Disraeli Room

...ResPublica start from the premise that Britain has, over time, lost many of its “foundational moral institutions” that gave young people the resilience, discipline and confidence to get on in life. It’s hard to think of a single institution better equipped to plug this gap than Her Majesty’s Armed Forces. These proposals are not pie-in-the-sky. The infrastructure already exists with the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations (which Mr Gove recently called to be established in every state school). Military academies could be established using their practical experience and governance support

...The issue of “social engineering” using contextual data has monopolised the current debate. However, focusing attention on those students who are the first in their families to apply for university is missing the most important point. These young people are not the ones most in need of government support. They have already made the decision that university is right for them and most likely have been working hard to achieve the necessary grades. We need early intervention targeted at young people with the potential to attend top universities, but who actively choose not to because of endemic scepticism towards education in their own communi

...Do the unintended consequences of legislation outweigh the intended benefits?... There is no such thing as positive discrimination as someone else will always be discriminated against as a result, namely an equally competent male. Equality should mean equality of opportunity, rather than proportional representation. In some measure the Prime Minister’s statement has succeeded in glossing over the fundamental issues that frequently prevent talented women from reaching the upper levels of management in the work place.