"Bright Blue and its contributors have been tireless in bringing forward new ideas and fresh thinking to the conservative cause."
The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP
Centre Write
Monday, 30 September 2013 17:49
Sexualisation of women and girls in the media and music videos
Holly Dustin is the Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition. Follow Holly on Twitter. Robin Thicke’s summer hit, ‘Blurred Lines’, prompted a wave of criticism about its lyrics (“I hate these blurred lines, I know you want it”) and video which featured near naked women being ogled by a fully clothed Thicke and chums. It was banned by YouTube but is widely available on other video-sharing sites. The controversy came soon after the Government announced that it will…
Friday, 20 September 2013 17:03
Swaziland: Southern Africa's Forgotten Crisis
Chris Vandome is a Research Assistant with the Africa Programme at Chatham House. Follow Chris on Twitter. Swaziland's final round of parliamentary elections occur today at an important juncture. The country's economic trajectory is unsustainable and after the election dust has settled, King Mswati III will need to consider reform options to lower the crippling public sector wage bill and improve the business environment. Swaziland's King Mswati III's vision of 'monarchical democracy' that he announced in August, raised hopes of…
Thursday, 12 September 2013 19:22
Move over Big 6, we need the Big 60,000: Why Conservatives are the natural partner of community energy
The Rt Hon Gregory Barker MP is the Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change. Follow Greg on Twitter. As we approach conference season, with the cost of living at the top of the political agenda and green policies under attack for their cost, energy policy is guaranteed to stay in the political spot light. Although there is a broad consenus on the measures in Coalition’s latest energy bill, the dividing lines at the next election are starting to…
Friday, 26 July 2013 15:28
Should the government be doing more to help people’s housing aspirations?
Robbie de Santos leads Shelter’s policy work on private renting and mortgage issues. Follow Robbie on Twiter. When the Government launched the budget back in March, it was couched in terms of the ‘aspiration nation’. A cornerstone of which was about helping people achieve ‘that most human of aspirations’ – owning a home, via a new Help to Buy scheme. It was the latest in a range of measures by the Government to address the housing shortage – and the…
Friday, 12 July 2013 11:31
Keeping families together in Breadline Britain
David Holmes is Chief Executive of Family Action. Follow David on Twitter. Having a first baby can place huge pressures - both financial and emotional - on couple relationships. As the Centre for Social Justice noted last month in its report Fractured Families, the additional stress and cost involved at this key transition point can make relationships “very hard to sustain”. Those pressures are felt most acutely by low-income families and those who may not be able to rely on…
Friday, 05 July 2013 07:43
The politics of low pay are changing. This time around, the Tories would be wise to act first
James Plunkett is Director of Policy at Resolution Foundation. Follow James on Twitter. It’s often hard to anticipate shifts in policy direction, even when they’re at close range. Like the steady build-up before a mudslide, arguments accumulate slowly but can then move suddenly, leaving the political landscape changed. Today, there are signs that such a shift may be due on the issue of low pay. With one in five workers now earning below the Living Wage and low pay costing…
Friday, 28 June 2013 13:08
How pioneering Conservative drug policies are trailblazers in the battle to end AIDS
Olga Golichenko is the Harm Reduction Advocacy Senior Advisor and Enrique Restoy is the Human Rights Advocacy and Campaigns Coordinator at the International HIV/AIDS Alliance. Follow Olga and Enrique on Twitter. On 26th June 2013, activists in 26 cities around the world demonstrated against the ‘war on drugs’. They were taking part in a global day of action organised by the Support. Don’t Punish campaign. They called on governments to change punitive laws and policies against drug use which undermine…
Friday, 21 June 2013 23:35
Tax and the G8. How was it for you?
Barry Johnston is Senior UK Political Advisor at Christian Aid. He writes in a personal capacity. Follow Barry on Twitter. As the David Cameron marched across the lawn to greet each of his G8 counterparts – firm of purpose, long of stride, open-neck of collar – his was the body language of a man about to embark on a serious charm offensive. His unenviable task, to woo an agreement on tax transparency from Obama, Putin and co, was made all…
Monday, 17 June 2013 16:24
Asylum policy under the coalition: which way will the modernisers jump?
Dr. Russell Hargrave is the Public Affairs Officer at Asylum Aid. Follow Russell on Twitter. In October 2011, David Cameron made his first major speech on immigration since becoming Prime Minister. It is a speech best remembered for its tough measures to try and enforce an immigration cap: action to bring down the number of foreign workers and students and spouses. But Cameron quietly tried to balance such toughness against another message, this time on his government’s moral obligation to…
Thursday, 13 June 2013 09:38
A new conversation with the centre-right about climate change
Adam Corner is manager of the Talking Climate project at the Climate Outreach and Information Network and a research associate in the Understanding Risk group at Cardiff University's School of Psychology. Follow Adam on Twitter. What does climate change mean to Conservatives? For many on the centre-right of politics, it means global agreements, regulations and restrictions on businesses, and the government telling people how to use energy in their homes. This is not a vision likely to inspire anyone –…
