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Genre: Politics / Topic: UK
Strand: Investment%20Perspectives
Programme: Economist Questions
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Peter Urwin

Economist Questions: Is free nursery care a good use of taxpayers’ money?

Peter Urwin
Original Broadcast:

Economist Questions

Economist Questions: Is free nursery care a good use of taxpayers’ money?
Since the late 1990s, there has been a push to improve the educational outcomes of disadvantaged children - with governments viewing free early education as key to the achievement of this aim. Dr Jo Blanden, Reader in Economics and Research Director of the School of Economics at the University of Surrey, joins Peter Urwin to talk of her work investigating whether free nursery care impacts children’s educational performance. Overall the suggestion is that these policies have been associated with a large amount of "dead weight" - using taxpayers' money to support people in doing things that they would have done anyway. They consider whether the findings present a challenge to the suggestion that early years interventions provide best returns; or is it the specifics of this policy that need rethinking?
Guest:

Jo Blanden


Published:
Peter Urwin

Economist Questions: Is Political Polling in Crisis?

Peter Urwin
Original Broadcast:

Economist Questions

Economist Questions: Is Political Polling in Crisis?
In this interview, Peter Urwin considers the ‘collective failures’ suffered by the polling industry in recent years; from their inability to predict the 2015 British general election outcome, to Brexit, to Trump. Joining him is Professor Patrick Sturgis, who discusses findings from his chairing of the British Polling Council/Market Research Society Inquiry into the 2015 General Election Polls; and in his role as Specialist Advisor to the House of Lords Select Committee on Political Polling and Digital Media. They explore whether the same mistakes are being made by Pollsters across these different ‘failures', and whether it is getting harder to predict outcomes. Plus, they ask whether analysis of social media presents an opportunity to help capture voter sentiment – or is the media industry part of the problem?
Guest:

Professor Patrick Sturgis


Published:
Peter Urwin

Economist Questions: Gender, Ethnicity and Social Background in the UK Legal Profession

Peter Urwin
Original Broadcast:

Economist Questions

Economist Questions: Gender, Ethnicity and Social Background in the UK Legal Profession
In the second episode of our new programme, Peter Urwin is joined by Professor Lisa Webley, Chair in Legal Education and Research at the University of Birmingham's Law School, to explore the increasing lack of diversity as one progresses up the ladder of the legal career. Lisa describes the situation in various branches of the profession and sets out the findings from her research, which provide insight into why many women and BAME lawyers do not make it to the top. What actions can government, employers and professional bodies take to improve the situation?
Guest:

Professor Lisa Webley


Published: