23 October 2014, 18.30-20.00 Followed by drinks in The King’s Fund Bar
The King’s Fund, Cavendish Square
The 2015 general election is drawing ever closer. And the certainty of a fixed parliament means the election campaign is essentially underway already. As politicians eye key seats, hot topics and those crucial polls, think tanks and research organisations find their work under scrutiny with a fresh intensity. Data is seized upon by politicians on all sides, policy proposals considered, and facts are checked and rechecked.
But how influential is evidence and research in an election campaign? What pitfalls exist for politicians using research and evidence in their campaigns? And when a topic becomes a core election issue – as the NHS and social care look set to be in 2015 – what does that mean for those seeking to inform debate?
This event will bring together leading figures from research, journalism and policy to debate the role for evidence in the election debate through the case study of health.
Speakers include:
- Nigel Edwards, Chief Executive, Nuffield Trust
- Mark Henderson, Author The Geek’s Manifesto and Head of Communications at the Wellcome Trust
- Branwen Jeffreys, Health Correspondent, BBC News
- Rebecca Gray, Director of Communications, The King’s Fund (Chair)
Book your tickets online here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/taking-the-pulse-the-role-for-evidence-in-the-election-debate-tickets-12800367243
WonkComms 
I am sorry I will have to miss this event but I hope to contribute to it through this series on the role of think tanks in elections in Latin America: http://wp.me/pYCOD-1CQ This approach has been used (with some changes) by several think tanks in the region for about a decade. It’s worth taking a look at the cases in this series. From: Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Colombia and Paraguay.