The two sides of Ken’s coin

Suzy Dean (London, The Manifesto Club ): Following last Wednesday’s demonstration outside Parliament for a referendum on the EU constitution (Lisbon Treaty), by the aptly named ‘I want a referendum’ campaign group, debate continues this week in Parliament over whether the new treaty should be put to referendum or not - finishing in a vote tomorrow.In 2005, shortly after the French and Dutch rejected the EU constitution in a referendum, all parties promise... more

Lee Waters (Cardiff ): The decision of the Coalition Welsh Assembly Government to scrap car parking charges at some hospitals from April has provoked an intemperate debate. “New NHS apartheid as free hospital parking to be rolled out in Wales… but not England” the Daily Mail cried . No sense in “subsidising car parks” with NHS money, said English Health Minister Ben Bradshaw: We don’t think it makes sense to spend money that’s curren... more

Anthony Barnett (London, OK ): I’ve written relatively little in OK over the past week and a half. I have been depressed by a double whammy on Wednesday 20th February. I went to hear Gordon Brown talk to ippr about citizenship which turned into his speech about immigration. In the evening David Willetts gave the Oakshott lecture which was billed as a response to Brown’s emphasis on values. He was going to stress the importance of institutions. So - a day when I could co... more

Jon Bright (London, OK ): Hazel Blears had a crack at this new technology stuff that everyone is talking about few days ago in a speech to the international e-Participation symposium: As little as ten years ago, scarcely one in ten of us had ever used the internet. Getting online was expensive, time-consuming, and all too often disappointing. Today, half of homes are plugged into broadband that gives fast and easy access to a wealth of information and entertainment. Two in ... more