‘Science is a vital resource for modelling scenarios and developing medical and technical responses; but for many aspects of decision-making it is contested and uncertain. If we set our scientific advisors up to find policy solutions, we risk generating disillusionment with science, and, in the long term, further erosion of its authority.’
Home Office ‘target culture’ from Blair to May
‘For me, the surprise is more in the way the media and parliamentary system has reacted to ‘target-gate’. We have had almost two decades of opposition parties, select communities and the media grilling governments on their failure to meet removals targets. This criticism has now been turned on its head: the fault lies in setting such clunky and unethical targets in the first place – not in the failure to meet them.’
Brexit may mean internalised border control
The UK Government has published plans to maintain a border-free zone with Ireland once it has left the EU. Analysing the long-awaited paper, Professor Christina Boswell, finds it knocks out one of the main arguments for refusing Scotland more autonomy over its immigration policy
Is it possible to stop the free movement of people?
Immigration has become the most sensitive issue of the EU referendum. But Polish immigration is already on the decline. Christina Boswell weighs up arguments for and against the free movement of labour and asks if the focus on EU membership is misplaced? She certainly thinks so.