History & Policy

20 June 2018 - 18:00 pm - 20:00 pm

Room K-1.56, King's College London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS

In spite of Equal Pay Laws and House of Commons Resolutions, there is still a gender pay gap in Britain - and hear an analysis of the recently gathered gender pay reports of large companies from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

History and Policy’s Trade Union and Employment Forum is holding a seminar at King's College London featuring:

Helen Glew, Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Westminster, who will explain the history of Equal Pay in Britain,

and

Sue Coe, Employment Head at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, who will analyse the results from the gender pay reports from organisations with over 250 employees.

Professor Kevin Theakston, Professor of British Government at the University of Leeds, and co-author of William Armstrong and British Policy Making (Palgrave Macmillan 2018). Armstrong was the inaugural head of the Civil Service Department, the establishment of which Fulton recommended, and was charged with implementing the Report.

Reforming the Civil Service: the Fulton Report, 50 years on

9 June 2018 - 18:00 pm - 19:30 pm

The Report of the Committee on the Civil Service, commissioned by the Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson and chaired by Lord Fulton, appeared in June 1968. It was critical of the underlying philosophy of Whitehall, suggesting that the Civil Service operated as a “cult” of the generalist or amateur, that it lacked skilled managers, and overlooked scientists, engineers and other specialists for promotion. It made important recommendations for changes in the structure and practices of the Civil Service, some of which were implemented while others were not – and the themes it raised are still debated today.

This is a unique opportunity for historians and practitioners, past and present, to reflect together on how reform comes about in government and how it works - there will be ample opportunity for questions and discussion. Drinks and refreshments will be served. One of a series of Whitehall Anniversary events in 2018.

This event is the second in a 2018 series marking a number of anniversaries of key events in the history of the UK Civil Service, including also the Next Steps (1988) and Haldane (1918) Reports.

Richard Wilson, Baron Wilson of Dinton is a crossbench peer and former Head of the Civil Service. His 36-year career there began in 1966 (the year the Fulton Committee began its deliberations) at the Board of Trade, and has included service in the Department of Energy, the Cabinet Office, the Department of the Environment and the Home Office before becoming Head of the Civil Service in 1998, a position he retired from in 2002.

Reforming the Civil Service: the Fulton Report, 50 years on

9 June 2018 - 18:00 pm - 19:30 pm

The Report of the Committee on the Civil Service, commissioned by the Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson and chaired by Lord Fulton, appeared in June 1968. It was critical of the underlying philosophy of Whitehall, suggesting that the Civil Service operated as a “cult” of the generalist or amateur, that it lacked skilled managers, and overlooked scientists, engineers and other specialists for promotion. It made important recommendations for changes in the structure and practices of the Civil Service, some of which were implemented while others were not – and the themes it raised are still debated today.

This is a unique opportunity for historians and practitioners, past and present, to reflect together on how reform comes about in government and how it works - there will be ample opportunity for questions and discussion. Drinks and refreshments will be served. One of a series of Whitehall Anniversary events in 2018.

This event is the second in a 2018 series marking a number of anniversaries of key events in the history of the UK Civil Service, including also the Next Steps (1988) and Haldane (1918) Reports.

Dr Catherine Haddon, Senior Fellow and Resident Historian at the Institute for Government. Dr Haddon specialises in the history of Whitehall and the evolution of civil service reform.

Reforming the Civil Service: the Fulton Report, 50 years on

9 June 2018 - 18:00 pm - 19:30 pm

The Report of the Committee on the Civil Service, commissioned by the Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson and chaired by Lord Fulton, appeared in June 1968. It was critical of the underlying philosophy of Whitehall, suggesting that the Civil Service operated as a “cult” of the generalist or amateur, that it lacked skilled managers, and overlooked scientists, engineers and other specialists for promotion. It made important recommendations for changes in the structure and practices of the Civil Service, some of which were implemented while others were not – and the themes it raised are still debated today.

This is a unique opportunity for historians and practitioners, past and present, to reflect together on how reform comes about in government and how it works - there will be ample opportunity for questions and discussion. Drinks and refreshments will be served. One of a series of Whitehall Anniversary events in 2018.

This event is the second in a 2018 series marking a number of anniversaries of key events in the history of the UK Civil Service, including also the Next Steps (1988) and Haldane (1918) Reports.

Sir Richard Mottram

22 May 2018 - 18:15 pm - 19:45 pm

Council Room, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS

In 1988 the official report Improving Efficiency in Government: The Next Steps appeared in its final form. It led on to one of the most substantial reconfigurations the UK machinery of government has seen, with the allocation of a wide range of functions to executive agencies. Kate Jenkins, former head of the government's Efficiency Unit and co-author of the report, will provide her perspective on the exercise and its significance, followed with a response by Sir Richard Mottram, whose forty-year career in the Civil Service included a spell in the early 1990s as Permanent Secretary at the Office of Public Service and Science within the Cabinet Office, where his responsibilities included public service change and management. Joining the discussion from an academic perspective will be Dr Andrew Blick (King's College London). Dr Catherine Haddon (Institute for Government) will chair.

Kate Jenkins

22 May 2018 - 18:15 pm - 19:45 pm

Council Room, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS

In 1988 the official report Improving Efficiency in Government: The Next Steps appeared in its final form. It led on to one of the most substantial reconfigurations the UK machinery of government has seen, with the allocation of a wide range of functions to executive agencies. Kate Jenkins, former head of the government's Efficiency Unit and co-author of the report, will provide her perspective on the exercise and its significance, followed with a response by Sir Richard Mottram, whose forty-year career in the Civil Service included a spell in the early 1990s as Permanent Secretary at the Office of Public Service and Science within the Cabinet Office, where his responsibilities included public service change and management. Joining the discussion from an academic perspective will be Dr Andrew Blick (King's College London). Dr Catherine Haddon (Institute for Government) will chair.

Alex Loktionov of Robinson College, Cambridge.

22 February 2018 - 16:00 pm - 18:00 pm

How can the past - even the ancient past - help democracy advocates understand the societies they are working in?

Mariam Memarsadeghi, Iranian-American human rights and democracy advocate and co-founder of Tavaana: E-learning Institute for Iranian Civil Society, will talk about the contemporary position in Iran and the work of her organisation in promoting democracy there.

Alex Loktionov of Robinson College, Cambridge will discuss the ancient history of Egypt and the lessons that might be derived for contemporary democracy promotion.

Dr Andrew Blick, Senior Lecturer in Politics and Contemporary History, DPE, and Director of History & Policy was the chair.

Mariam Memarsadeghi - Tavaana: E-learning Institute for Iranian Civil Society

22 February 2018 - 16:00 pm - 18:00 pm

How can the past - even the ancient past - help democracy advocates understand the societies they are working in?

Mariam Memarsadeghi, Iranian-American human rights and democracy advocate and co-founder of Tavaana: E-learning Institute for Iranian Civil Society, will talk about the contemporary position in Iran and the work of her organisation in promoting democracy there.

Alex Loktionov of Robinson College, Cambridge will discuss the ancient history of Egypt and the lessons that might be derived for contemporary democracy promotion.

Dr Andrew Blick, Senior Lecturer in Politics and Contemporary History, DPE, and Director of History & Policy was the chair.

Carole Spary - University of Nottingham

9 February 2018 - 10:15 am - 14:45 pm

How can global and historical movements for women’s political rights provide models for achieving racial and gender equality in the British political arena?

On the centenary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act, this one-day workshop will explore the ways in which past and contemporary movements, especially featuring women of colour and women in the global south, can be applied to current issues regarding voting and parliamentary representation. The session will include papers delivered by a number of historians and social scientists, whose discussions will draw upon examples that include Australia, Brazil, the Caribbean, India, and South Africa. Sam Smethers (Chief Executive, Fawcett Society) and Frances Scott (Founder, 50:50 Parliament) will also provide discussion on current policy and campaigning practices. Through collaborative discussion between academics, policy-makers and political activists, the session will consider the ways in which these global and historical movements can be used to attain greater equality and diversity in the British political arena.

Sam Smethers - Fawcett Society

9 February 2018 - 10:15 am - 14:45 pm

How can global and historical movements for women’s political rights provide models for achieving racial and gender equality in the British political arena?

On the centenary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act, this one-day workshop will explore the ways in which past and contemporary movements, especially featuring women of colour and women in the global south, can be applied to current issues regarding voting and parliamentary representation. The session will include papers delivered by a number of historians and social scientists, whose discussions will draw upon examples that include Australia, Brazil, the Caribbean, India, and South Africa. Sam Smethers (Chief Executive, Fawcett Society) and Frances Scott (Founder, 50:50 Parliament) will also provide discussion on current policy and campaigning practices. Through collaborative discussion between academics, policy-makers and political activists, the session will consider the ways in which these global and historical movements can be used to attain greater equality and diversity in the British political arena.