discussion session with Baroness Greengross at the Centre for Contemporary British History summer conference.

Economy, taxation and finance

The Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England: ten years on

Select Committee, January 2007

Forrest Capie and Geoffrey Wood of the Cass Business School at City University have submitted a History & Policy memorandum to the House of Commons Treasury Committee's new inquiry. Download their memorandum [pdf file, 92KB]. For further information about the inquiry, see the Parliament website.

Education

Why go to university?

News Release, Wednesday 1 August 2007

Ten years after publication of the Dearing report, Carol Dyhouse of the University of Sussex explores how higher-education funding structures have affected successive generations of students. Read the news release [pdf file, 22KB].

Families and children

Sinners, Scroungers, Saints

Interview, 21 November 2007

History & Policy contributor Tanya Evans is interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour about her exhibition on lone motherhood at the Women's Library. You can listen to the interview via the Woman's Hour website. Sinners, Scroungers, Saints runs at the until 29 March 2008, entrance is free. For more information see the Women's Library website.

See also Tanya's History & Policy paper: Is it futile to try to get non-resident fathers to maintain their children?.

Review of child support needs a master-class from history

News release, Wednesday 25 October 2006

Thomas Nutt, Cambridge University, and Tanya Evans, Centre for Contemporary British History, argue that the government should not shift the burden of collection onto lone parents and might learn from the success of local methods of collection in the past. Read the news release [pdf file, 34KB].

Sex and relationships

Interview, Monday 2 October 2006

History & Policy contributor Hera Cook of Birmingham University participates in a BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour discussion on the 60th anniversary programme. Listen to the discussion on the Radio 4 website.

Global economy and development

History of the Department for International Development

Article, April 2007

Barrie Ireton is a Fellow of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and has worked in the Department for International Development for over 40 years. He is currently completing an official history of the department which will be published later this year, for further details see the Institute of Commonwealth Studies website.

History in practice

Call for government to appoint Chief Historical Adviser

News Release, December 2007

Ahead of the History & Policy launch on 5 December, leading historian David Cannadine called for the appointment of historical advisers to Whitehall departments and a Chief Historical Adviser to the government. For more details, read our news release [pdf file, 61KB] or listen to David's interview BBC Radio Four's Today Programme.

Why Policy Needs History

Launch coverage, December 2007

History & Policy had its public launch, Why Policy Needs History, at the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms on Wednesday, 5 December. Leading historians Pat Thane, David Reynolds and David Cannadine addressed the major policy areas of social change, international relations and national identity and devolution.

Pat Thane's paper, Are things getting better? Governing a changing society [pdf file, 57KB], David Reynolds' paper, The Prime Minister as world statesman [pdf file, 66KB] and David Cannadine's paper, Britishness: devolution, evolution and revolution [pdf file 61kb], are available to download. All of the papers are drafts and have not been checked against delivery.

The launch event also sparked widespread media discussion, including:

Peter Riddell's article in The Times
Polly Toynbee's article in The Guardian.
A leading article in The Independent.
Simon Szreter's article in Education Guardian.
Pat Thane's interview for BBC Radio Four's Start the Week.

Why Policy Needs History

Interview, 26 November 2007

In an interview for BBC Radio Four's Start the Week, Pat Thane discusses History & Policy's forthcoming public launch, Why Policy Needs History, which will take place on Wednesday, 5 December, at the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms. Pat will be joined by David Cannadine and David Reynolds to address three of the most pressing policy issues currently facing the Government. Prospect Magazine editor David Goodhart will chair the discussion.

Australian democracy forum

New initiative, April 2007

Historian David Pritchard was inspired by History & Policy to set up the Sydney Democratic Forum. This is a new initiative, based in Sydney, Australia, that aims to bring together academics in the humanities and social scientists to inform current policymaking relating to democracy and foreign affairs. A series of events is planned in Sydney, but academics and policymakers worldwide are invited to join the discussion network and a website is under construction. See the invitation to join the forum [pdf file, 23KB] or email Rowena Mueller (r.mueller@econ.usyd.edu.au).

A nicer country than Attlee's Britain?

Article, April 2007

In an article for Parliamentary Brief magazine this month, Pat Thane explains that her team's research for the Equalities Review shows how far Great Britain has progressed towards equality since the Second World War. But she warns that even now, not all of us are equal, all of the time. Read Pat Thane's article [pdf file, 30KB].

See also Equalities in Great Britain, 1946-2006 [pdf file, 839KB].

History and the public

Presentation, Thursday 12 April

This year's History and the Public Conference was held at Swansea University, with keynote speakers including Lord Morgan and Tristram Hunt, for further details including audio and word files see the Swansea University website. Read Mel Porter's presentation on History & Policy [pdf file, 375KB].

Welsh Assembly announces £2m for future of Aberfan

Interview, Thursday 1 February 2007

History & Policy contributor Iain McLean has been writing and campaigning about Aberfan since the archives were opened in 1997, and described how the government of the day improperly took charitable funds from the Aberfan Disaster Fund to pay for the removal of the Aberfan coal tips in 1968. Interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Iain welcomed the announcement of 2m for the upkeep of the village's memorials and local schools. To listen to the discussion go to the Radio 4 website. He was also quoted in the Western Mail.

Related paper: Aberfan: no end of a lesson.

Whose history is it anyway?

Article, October 2006

In an article for History Today, Tristram Hunt argues that "historians should stop worrying about controlling the commanding heights of British public life, and start to operate more where history really matters to politicians: amongst the people." For the full text see the History Today website.

Time to talk

Article, Wednesday 15 May 2002

Simon Szreter, Cambridge University, introduces the History & Policy initiative. Download the article [pdf file, 25KB]. The article was first published in Education Guardian.

International affairs and security

Summits

History series on BBC 4, February 2008

History & Policy contributor David Reynolds uncovers the fascinating stories of summit meetings that shaped the world in an exciting new series for BBC 4. The second programme examines the 1961 summit meeting between John F Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, which pushed the world to the brink of nuclear destruction over Cuba. It will be shown on 11 February, from 10.30 to 11.30pm, on BBC 4. The third programme considers what happenned when Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev met at Lake Geneva to discuss nuclear disarmament. It will be shown on 13 February from 9.00 to 10.00 pm. Both programmes are repeated during the week, for full listings see the BBC 4 website.

David Reynolds spoke at the History & Policy discussion evening on the lessons of history for diplomacy. His paper The Prime Minister as World Stateman is available now.

Local government and services

Robin Jackson, Baroness Andrews and David Walker

Local devolution of public services

Event, 27 November 2007

History & Policy and the British Academy held a discussion evening chaired by Pat Thane looking at the past and present of devolution from central to local government. On the panel were Communities Minister Baroness Kay Andrews, historian and former council leader Baroness Hollis, historian and Local Government Ombudsman Jerry White, and Guardian Public Magazine editor, David Walker. For more details see the British Academy website. A full report on this event will be available shortly.

See also Jerry White's H&P paper From Herbert Morrison to command and control: the decline of local democracy.

What's wrong with English local democracy? Can looking back help to move it forward?

News Release, Monday 9 July 2007

This workshop was a partnership between History & Policy and the British Academy, to explore whether history has any lessons that could help revitalise local democracy today. Six panellists with a range of historical and contemporary expertise presented their thoughts, followed by a lively discussion with the invited audience of around 35 people. For further details see the British Academy website.

History & Policy contributor and Local Government Ombudsman Jerry White, was on the panel, see his paper From Herbert Morrison to command and control: the decline of local democracy.

Medicine and Public health

Abortion Act 1967

Select Committee, Wednesday 31 October 2007

The Science and Technology Committee report into the Abortion Act 1967 is published today. History & Policy submitted evidence from Lesley A. Hall of the Wellcome Library. Read the memorandum [pdf file, 58KB]. For further information on the committee see the parliament website .

The normalisation of binge-drinking?

Research, September 2007

The results of a historical and cross-cultural investigation of binge-drinking by History & Policy co-founder Virginia Berridge and colleagues have been published on the Alcohol Education Research Council website. Read the investigation report [pdf file, 570KB].

Binge-drinking: a recurring moral panic?

News Release, Monday 10 September 2007

A new History & Policy paper by Peter Borsay of Aberystwyth University argues that public and media concern about binge-drinking and the 'broken society' is not new and has a 250-year pedigree. In a comparison between modern-day binge-drinking and the 18th century Gin Craze, he argues binge-drinking may be a recurring moral panic that is resistant to quick-fix solutions. His paper has attracted coverage in the Observer, BBC online and the Western Mail. Read the news release [pdf file, 37KB].

Health policy dominated by historical clich�s and folk histories

News release and article, Wednesday 20 June 2007

New research by History & Policy co-founder Virginia Berridge shows how health policymakers rely on historical clich�s and NHS 'folk histories' to interpret the past and inform the present and historians need to do more to communicate their work to policy audiences. In an article for Guardian Society, Professor Berridge, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, argues health ministers should overcome their obsession with Nye Bevan and make better use of historians' research and expertise. Read the article on the Guardian Society website, or read the full research report. See also the news release.

Migration and nationality

(No news items in this category.)

NHS

Public and patient involvement in the NHS

Select Committee, January 2007

History & Policy contributor Martin Gorsky has submitted a memorandum to the House of Commons Health Committee inquiry into Patient and Public Involvement in the NHS. Read his submission [pdf file, 113KB]. For further information about the inquiry see the parliament website.

Pensions and ageing

Age perceptions

Interview, Monday 4 December 2006

In an interview on BBC Radio 4's More or Less, Pat Thane of the Centre for Contemporary British History argues that the age milestones that previously defined the stages of life, such as middle-age at 40 and old age at 60, have shifted as health improves and we live longer. To listen to the discussion go the the BBC website.

Britain's pensions crisis

Interview, Monday 23 October 2006

Co-editor Noel Whiteside and Pensions Minister James Purnell discuss whether the pensions white paper repeats the mistakes of the past on BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour.

Britain's pensions crisis: history and policy

News release, Wednesday 18 October 2006

A new collection of essays examining the past, present and future of British pensions is now available. Contributors include Frank Field MP, Professor John Hills and Baroness Hollis. The book is edited by History and Policy contributors Hugh Pemberton, Pat Thane and Noel Whiteside and is an OUP publication for the British Academy. Read the news release [pdf file, 39KB]. For full details of the essay collection, see the OUP website.

If this is pensions reform, then we should go back to the drawing board, Mr Brown

Article, Sunday 1 October 2006

Noel Whiteside, Warwick University, argues that the government's 'pension reform' proposals have ended up as a mess - particularly for women. Read Noel Whiteside's article [pdf file, 44KB]. Tha article was first published in Parliamentary Brief magazine.

Government's 'smoke and mirrors' conceals pensions cut

News release, Thursday 15 June 2006

Noel Whiteside, Warwick University, unpicks the pensions White Paper. Read the full news release [pdf file, 30KB]. History & Policy has also made a submission to the House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee inquiry on pension reform. Read the submission [pdf file, 136KB].

Blair must not repeat Attlee's pensions mistake

Article, Wednesday 24 May 2006

Pat Thane, Centre for Contemporary British History, anticipates the government's White Paper on pensions reform. Read Pat Thane's article [pdf file, 25KB]. Article first published in the Financial Times.

Historians warn government against more fudged pensions 'reforms'

News release, Tuesday 4 April 2006

Hugh Pemberton, Bristol University, and Pat Thane, Centre for Contemporary British History, argue that 20th century governments missed opportunities to achieve lasting pensions reform about once every decade. Read their article [pdf file, 25KB].

Policing and emergency services

Met police training still ignores Black history - historian warns on 30th anniversary of Notting Hill Carnival riots

News release, Saturday 26 August 2006

Read the news release [pdf file, 36KB].

Related paper: Policing the Windrush Generation by James Whitfield, Open University.

Political institutions and ideas

What does Brown have in store for Britain?

Article, Monday 25 June 2007

As Gordon Brown prepares to take over as Prime Minister, History & Policy contributor Andrew Blick discusses the likelihood he will deliver on his pledge to change the style of government and decentralise power away from Downing Street. Read his article 'So what now has "Big Bang" Brown got in store for Britain?' in Parliamentary Brief magazine.

Brown urged to abolish 'Department of the Prime Minister' [pdf]

News release, Monday 11 June 2007

A new History & Policy paper by George Jones and Andrew Blick urges Gordon Brown to abolish Tony Blair's 'Department of the Prime Minister' and establish a contrasting and more collective style of government. They offer five lessons from history to guide Brown around the pitfalls of power. Read the news release [pdf file, 35KB]. The paper was also covered in The Times.

Sarkozy is no Thatcher

Media coverage, 31 May 2007

History & Policy's latest contributor, Robert Tombs, is well-established as a commentator on French politics. Prior to the French elections he gave a number of interviews, to Agence France Press, The Sunday Herald, and BBC Radio 4's Analysis.

The art of political writing

Interview, 25 April 2007

Peter Hennessy and Bernard Crick discuss the art of political writing and how effectively historians and political scientists communicate their work to non-academic audiences. To listen to the discussion, go the the BBC Radio 4 website.

How Blair will be remembered

Article, 10 May 2007

As Tony Blair announced he was standing down as leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister, The Guardian asked historians for their verdict on his ten years in power. Read their responses on The Guardian website.

The 1945 Labour government revisited

Interview, Monday 11 December 2006

In this edition of The Things We Forgot to Remember, Michael Portillo revisits the reputation of Clement Attlee's government and explores some of the myths about its radicalism and welfare policies. Participants include History & Policy contributor Martin Gorsky and Centre for Contemporary British History Committee member David Edgerton. Listen to the discussion on the BBC Radio 4 website.

The long goodbye

Article, Sunday 17 September 2006

Tony Blair isn't the first prime minister to find it difficult to make a successful exit from 10 Downing Street argues David Cannadine of the Centre for Contemporary British History, on BBC Radio 4's A Point of View.

Trade Unions and Employment

Lessons from the Winter of Discontent

Article, Monday 10 September

A new History & Policy paper by historian and Brent Councillor Jim Moher calls for a new settlement of 'rights and responsibilities' between the state and the unions. In an article for the Guardian he explores whether Gordon Brown's government faces a fresh Winter of Discontent and what lessons he might learn from 1978-9.

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