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The Queen’s Speech: A Preview
 As
anticipation for the Queen’s Speech—due on 15
November—builds there is, as ever, much speculation
about its content. This is an important Queen’s Speech:
it will be the last under the premiership of Tony Blair and
the one in which he will undoubtedly be looking to secure
his all-important legacy...
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The power of the ‘Climerati’: Has the lobby
done enough?
 If
the main theme of the 2005 party conferences was pension provision,
in 2006 it was indisputably climate change. If there was ever
a public policy ‘tipping point’ for the Government—this
was it. It is heartening for all policy advisors to see the
fruits of their collective labours move the Government from
muted inaction to the real possibility of climate change legislation
within a few short weeks...
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The NPSS White Paper: Will the Personal Accounts kick-start
a new savings culture?
 Fact:
Britons do not save enough for their retirement. Even if we
ignore the ticking demographic time bomb of an aging population,
the situation looks stark. While the Chancellor, Gordon Brown,
has spent the best part of a decade extolling the virtues
of prudence, the British consumer has largely gone the other
way, favouring that other common mantra of our times: “Buy
now, pay later”. So just how will the new Personal Accounts
sit in an age of immediate gratification?...
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Regaining the Initiative: the FSA and industry reform
 In
July, I outlined a challenge: that, with the approach of NPSS,
we should spend the summer thinking about the eventual form
of the pensions industry. The recent intervention in the debate
by Sir Callum McCarthy on the broken pensions model has caused
me again to reflect on my earlier article in light of the views
expressed on pensions at the recent party conferences...
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Pensions and profitability: business through the back door
 Recently,
I’ve been doing some consumer research in pensions. It’s
pretty clear that the results suggest that people view pension
providers with very deep mistrust. They sometimes also regard
their charges as expensive, although not as much as you might
think, given the government’s focus on this area. In
this context, it may come as a surprise to know that the providers
may not be making any money at all on this business—and
may even be losing a packet!...
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Alternative medicine: Tory policy and the future of the NHS
 As
Parliament reconvenes after the long summer break, it looks
like the NHS will once again form a key battleground. David
Cameron’s soundbite at the Conservative Party conference
last week that his priority can be spelled out in three letters—NHS—brought
back memories of Blair’s famous ‘Education, education,
education’ mantra...
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The Liberal Democrats and Taxation: A Debate Worth Watching
 The
manner by which government collects money is frequently one
of the most contentious debates in any democratic society.
Nearly everyone agrees that taxes should be ‘fair’,
but finding common agreement as to what ‘fair’ means
is often quite a challenge. Most countries fall back upon a
philosophy of ‘progressive’ taxation, meaning those
who earn or own less pay less. Recently, however, the Liberal
Democrats have provided us with a slightly different angle
on the debate...
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