One more heave – or does Labour need a much deeper ideological renewal?
As voting begins on who will be the next Labour Party leader and Tony Blair urges the party not to abandon New Labour, Rick Muir from the Institute for Public Policy Research wonders if the party needs a whole new approach

Medical products and working conditions
Many medical supplies used in the UK are made in awful conditions in the developing world, but the NHS can lead the charge for change, urges the British Medical Association's Olivia Roberts

The race to replace Gordon
This autumn's fight for the top job in the Labour Party will be the first true leadership election since Tony Blair's victory in 1994. Public Servant asked the candidates to set out a clear vision for the party and for public services (first published in Public Servant August 2010)

More pay means fewer jobs
There is an ''absolute trade-off'' between pay levels and the number of jobs in the civil service, Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has warned. Alison Thomas reports

The working woman - a changing landscape?
In light of the new Equality Act 2010, how are views in the workplace adapting to make way for more women in leadership roles? In this special feature, the HR & Training Journal turns the spotlight onto the recruitment of women into management and the issues surrounding gender equality – what bearing does motherhood have on career progression, and does a better work-life balance make better business sense? We ask a panel of women in senior roles for their views on the changing face of the modern workplace, and why there is still room for improvement…

Net savings
As budgets are squeezed at the whiteboard, Paul Howells, Chief Executive of Eteach, argues that advertising budgets should be sacrificed rather than good teachers…

Okay, we've had the pain, now let's see some reform
The Budget has prepared the country for a future of retrenchment and continued pain, but the October spending review must deliver liberalisation and reform, writes Prof Philip Booth, editorial and programme director at the Institute of Economic Affairs

Tools of the fairer trade
The British Medical Association's Dr Mahmood Bhutta speaks to Editor Caroline Pennington about the Medical Fair and Ethical Trade Group's role in changing the way NHS equipment is procured

A partisan view – but a new breed of socialism
Having been embroiled in the British Airways dispute, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber is now turning his attention to the imminent general election. He talks to Dean Carroll

Russell seeks top marks with ten-point plan
Problem solving is a core element in education, and so it was that Mike Russell set out a 10-point plan to resolve the issues surrounding Curriculum for Excellence.

Reform: a problem of our own making?
Public service managers facing hefty budget cuts must find ways of keeping their staff on side if they are to stand any chance of maintaining levels of service, Dr Peter Samuel of Nottingham University Business School warns

Cameron: ''Say 'no' to dark depression of another five Brown years''
David Cameron has told the Conservative party's spring conference that he wants the UK to feel like one big community, with a Tory government on the side of those who do the right thing. And he spelt out the need to act sooner and quicker than Labour on the multi-billion pound deficit

It's not just about cutting jobs and costs – it's about better use of our resources
Birmingham City Council chief executive Stephen Hughes discusses some of the issues surrounding the authority's 2010/11 budget and the implications of the spending plans for council staff and services

Hitting the headcount – is it a solution or hysteria?
As councils battle to balance their books in the face of ever growing demand for services, Dean Carroll examines the gulf between those who advocate cutting costs by cutting jobs and those who say that's the last thing that should happen

Reasons to be cheerful, despite the challenges
As a career civil servant of some 30 years experience Lesley Strathie knows what it's like to work on the frontline. She tells Alison Thomas how she plans to achieve greater efficiency within HMRC through a change of culture among her demoralised 'people'