Too Difficult Box: The Big Issues Politicians Can't Crack

Description

Many long-term problems facing our society and economy are not addressed effectively because of the difficulty of overcoming short-term complications, mainly political in nature. These are placed in the "Too Difficult Box"; a park for all the unpopular subjects that governments and their civil servants don't want to confront. Charles Clarke brings together a cast of heavy hitters from the worlds of politics, academia and public service, including Anthony Giddens, Hayden Phillips, John Hutton, Shirley Williams, Richard Dannatt, Margaret Hodge, Trevor Phillips, Patricia Hewitt and David Blunkett to write expansively and persuasively on important topics too often kicked into the long grass because of their insolubility, such as immigration, welfare reform, drug regulation, public Sector Pensions, nuclear disarmament, social care in old age and gender discrimination in the work place.

CHARLES CLARKE was Member of Parliament for Norwich South from 1997 to 2010. He served as Education Minister from 1998 and then in the Home Office from 1999 to 2001. He then joined the Cabinet as Minister without Portfolio and Labour Party Chair. From 2002 to 2004 he was Secretary of State for Education and Skills and then Home Secretary until 2006. Previously, Charles was Chief of Staff to Neil Kinnock, Leader of the Labour Opposition and a councillor in the London borough of Hackney, chairing the housing committee. He now holds visiting professorships at the University of East Anglia, Lancaster University, and University College London, and works with educational organisations internationally. Charles read mathematics and economics at Kings College, Cambridge and was then President of the National Union of Students. Born in 1950, Charles married in 1984. He and his wife Carol have two sons.

Charles Clarke knows the power of politics to make a difference - and how hard it is to do so. His commitment to grown-up politics is much-needed and runs through this book. David Miliband This is an important book. It rises to one of the great challenges of our times: how to make democracy work better, The 'Too Difficult' Box is vital to those who want to make a difference. Peter Kellner Excellent. A very timely exploration of why our democracy finds it so excruciatingly difficult to address long-term challenges to our society, with some thought-provoking ideas about how we could do better. Andrew Rawnsley "Mr Clarke and his distinguished contributors, including Sir Stephen Wall, Shirley Williams, David Lipsey, Margaret Hodge and journalist Adam Boulton, give us case studies that make fascinating reading." Sue Cameron, Telegraph "A timely new book." The Independent "Proactive and stimulating as an editor, Charles Clarke shows what a loss he is to the political world." Keith Simpson MP "Clarke's analysis is sensible and balanced." Progress "[A]n illuminating series of essays." Financial Times "[An] accessible tour of 27 policy areas where governments struggle to make progress." The Economist " Charles Clarke's edited collection is an interesting read - Anatole Kaletsky's [essay] on banking is especially fine." Mark Pack