Defending democracy
Are we eroding some of our democratic values? One of the consequences of the dreadful war in Ukraine is that even in old, complacent democracies like our own, we have …
Resurrecting regeneration
Will levelling-up lead to a new interest in regeneration projects? Almost 20 years ago, as The Consultation Institute was opening its doors, one of the most visible themes in the …
Forecasting public consultations in 2022
The COVID pandemic has made fools of many forecasters. This time last year, we based our assumptions on optimistic expectations that widespread vaccination would herald a gradual return to normality …
COBRA at Christmas
They hold Cobra meetings in the North Pole. Few people know this. But last week, whilst the rest of the world played party politics, Father Christmas convened a COBRA meeting …
NHS Reconfigurations – the ‘Power-grab’ clause
By Rhion Jones As the Health & Care Bill continues its passage through Parliament, many of us are looking anxiously at what is, at the time of writing, a proposed …
More than ‘Blah Blah Blah…’
How consultation will play its part in implementing the COP26 agreement? Greta Thunberg has clearly found a phrase that resonates with many people. Portraying politicians and diplomats as merely pushing …
Public engagement – what’s in the Glasgow pact?
They finally agreed upon the COP26 text on Saturday night … amid angst and recriminations following the last-minute change to words about coal. As ever, the politicians and diplomats wrangled …
COP26 – The Consultation Institute’s focus
It now looks as if Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader will not be attending COP26. But the Consultation Institute WILL be in Glasgow, and here is a brief explanation of …
Keeping the record
Public consultation is not ‘here today; gone tomorrow’. We need better archives. Public consultations come and go. Central Government departments issue 400-500 per annum, and the devolved administrations over 100 …
“Dear Michael Gove …”
Salvaging the planning reforms A decade ago, your former colleagues announced a ‘pause’ in Andrew Lansley’s planned reform of the NHS. In the weeks that followed, everyone piled in with …
