Plans for the Scottish government to hold a referendum on independence from the UK has garnered favour from some observers, with hope that a decisive vote will finally clear this decades-old question.

A contracting economy and rising unemployment do not make for happy reading. But the implications of these national trends are very different for different cities.

UK manufacturing did not have a good end to 2011. The relative decline of manufacturing has largely been down to a shift in the UK’s economic emphasis. How do we change it?

The release of GOV.UK Beta, the test version of the UK government's web presence, is a big step towards rationalising the complex network of departmental and agency websites.

The High Speed 2 (HS2) project has been criticised for spending eye watering sums of money during a time of minimal growth and Government austerity. Worse, it's badly targeted.

The English health system is in flux, and its success in using healthcare IT to link hospitals and physicians will partly depend upon how the system responds to significant structural upheaval and stringent efficiency measures.

Policy makers are rightly focusing on raising skill standards but are ignoring a key component of the debate - better skills utlisation in the workplace.

Being asked to summate the arguments against HS2 is a bit like being asked to provide a synopsis on The Bible on the back of a postage stamp, according to the author who leads StopHS2.

This piece argues that unless the coalition government changed its energy policy a substantial number of UK households could fall into fuel poverty in two decades.

Innovative cities can drive the economic recovery. Innovation â?? the successful commercialisation of new ideas â?? is the key driver of economic growth. Cities are where this happens.