Innovation
Changing coalitions in midstream
The tumultuous Canadian experience of minority government
"... What followed was a constitutional nightmare, wherein the Crown (represented in Canada by a former journalist chosen by the Prime Minister of the previous administration) suspended parliament in order to avoid a no confidence vote and the collapse of the Government. During that legislative recess, one of the principal options being considered (and debated by constitutional scholars) in the event of an eventual no confidence vote was for the Crown to invite opposition parties to form a new coalition government - without holding another election ..."
Gift Aid It
How JustGiving.com nudges people towards tax-efficient charitable giving
"...a couple raising money for MacMillan Cancer Support organised an Open Garden Event. They raised an impressive £10,000. However, the vast majority of this was through cash donations of £20. Although the couple asked each guest to fill out a form, many were not completed. I have to commend the perseverance of this couple, who spent considerable amounts of time after the event contacting guests to ensure as many donations as possible received Gift Aid. But I have to ask myself whether charities could possibly have the capacity for this kind of perseverance?..."
Point and Laugh No More - Part Two
Tim Cowen's ideas to harness the state and market for society's fulfillment
"... We know that given half a chance, people will innovate. The question is how to get them to do so in the wider public interest particularly when the assets that they control are general purpose goods or utilities where they could simply sit on top of monopoly and do as little as possible, extracting rent..."
When Political Parties Agree (on What's Good)
The 'beef' with civil society
"...Anyone who has attended an event with the three 'third sector' supremos from each side – Nick Hurd MP, Jenny Willott MP, and the sadly departed Angela Smith – will have been struck by the measure of consensus on the policy issues...'
Memo to All Parties: Social Enterprise remains Your Ally
Social enterprises continue to transform lives and innovate. A new government cannot afford not to enable their agenda
"...The next step for the New Peckham Experiment is to see how it could work in today’s context, thinking about changes such as fragmentation of the traditional family unit and advancements in technology..."
On the Shortcomings of Voting
Why electoral reform may well be necessary but certainly will not be sufficient
"...As long as vertical accountability measures are tied to the granting of authority, electoral choice will remain limited..."
Here's an Idea: Managed Change
A radical idea for crisis governance from guest poster Chris Cook
"...In the UK Partnership model I propose, Nick Clegg – who is the obvious candidate – would act as a non-executive senior partner. In my view, David Cameron should take the powerful role that Lord Mandelson created, and essentially thereby become Senior Managing Partner, while Alastair Darling would remain – being streets ahead of the competition – as the other Managing Partner and Chancellor..."
Last week: Modernising Gift Aid (and our Homepage)
Diary Stories, 23rd April 2010
Our Civil Society and Social Innovation Unit continued to make waves this week with its Modernising Gift Aid project. Both the Charity Technology Trust and Taylor Vinters wrote about it, which you can read here and here. Its launch also drew the attention of the Shadow Minister for Charities, Social Enterprise and Volunteering, Nick Hurd MP, whose comments can be read here along with more details about the project.
We will be hosting three major round tables with charity, technology and consultancy representatives over the next three months to stress-test the best approaches in this space. To enquire about joining our working group, or to learn more about the project, please contact project authors Asheem Singh (asheem.singh@respublica.org.uk) and Samuel Middleton (samuel.middleton@respublica.org.uk).
Phillip’s thoughts on the damage the welfare state has caused received some coverage on Conservative Home last week, which you can find here. He was also profiled in the Financial Times weekend magazine. He had earlier last month traveled up to his hometown of Liverpool and met local residents, sharing and debating his ideas with them, which you can read about in the article here. On Wednesday night of last week Phillip was on a political panel on Rory Bremner’s show in Horsham.
Our homepage got a make-over this week as well, which you can see here, it now features the latest posts from our blog ‘The Disraeli Room’, one of which focused on the Erotic Capital and was featured on the ‘Broke is Beautiful’ blog, which you can read here and was also discussed on Twitter here.
We will be hosting three major round tables with charity, technology and consultancy representatives over the next three months to stress-test the best approaches in this space. To enquire about joining our working group, or to learn more about the project, please contact project authors Asheem Singh (asheem.singh@respublica.org.uk) and Samuel Middleton (samuel.middleton@respublica.org.uk).
Phillip’s thoughts on the damage the welfare state has caused received some coverage on Conservative Home last week, which you can find here. He was also profiled in the Financial Times weekend magazine. He had earlier last month traveled up to his hometown of Liverpool and met local residents, sharing and debating his ideas with them, which you can read about in the article here. On Wednesday night of last week Phillip was on a political panel on Rory Bremner’s show in Horsham.
Our homepage got a make-over this week as well, which you can see here, it now features the latest posts from our blog ‘The Disraeli Room’, one of which focused on the Erotic Capital and was featured on the ‘Broke is Beautiful’ blog, which you can read here and was also discussed on Twitter here.
Financial Literacy Classes in Schools? What a Waste of Money
Civil society holds the key to a more financially responsible future
"...evidence from the US finds that students who take a high school course in personal finance perform just as poorly as those who don’t..."
Liberalism and Erotic Capital
'Progressive Conscience' Editor, Ryan Shorthouse, gets to grips with an equality taboo
"...Sexiness, which includes charm and affability as well as physical beauty, is critical for success..."
