Our Insight

All-women shortlists: remaking the case

21 May 2019

Florence Woodrow sets out a defence of all-female shortlists.

The UK remains in the midst of Brexit uncertainty. Much to the frustration of all sides of the debate, Parliament has been unable to reach a consensus on the best way forward and it is becoming increasingly apparent that a general election may be the only way to break the deadlock. Brexit has widened divisions in the UK and a more representative system is needed to heal the deep wounds in the British psyche.
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About bloody time

26 March 2019

Isabella Hunter-Fajardo explores the recent announcements on menstrual wellbeing and period poverty.

Recruiting the best: the hiring tools you need to tip the gender balance

8 March 2019

Connect is proud to celebrate International Women’s Day and this year’s theme, #BalanceforBetter which is working towards building a gender-balanced workforce, with equal opportunity for all. The movement advocates that balance is not simply a women’s issue, it’s a business issue and that it is an essential component for economies and communities to thrive and develop.

TIG is a wake-up call to both parties – if they will hear it.

22 February 2019

The emergence of The Independent Group of MPs (TIG) has brought a new thread to the Brexit weave with just five weeks to go until 29 March. Our clients have been asking if this represents a real shift in UK politics or a moment that will pass. To give something that resembles a coherent answer we need first to hit pause and look at the different elements at play.

It’s a paradox, but 2019 could be the best and worst of times

3 January 2019

We live in a paradoxical age. UK politics remains in a state of constant turmoil, and even the most hopeful commentators recognise that the first quarter of this year will be challenging. The Foreign Secretary said this week that the “rules-based international system is under greater strain than for many decades”. President Trump continues to confound. And yet there has never been a better time to be alive: the world literacy rate is 85%, the number of girls in primary school is now 90%, people are healthier and wealthier than ever. Read more

Steps towards Transgender Equality

6 December 2018

20th November was Transgender Day of Remembrance, which marked the lives tragically lost to transphobic acts of violence. Every year, dozens of trans people are murdered because of who they are, and in the UK, 22 transgender lives have been lost since the beginning of 2018 and 45% of young trans people have attempted suicide.
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Housing and Transport: The importance of achieving an integrated approach

4 December 2018

The Transport Knowledge Hub (TKH) is currently holding a series of events across the UK on the topic of how sustainable transport can unlock the benefits of new housing which has been attended by experts across the housing and transport sector, in addition to representatives from local and national government. Given the scale and challenge of the housing crisis, these events have been a timely intervention and generated insightful discussions about the importance of having a more integrated approach between housing and transport. Read more

Armistice 100: how the government has remembered World War One

5 November 2018

Over the last four years the government has quietly and successfully delivered a four-year programme built around the UK’s turbulent relationship with continental Europe. Read more

30 hours free childcare – a policy that works for everyone?

1 November 2018

In the political calendar, party conferences may feel like a lifetime ago. Over a month has passed since Westminster uprooted to Liverpool and Manchester respectively to hear from the highest echelons of our political parties about the future of the country. Read more

Keeping up with Connect: House of Lords – Content or Not Content?

17 August 2018

In the first of a series of debates on the Connect blog, Isabella Hunter-Fajardo makes the case for the House of Lords.

House of Laws: in defence of the Second Chamber

The wealth of experience in the Second Chamber is an asset to the UK’s legislative process. At Connect, we often track Bills, or even specific amendments and clauses for clients as they progress through Parliament. Seeing the depth and quality of debate during the respective stages of legislation in the Commons and Lords has given me an appreciation of the role the Upper House plays. Read more