Article

A public dialogue is as good as the information upon which it is conducted. So much is self-evident, but observing this mantra is a bit more difficult in the context […]

It might be easy to dismiss much of the Government’s flashy new “empowerment” agenda1 as yet more spin. But, despite being open to criticism, there are some really significant positives

Direct democracy has many enthusiastic fans. They point out that some questions are just too important for elected representatives to decide; constitutional changes are often cited as classic issues of

Make no mistake; this High Court judgment will have a major impact upon the conduct of public debate in the United Kingdom. It’s not that this is the first time

Many newspapers and even parts of the BBC seem to have decided for themselves that 10 Downing Street’s recent experiments with public participation are nothing but a set of PR

When even Blue Peter has to apologise for misleading callers to its show, and virtually every other broadcaster has had to run for cover lest its practices be placed under

We all know people who think they are skilled at “knocking heads together” – and very useful they are too for those occasions when deep seated intransigence or sheer obstinacy

If you look down a list of consultations from a range of public bodies, two things become immediately obvious. One is the sheer variety of topics and issues. The other

Developing strategies is not unlike having children. Many are conceived from committed parentage, and are nurtured in a loving and learning environment. But others are what we call orphans, the