National security? Include us in, says Ashdown

By Lord Ashdown, Co-Chair of ippr's Commission on National Security in the 21st Century
publicservice.co.uk  - 17 August 2009
A fundamental change in the way we think about protecting the UK must not only involve better coordination across government but also share knowledge, power and resources with local councils, community groups, frontline professionals and citizens, argues Paddy Ashdown

Torture equals terror

By Andy Hull, Senior Research Fellow, International and Security
Guardian CommentIsFree - 05 July 2009
Britain must renounce the use of torture – legitimacy in national security policy is a strategic necessity, not a liberal nicety.

Under review

By Alex Glennie, Researcher, International and Security
Progress - 01 July 2009
In a post-cold war world, we need to question whether there is still a compelling case for Britain to maintain its nuclear deterrent

A public inquiry?

By Andy Hull, Senior Research Fellow
Progress - 17 June 2009
In the Iraq inquiry openness should be the default position

Reap what we sow

By Carey Oppenheim, Co-Director, ippr
Public Finance - 08 May 2009
Schools closed, patients confined, face masks dished out, antivirals prescribed and the chief medical officer on primetime television. My daughter wakes up convinced that she has swine flu as it spreads to north London. Do I attribute this to hypochondria, the success of public health messages, or a cool-headed assessment of the risks?

Stopping bombs and standing up for what we believe in

By Andy Hull, Senior Research Fellow and Ian Kearns, Deputy Chair of ippr's Security Commission.
ippr - 07 April 2009
We need a twin track approach to counter-terrorism and community cohesion. It has to be both principled and pragmatic. We must work with non-violent Islamists and mainstream Muslims, while practising the values we preach.

As the Financial Crisis Deepens, Can Britain Maintain its International Security Obligations?

By Dr Ian Kearns, Deputy Chair of ippr's Security Commission
www.rusi.org - 02 March 2009
The US Director of National Intelligence is right, it’s not just protectionism that we need to worry about; the financial crisis could contribute to  global instability as key actors focus less on international security.

A stitch in time

By Professor Jim Norton
Contingency Today - 24 February 2009

Professor Jim Norton argues that although the process of developing a business continuity plan is seen by many SMEs as too complicated and costly, a good plan can make the difference between successfully overcoming a few days disruption and shutting forever in the face of unforeseen security disruptions.

Torture uses the body against the soul. It is illegal and dumb

By Charles Guthrie, former Chief of Defence Staff and member of the ippr Commission on National Security in the 21st Century.
The Times - 06 February 2009
As the diplomatic row continues over claims that a British resident was mistreated, a former Chief of Defence Staff condemns an ineffective practice

Corruption and terrorism will flourish without global governance

By ippr's Commission on National Security in the 21st Century
The Independent - 01 December 2008
An article referring to the speech Lord Ashdown, Co-Chair of ippr's Commission on National Security in the 21st Century, made at the launch of the Commission's interim report last week.

Preparing for the worst

By Ian Kearns, Deputy Chair of ippr's Commission on National Security in the 21st Century
Public Finance - 13 June 2008
The role of the citizen in helping with emergencies – whether man-made or natural – is a resource that we overlook at our peril. Ian Kearns explains why we need a different approach to crises in the face of today’s challenges.

We must beef up the UN and the EU

By George Robertson and Paddy Ashdown, Co-Chairs of the ippr Security Commission
The Times - 12 June 2008
If we are to tackle the perils of a globalised world, we have to rethink our international institutions.

Emerging Security Challenges to the United Kingdom

By Ian Kearns and Katie Paintin
National Safety & Security - 01 March 2008
Over the last two decades, the global security landscape has changed dramatically, shaped by defining events such as the end of the Cold War and the attacks of 9/11. As a result of these developments, new issues, actors and challenges have emerged, with far-reaching implications for UK security policy.

At the crossroads

By Ken Gude, Visiting Fellow, ippr
Comment is Free - 07 February 2008
Europeans may view US foreign policy as monolithic, but the Democratic and Republican candidates offer two very different visions

New thinking on nukes

By Ian Kearns, Deputy Director, ippr.
Prospect - 23 November 2007
Cold war warriors like Henry Kissinger are now pushing for a nuclear weapons-free world. Shouldn't Gordon Brown?

Independent Commission on National Security

By George Robertson and Ian Kearns
Défense Nationale et Securite - 25 October 2007
The Commission's formation is a response to some profound changes in the national and international security landscape. In this short article, we set out some of what we believe those changes to be, our view on what the changes imply for how we define and delimit the terrain of security policy in future, and offer three guiding principles which we believe should, where possible, shape much of our response. We conclude with a statement of optimism that there is much the international community can do to address the challenges, and suggest two areas for priority action.

Recasting the Special Relationship

By Ian Kearns and Andrew Gamble
A Progressive Foreign Policy for the UK - 22 August 2007
A comprehensive national security strategy should be used to provide a new basis for policy discussions between the UK and the US.

Brown's Iranian dilemma

By David Mepham, Head of International
Guardian Online - 16 August 2007
The prime minister wants to stay close to the US, but backing military action against Iran would cost him dearly.

From crisis to strategy: new thinking on national security

By Ian Kearns, Deputy Director
OpenDemocracy - 01 June 2007
The 21st century’s security challenges will be globalisation and climate change as much as terrorism or military conflict. A new commission seeks to map them, reports Ian Kearns.