Whig Watch returns after a long while. The coalition has been looking less Whig but here is Tim Montgomerie on 'the quad':
This after all is a meeting of the liberal wing of the Conservative Party and the Orange Book wing of the Liberal Democrats.
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Another Liberal Democrat group is formed
Or perhaps it isn't...
Adam Bell puts tongue firmly in cheek as he announced Lib Dems Against Factionalism.
Adam Bell puts tongue firmly in cheek as he announced Lib Dems Against Factionalism.
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Why Apple, Google and Microsoft happened
Boris Johnson believes that Britain will never create Facebook until we learn to praise success.
Like everything in life, things aren't that simple.
Malcolm Gladwell explains brilliantly in Outliers why Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and others could create such incredibly dynamic companies. Of course, praising success and having an open market help. But it wasn't just about that. It was about time and place.
Walter Isaacson's excellent biography of Jobs shows why Apple, Google and Microsoft happened.
The areas that Jobs and Gates grew up had lots of computer engineers. They worked for companies that were supplying the US military and their children had access to computer parts as well as information about hardware and software engineering. These companies needed suppliers and innovators. The innovators needed investment. Without that ecosystem Jobs and Steve Wozniak would never have been able to create Apple.
It is a point that Steven Johnson makes in Emergence: natural systems evolve and build.
Like everything in life, things aren't that simple.
Malcolm Gladwell explains brilliantly in Outliers why Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and others could create such incredibly dynamic companies. Of course, praising success and having an open market help. But it wasn't just about that. It was about time and place.
Walter Isaacson's excellent biography of Jobs shows why Apple, Google and Microsoft happened.
The areas that Jobs and Gates grew up had lots of computer engineers. They worked for companies that were supplying the US military and their children had access to computer parts as well as information about hardware and software engineering. These companies needed suppliers and innovators. The innovators needed investment. Without that ecosystem Jobs and Steve Wozniak would never have been able to create Apple.
It is a point that Steven Johnson makes in Emergence: natural systems evolve and build.
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Mitt Romney: how well is he doing?
If you are following the Republican primaries you may be thinking that the battle is between Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum.
According to Mike Smithson, this isn'tnot be the whole picture. Smithson points out that Ron Paul's campaign is collecting delegates, yet this fact is not being widely reported.
By the end of the contest, Romney may well end up with the nomination. However, getting there may not be as straightforward as everyone thinks.
According to Mike Smithson, this isn'tnot be the whole picture. Smithson points out that Ron Paul's campaign is collecting delegates, yet this fact is not being widely reported.
By the end of the contest, Romney may well end up with the nomination. However, getting there may not be as straightforward as everyone thinks.
The Liberal Democrats: a re-energised electoral force?
It seems the Liberal Democrats aren't doing as badly as everyone assumed they would when they made the fateful decision to form a coalition government.
A recent ICM poll for the Guardian put the party on 16%.
It is unclear why this is happening. The polling data isn't strong enough to tell us if this is a trend or an outlier. The local wins could be down to campaigning in that area.
Certainly, things aren't as bleak as many commentators predicted they would for the party. I have always said that it would be unwise to write Nick Clegg off just yet. Perhaps his 'open society' liberal programme and policy approach in government is beginning to build a new electoral base for the party. Another year or so will give pundits a much better idea of what is happening and why.
A recent ICM poll for the Guardian put the party on 16%.
It is unclear why this is happening. The polling data isn't strong enough to tell us if this is a trend or an outlier. The local wins could be down to campaigning in that area.
Certainly, things aren't as bleak as many commentators predicted they would for the party. I have always said that it would be unwise to write Nick Clegg off just yet. Perhaps his 'open society' liberal programme and policy approach in government is beginning to build a new electoral base for the party. Another year or so will give pundits a much better idea of what is happening and why.
Monday, 13 February 2012
The NHS
Listening to the debate on BBC Radio 4's Any Questions I was stuck by the ferocity of the debate around the NHS compared to the lack of passion regarding prayers at Council meetings.
The NHS is a loved national institution. Any policymaker wanting to change it needs to accept that. If they don't, any reform they suggest will stall or die.
While the Liberal Democrats have been seen by some Conservatives as a block to the Lansley proposals, the reality is that many Conservative party members don't much like their colleague's suggestion. Arguably, this is less to do with the policy and more to do with the failure to create a convincing narrative around reform.
Putting to one side the merits of the coalitions' proposals, or previous attempts to change the NHS, what this public policy debate tells us is that the NHS is seen on a par with the monarchy and other established parts of the British constitution.
This cannot be healthy. Organisations need to adapt or do something differently once in a while. Given the structure of the NHS, creating an environment for change means changing policy. That means there has to be open debate with views respected even if they aren't agreed with.
What this latest attempt at modernisation also tells us is that directing change from the centre is fiendishly difficult. If the NHS, as a corporate body, evolved because the people running and the patients using it felt things needed to done another way would we see the amount of resistance we currently have?
The NHS is a loved national institution. Any policymaker wanting to change it needs to accept that. If they don't, any reform they suggest will stall or die.
While the Liberal Democrats have been seen by some Conservatives as a block to the Lansley proposals, the reality is that many Conservative party members don't much like their colleague's suggestion. Arguably, this is less to do with the policy and more to do with the failure to create a convincing narrative around reform.
Putting to one side the merits of the coalitions' proposals, or previous attempts to change the NHS, what this public policy debate tells us is that the NHS is seen on a par with the monarchy and other established parts of the British constitution.
This cannot be healthy. Organisations need to adapt or do something differently once in a while. Given the structure of the NHS, creating an environment for change means changing policy. That means there has to be open debate with views respected even if they aren't agreed with.
What this latest attempt at modernisation also tells us is that directing change from the centre is fiendishly difficult. If the NHS, as a corporate body, evolved because the people running and the patients using it felt things needed to done another way would we see the amount of resistance we currently have?
Liberal Reform
Last week, Liberal Left was formed.
Today we have Liberal Reform.
Unlike, Liberal Left, Liberal Reform does not see the Liberal Democrats as a centre-left party. In fact, they quote Nick Clegg: "We are not on the Left and we are not on the Right. We have our own label: liberal."
Today we have Liberal Reform.
Unlike, Liberal Left, Liberal Reform does not see the Liberal Democrats as a centre-left party. In fact, they quote Nick Clegg: "We are not on the Left and we are not on the Right. We have our own label: liberal."
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