Evidence based policymaking

Abstract

This argument applies to politicians of all parties, not simply to those who currently hold office. Certainly, the failure of the government to evaluate the effects of its health care reforms properly at the outset will go down in the history of the NHS as an omission of the highest order, but the record of the Labour party when in government is not entirely creditable either. Rather than dwell on past mistakes, it may be more constructive to consider how future politicians may be better informed by evidence. There is a role here for both the government and independent agencies.