A road map for pluralistic and ‘asymmetric’ devolution in the UK

Jonathan-Carr-West1 Devolution to a model set out by the centre is not devolution at all, writes Jonathan Carr-West. We need local authorities and groups of local authorities in cities and counties to come forward with detailed and realistic proposals on how they plan to grow their local economies and improve local services and what powers they need to achieve this

Is local government heading for broke? The scale and speed of budget cuts mean that councils do not have the time and space to ensure permanent and sustainable reductions in cost

Jonathan Carr-WestThe scale of budget reductions means that some councils, including some large ones, are bound to fail. The irony is that dealing with immediate budget cuts mean that councils do not have the time and space to invest in or think deeply about the measures that will ensure permanent and sustainable reductions in cost. Jonathan Carr-West writes that local authorities have both the motivation and the capacity to change, but the central government must make it easier for them to do so

Black Hole Relics and Inflation: Limits on Blue Perturbation Spectra

Blue primordial power spectra have spectral index $n>1$ and arise naturally in the recently proposed hybrid inflationary scenario. An observational upper limit on {\em n} is derived by normalizing the spectrum at the quadrupole scale and considering the possible overproduction of Planck mass relics formed in the final stage of primordial black hole evaporation. In the inflationary Universe with the maximum reheating temperature compatible with the observed quadrupole anisotropy, the upper limit is $n=1.4$, but it is slightly weaker for lower reheat temperatures. This limit applies over 57 decades of mass and is therefore insensitive to cosmic variance and any gravitational wave contribution to the quadrupole anisotropy. It is also independent of the dark matter content of the Universe and therefore the bias parameter. In some circumstances, there may be an extended dust-like phase between the end of inflation and reheating. In this case, primordial black holes form more abundantly and the upper limit is $n=1.3$.Comment: 26 pages, LaTex, 9 figures available upon request, FERMILAB Pub-94/109-

Local government needs fiscal devolution, more power in the hands of councils and communities and respect from the centre

What does the result of the 2015 General Election result mean for local government? Jonathan Carr-West of the LGiU think tank argues that local government should not be forgotten amidst all of the new announcements, and that the sector needs more power of spending and services, and more respect and space from the still-dominant political centre

Pensions policy: A little more consultation, a little less action please

The Pensions Bill that is working its way through Parliament allows the government the ability to suspend auto-enrolment duties at any time, for any reason. Craig Berry argues that the government must take consultations seriously and that exceptions to auto-enrolment should be based on more specifically defined circumstance

We need fundamental innovation and change in local government

Jonathan Carr-WestThe spending review saw further cuts to local government budgets, which will have left the sector feeling somewhat hard done by. There were nonetheless some positives, such as the integrated health and social care commissioning, but they could have gone much further. Jonathan Carr-West argues that long term changes to our society, economy and environment require us to think radically about what local services look like

Total or Partial Knee Arthroplasty Trial - TOPKAT : study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Senior Recital, Neil Walters, double bass

The presentation of this senior recital will fulfill in part the requirements for the Bachelor of Music degree in Performance. Neil Walters studies double bass with Kelly Ali