Author Archives: Gillian Guy

The Independent View: Pensions reform – the right to advice is right

citizens adviceDuring the Budget last week George Osborne announced the right to free and impartial face-to-face advice in the context of pension reforms. On a day where we saw other good news — such as encouraging growth forecasts and falling unemployment figures — it was a poignant reminder of how vital advice is for anyone facing major life decisions at any time in their life.

We know more than most how invaluable quality advice is. This year is our 75th anniversary and, over the past 12 months, Citizens Advice helped more than …

Posted in The Independent View | Tagged , , and | 6 Comments

The Independent View: Judicial review changes would advance state powers at expense of individual freedom

In its 2010 Manifesto, the Liberal Democrats pledged to ‘restore and protect hard-won British liberties’.  The Government’s consultation on judicial review, which closed this week, could result in a radical shift of power from individuals to the state. If this happens, the legal system and the people who depend on it for fair treatment will be weaker for it.

Plans from the Ministry of Justice to introduce serious restrictions on access to judicial review will make it much harder for people to challenge the execution of public power on behalf of an individual citizen.

The Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has argued that …

Posted in Op-eds and The Independent View | Tagged , , and | 7 Comments
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  • Chris Cory
    I confess that I know less than I should about this whole topic but I sense that it will indeed shape the future and we should be talking about it rather more t...
  • Daniel Walker
    @Peter Martin "Many countries in the West are happy to import raw materials from Africa but put barriers in place to prevent them adding value. So for exampl...
  • Pawel Urbanski
    Tom is right, that we are lacking the story.I think there is a national story to build here, and it's around local focus and growth, which is exactly where we h...
  • Alex Macfie
    I can't immediately find a citation for the Andrew Neil quote, which appears to be about the people on the list generally, rather than any specific person or pe...
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    @Tim Leunig: Not about you personally; it's a reference to @Chloe's post above....