Why does policy succeed or fail? Nick Raynsford, a former MP, Minister and campaigner, tells us how it looks from the front line of policymaking. Based on his vast personal experience at the very heart of government and the voluntary sector, Raynsford explores what works and what doesn’t in making and implementing policy and legislation. He gives an ‘insider’s view’ on a range of events. some not previously made public, including the botched 1980s reform of Housing Benefit, the vacuum left by the 1986 abolition of the Greater London Council, the ill-fated 2002 Fire Service strike and subsequent reform programme, and fitful regeneration in the Thames Gateway in the 2000s. Bringing it right up-to-date, he explores various devolution plans leading up to the so-called ‘Northern Powerhouse’. Offering solutions as to how obstacles in policymaking and implementation can be overcome which will help to restore trust and much-needed confidence in government and the political process, this is a fascinating bridge across the policy and practice divide.

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Cornelia Dean draws on her 30 years as a science journalist with the New York Times to expose the flawed reasoning and knowledge gaps that handicap readers when they try to make sense of science. She calls attention to conflicts of interest in research and the price society pays when science journalism declines and funding dries up.

PR is a £2.3 billion UK industry with up to 50,000 jobs, a poor reputation and yet a pervasive influence on politics and markets. Historically, it has been mostly weak propaganda and market boosterism, yet it escapes sustained academic scrutiny. This topical book analyzes all aspects of public relations, challenging accepted views and examining the industry’s position as a whole. The author argues that PR needs reform because it will not go away, and because it continues to grow. Incorporating the latest facts and figures, this analysis for advanced students of business and PR provides a fresh approach to a significant contemporary subject.

Corporate and government spin doctors invisibly influence just about every news story we read, see and hear. Perhaps even more significant is what they manage to keep out of the news altogether. Bob Burton peers inside the hidden world of corporate and government spin to reveal the extraordinary impact of the PR industry. He illuminates the hardball and soft tactics used by PR companies to smother dissenting viewpoints, mask sponsors, attack corporate competitors and influence politicians. Through a series of detailed case studies from both private and public sectors, he shows just how much PR controls what we see, hear and think about the organisations that manage our society.

Why does policy succeed or fail? In Substance not Spin, Nick Raynsford, a former member of the UK parliament, government minister, and campaigner pulls back the curtain on the front lines of policy making. Drawing on more than forty years of experience working at the very heart of both local and national government and the voluntary sector, Raynsford explores what works and what doesn't in making and implementing policy and legislation. He gives an insider's view on a range of events--some not previously made public--including the botched 1980s reform of housing benefit legislation, the vacuum left by the 1986 abolition of the Greater London Council, the ill-fated 2002 fire and rescue service strike and subsequent reform program, and fitful regeneration in the Thames Gateway in the 2000s. Bringing his investigation up to the current day, he even explores various devolution plans leading to the so-called Northern Powerhouse of the Coalition and now Conservative Government. Offering solutions to obstacles in policy making and implementation and challenging the prevailing public belief that politicians are unable to deliver, Substance not Spin provides a fascinating bridge across the political divide between policy and practice.