The recent elections to the City of London’s local authority were fiercely fought, after years where the majority of seats went uncontested. Lessons should be drawn for any future attempt to reform the financial services industry.

Arendt, Jefferson and Maitland are three great thinkers who all shared a passion for the power of local democracy, its ability to bridge the distance of representation. As our political system breaks down, it's an idea we must consider once again.

A 38 Degrees member didn't find the government's line on the A&E crisis very convincing. When he obtained the figures in question, the problem was quite clear - privatised call centres had lead to an increase in A&E referrals of 50%.

Both Labour and the Conservatives are keen to integrate social care and health care. But will these proposals put patients at their heart - or will they be driven by the needs of bureaucracy or even business?

Legal aid and Law Centres are under threat in the UK, along with the principle of equal access to justice. Geoffrey Bindman QC says it's time for the legal profession to dig into their pockets and help meet the gap in state funding. This week's Friday Essay.

Introducing his revised NHS bill, Lord Owen calls today for transparency from Prime Minister David Cameron over the secret mandate for the EU-US Trade Negotiations which he hopes to boost at the G8 Summit in five weeks time in Northern Ireland.