Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

"We are underprepared. We are underinsured. We are under attack. We are not safe." George Robertson, former defence secretary and co-author of the government's strategic defence review, has issued a stark warning about Britain's national security. So how serious is it - and what should Keir Starmer do? PLUS: From defence to employment. A new IfG paper argues the government should go further and faster on devolving employment support - we talk to its authors about a potentially better route back into work. Hannah White presents. With Jill Rutter, Ben Paxton and Martha Ford. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oil is in short supply as the Middle East conflict continues. Donald Trump has told the UK to “build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.” Economist Duncan Weldon joins the pod team to discuss what the government can actually do to respond to rising energy prices. The message to consumers so far is keep calm and carry on as usual. But will this messaging hold - and, if not, how bad could things get - and how quickly?  And finally: It’s a long time since we first heard about Universal Credit. But this major government project has, albeit a little late, nearly reached completion. Nick Timmins, author of a new IfG report on UC, takes a look at a troubled but ultimately successful - maybe - journey. Alex Thomas presents. With Jill Rutter. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What should the government do about overseas election funding and cryptocurrency donations? Philip Rycroft, who ran the newly-published Rycroft Review into foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics, joins the podcast team to explain the problem and how it could be fixed. From election funding to funding public services. Labour came into power with a promise to reform the way public services are delivered. But what has actually been done, and is it working? The IfG has issued our verdict. Plus: Energy bills. Rachel Reeves has been issuing frequent updates on what the government would, or wouldn’t do, to support people. The pod team review her plans. Alex Thomas presents. With Catherine Haddon and Stuart Hoddinott.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As war in the Middle East disrupts energy markets across the world, what are the implications for households and businesses in the UK and how should government respond to the price shock? This IfG webinar explored Rachel Reeves’s options for supporting consumers – and what the ongoing conflict could mean for energy policy, the transition to net zero and for the public finances. What are the implications of different scenarios for oil and gas shipments from the Middle East? What do they mean for the design of support packages? How would different approaches impact government objectives on inflation and growth? Has the government learned the lessons from the response to the 2022 price shock? And do events in the Middle East accelerate or slow the transition to net zero? Should they lead to a rethink on North Sea licensing? This webinar featured: Nick Butler, former Head of Strategy for BP and then senior policy adviser to Prime Minister Gordon Brown Dan Haile, Senior Economist at the Institute for Government Emma Pinchbeck, Chief Executive of the Climate Change Committee and former CEO of Energy UK Andrew Sissons, Director, Sustainable Future Mission at NESTA This webinar was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How prepared is the government - and how healthy is the economy - for dealing with another energy bill crisis? The podcast team review the prime minister's response and assess the UK's resilience. The chancellor has delivered a big speech promising more financial devolution to English mayors and closer practical alignment with the EU, but do Rachel Reeves's plans add up? Plus: Should we fire all the permanent secretaries and directors general and replace them with true believers throughout the civil service? No, not a new IfG report but the latest policy from Reform UK.  Hannah White presents. With Giles Wilkes, Rosa Hodgkin, and Hannah Keenan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The conflict in the Middle East has already seen Keir Starmer fall out with Donald Trump - but will the economic fallout of war cause even bigger problems for the government?  Former government adviser Tim Leunig joins the podcast to discuss what the prime minister and Rachel Reeves could do to ease a growing cost of living crisis. In a big week for the government, the controversial courts and tribunals bill returned to the House of Commons. The government is - in its words - “throwing the kitchen sink” at the problems facing the criminal justice system, but will its radical reforms have the desired effect?  And Digital ID is back, with the government setting out its plans for “government by app” . But will it convince people of the merits of going digital?   Presented by Catherine Haddon With Jill Rutter, Cassia Rowland and Tim Leunig Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What it is really like to be an MP in 2026? How unusual is the life of a politician? How does power work in parliament? And how can MPs try to have an impact from government or the opposition benches? For this special International Women's Day episode of Inside Briefing, three MPs – Conservative Karen Bradley, Labour's Beccy Cooper, and Ellie Chowns of the Green Party – head to the IfG podcast studio to explore the challenges, surprises and perhaps frustrations of life in parliament as one of the 263 female MPs (as a point of comparison there were just 27 female MPs in 1975 when International Women's Day was first recognised by the UN) sitting in Westminster today.   Presented by Dr Catherine Haddon. Featuring: Dame Karen Bradley MP – Conservative MP for Staffordshire Moorlands since 2010, a former secretary of state for Northern Ireland and at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, and the current chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee.  Dr Ellie Chowns MP – has been the Green MP for North Herefordshire since 2024 and is the Green Party group leader in Westminster and their spokesperson on 6 different ministerial portfolios.   Dr Beccy Cooper MP – has been the Labour MP for Worthing West since 2024 and sits on the Health and Social Care Committee.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Middle East is at war - but how does the conflict end and what role will the UK play? Sir Alex Younger, the former head of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) joins the podcast team to discuss what the US strikes on Iran mean for the region, for the UK and for global security. Keir Starmer has said the UK will “not join regime change from the skies”, but huge questions remain over the extent of British involvement in the crisis - and the conflict is certain to have lasting consequences for this country. But just how ready is the UK to respond to a shock of this scale? Plus: Spring Forecast fall-out? The economy is sure to be affected but global events, but Rachel Reeves struck a bullish tone in her spring forecast on Tuesday. We review the numbers - and assess the chancellor’s plan. Hannah White and Alex Thomas present. With Dan Haile and Jill Rutter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fire up the forecasts. Read up on the rules. Study the spending plans. And get ready for Rachel Reeves' big day in Parliament. Rupert Harrison, former chief of staff to George Osborne, joins the Inside Briefing team to preview the chancellor's spring forecast. It’s not a budget. It’s not a fiscal event. So it doesn’t get a primetime post-PMQs slot in the Commons timetable. So what exactly is it for and how significant is this forecast for the government? What will we hear from Rachel Reeves? And what are chancellor’s options - and the risks and possible rewards? Plus: The government's big spending announcement was on SEND reform. Do the sums add up and just what is the government trying to do? Hannah White presents. With Giles Wilkes, Dan Haile and Amber Dellar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Antonia Romeo has been appointed as the new Cabinet Secretary and is the first woman to hold the post. So what can she do to turn the civil service, and perhaps the government, around? Keir Starmer's administration is still reeling from resignations, apologies, suspensions and the latest Peter Mandelson scandal. With questions around ethics and standards back in the news, and both Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor facing Misconduct in Public Office investigations, what does the government need to do to tackle standards in public life and can the PM show his government really is different from the last?   Plus: Postponed local elections are now un-postponed and need to be held in just over three months’ time. Just how did the government end up taking such a chaotic approach?    Presented by Alex Thomas Featuring Hannah White, Tim Durrant, Rebecca McKee, Matthew Fright Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former Downing Street chief of staff Gavin Barwell joins the podcast to discuss another explosive week at the heart of government.  On Sunday afternoon the prime minister’s chief of staff and closest adviser, Morgan McSweeney, handed in his resignation, followed on Monday by Tim Allan, Downing Street’s director of communication – for just five months. The cabinet secretary, Sir Chris Wormald, too will be leaving his post, also after a brief tenure.  But the prime minister remains in office – despite the best attempts of Anas Sarwar, Labour’s leader in Scotland, who arranged a press conference on Monday to call for his resignation.  So, what does all this churn at the centre mean for the prime minister, for No.10, and for the cabinet secretary’s brief of ‘rewiring the state’? Can Keir Starmer really reset his government all over again? And what does this all mean for the actual business of government?  Presented by Hannah White. With Alex Thomas and Catherine Haddon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The revelations about what contact Peter Mandelson had with Jeffrey Epstein, what the government knew, and what it did or is now doing about it is the story that is dominating Westminster. The FT’s Jim Pickard joins the podcast team to look back at an explosive week in UK politics, and the serious questions being asked about Starmer’s judgement, the vetting process, and the ability to eject unfit members from the Lords – from which Peter Mandelson is on a voluntary leave of absence.   Presented by Hannah White. With Alex Thomas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Of all its manifesto pledges, missions and milestones, Labour has been most keen to tell the public that it is ‘going for growth’. But does the government have a robust and well thought-through plan to deliver that growth? Or is it, like so many before it, struggling to really take the ‘tough decisions’ required to drag UK GDP growth rates up to meet – and indeed surpass – those of our fellow G7 nations? This government has not been short of plans and strategies, but what it has not produced is a strategy for growth that helps it make hard choices nor the right support in place for the PM to follow through on them. This is a problem, as a new paper out this week from IfG and Imperial College London explores. Meanwhile, regional inequalities are one barrier to growth, and transport is both a symptom and a cause of this. Many regions lag far behind the capital on funding and transport connectivity, preventing people from getting new jobs, travelling to existing ones or otherwise moving about the country – all harming productivity. The authors of another new IfG report supported by Arup join us to discuss their findings – including a case study of the mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham’s work on the Bee Bus Network.   Hannah White presents With Giles Wilkes, Akash Paun, Harriet Shaw and special guest Soumaya Keynes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a week when Donald Trump has been escalating his threats to NATO member states over Greenland, Darren Jones was on the home front ensuring that the government’s desire to transform government was also continuing. So what is the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister planning? Is it enough to meet the challenges he has identified, and what will they need to do to actually see change? We get stuck into the latest government reform plans, joined by Francis Maude, a previous minister for civil service reform. And of course it is still 2026, it is still January. So Donald Trump is still dominating all other news. We will discuss the latest challenges he has thrown at the UK government and reflect on what it means for UK-US relations, the Starmer approach to Trump diplomacy and what we learned at a special event we held this week reflecting on the President’s first year back in office. Presented by Hannah White Featuring Alex Thomas, Hannah Keenan, Catherine Haddon and special guest Francis Maude Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Drop the excuses culture. Stop complaining about civil servants. And just get it right the first time rather than repeatedly u-turning. Wes Streeting didn’t hold back at the IfG conference this week - so what does the health secretary’s verdict on the government say about Keir Starmer and the challenges he and his ministers face in 2026?   Wes Streeting, Mel Stride, Darren Jones, Louise Casey, Andy Burnham, Michael Gove, Ayesha Hazarika and Ed Balls all joined the IfG Annual Conference to discuss what government is doing right, what it is getting wrong, and what it needs to do differently. We discuss the fascinating, headline-making and thought provoking day. The performance of the civil service was a theme that recurred throughout the conference. What does rewiring the state really mean? Is it even happening? What are the reforms that Whitehall really needs? This week also saw the publication of the IfG’s annual Whitehall Monitor, our flagship stocktake of the size, shape and performance of the civil service. It’s packed with data and analysis - and its lead author joins the podcast to tell us all about it.   Presented by Hannah White Featuring Hannah Keenan, Tim Durrant and Ben Paxton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With US military strikes on Venezuela dominating headlines, Lawrence Freedman joins the podcast team to ask what Donald Trump's foreign plans mean for the UK - and assess whether Keir Starmer’s Trump strategy will hold in 2026. The prime minister found his January announcements knocked off the front pages - but was anyone really listening? We explore the government challenges facing Starmer and his team in the year ahead. Plus: Ed Balls, Wes Streeting, Mel Stride, Louise Casey, Ayesha Hazarika, Andy Burnham and more. We preview the IfG annual conference. Hannah White presents. With Alex Thomas and Hannah Keenan.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A year is a long time in the podcasting world, especially for podcasts keeping a close eye on the highs, lows, trials and tribulations of government. Because it has been quite some year for Keir Starmer and his team - and for British politics more generally.  We’ve had reshuffles, resignations and resets. The rise of Reform. The breakthrough of the Greens. Promised policy blitzes. A planned rewiring of the state. The start - apparently - of the government’s delivery phase. A government-defining budget. Some government-disrupting leadership challenges - real or imagined. And every now and then someone called Donald Trump crashes into the picture.  The IfG team and the Financial Times’s Public Policy Editor look back on an eventful 12 months and pick out the big moments of 2025 - the most significant stories, the big political developments, and the key appointments that could shape the year ahead.  Not all of these will have made huge headlines. Perhaps they should have done - let’s see.    Presented by Alex Thomas Featuring Chris Smyth, Jill Rutter, Stuart Hoddinott and Catherine Haddon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

According to the Washington Post, Donald Trump made 30,573 false or misleading claims during his first term as US president – and Trump 2.0 has also shown little regard for facts or evidence. Unexpected presidential announcements are made on social media or in press conferences, and Trump’s positions can appear to change overnight. Leaders of other countries, including Keir Starmer, find their own plans and statements overshadowed or knocked off course. Despite this chaos and confusion, Trump appears authentic and able to galvanise his base while other, more conventional, political communicators struggle to get their message across. So is Trump rewriting the rules for government communications? Does the UK have sufficient safeguards against our political leaders adopting Trump’s attitude to facts? Does the UK have robust enough rules to ensure that government communications serve the public not partisan interest? And how is it possible to plan government communications when those plans are constantly blown away by overnight developments in the US? To discuss these questions and more, the Institute for Government, in partnership with Vuelio, was delighted to bring together an expert panel including: Katy Balls, Washington Editor for The Times Simon Baugh, Chief Executive of Government Communications, 2021–25 Alastair Campbell, former No.10 Chief Press Secretary (1997–2000) and No.10 Director of Communications (2000–03) and presenter of the Rest is Politics podcast. Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government This webinar was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government.  We would like to thank Vuelio for kindly supporting this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The government announced that elections for new mayors in four regions will now be delayed. Voters in Greater Essex, Sussex and Brighton, Hampshire and the Solent, and Norfolk and Suffolk will be waiting until 2028 instead. Why has the government done this? Is this part of a clever strategy or a desperate last-minute fumble?  Meanwhile, the government is installing yet more peers into the House of Lords after a series of battles between the government and the second chamber. So what lies behind the battle, what might happen and will it make a difference to the long-running debate about Lords reform? And finally... Sajid Javid says he lost faith in Boris Johnson’s leadership, Simon Hart says the Sunak government nearly collapsed over the Rwanda bill and Theresa Villiers says that WhatsApp group chats were critical to defeating Theresa May’s Brexit deal. We speak to the team behind our latest Ministers Reflect series. Hannah White presents With Akash Paun, Jack Pannell and Rebecca McKee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility has gone, the Chancellor is being accused of misleading the public.  So how did that budget go?  Richard Hughes has taken responsibility for the accidental leak of the budget and resigned. What does this mean for the OBR’s future and political trust in it?  Meanwhile, the Chancellor has been accused of misleading the public over the state of public finances. So what did happen in the budget pitch-rolling and what does this tell us about how well the UK does budgets? Could we, should we, do them differently?  Plus - the Justice Secretary has revealed his plans for changes to jury trials. We dig into the latest news.  Hannah White presents With Gemma Tetlow, Alex Thomas and Cassia Rowland  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just hours after Rachel Reeves sets out the budget to parliament, this webinar brought together a team of Institute for Government (IfG) experts to share their instant and essential analysis of the chancellor’s plans.   Who are the winners and losers of Reeves’s tax and spending announcements? How will her measures affect economic growth? Has the chancellor finally set a coherent tax strategy? And what challenges now lie ahead for Keir Starmer’s government?   To answer these questions and more, this budget day webinar from the IfG brought together an expert line up featuring Dan Haile, Jill Rutter, and Giles Wilkes. The webinar was chaired by Dr Hannah White. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Scotland is just six months away from May’s crucial parliamentary election, with First Minister John Swinney preparing to lead the SNP into one of the most unpredictable campaigns since the party entered government almost 19 years ago. On 19 November, the Institute for Government was delighted to welcome Scotland’s First Minister to discuss his priorities ahead of the 2026 Scottish parliament election, the political context in Scotland ahead of the crucial UK budget, and the SNP’s vision for Scotland’s constitutional future. John Swinney was in conversation with Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government, followed by a Q&A with the live and online audience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The First Minister for Scotland joined the Inside Briefing team to discuss football, the political context in Scotland ahead of the UK budget, and the SNP’s vision for Scotland’s future. Meanwhile, the Home Secretary announced significant reforms to the UK’s asylum and migration system. We discussed how the plans landed, what might happen next and what challenges lie ahead. And this week saw the final instalment of the IFG’s public services Performance Tracker. We talked to the team about the government’s record on public services since the election, where the greatest risks lie and what the Prime Minister needs to do to turn things around before the end of this Parliament. Presented by Catherine Haddon. With Nick Davies, Cassia Rowland, and Jill Rutter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ambitious Labour politicians might or might not be eyeing up the top job. No. 10 isn’t working well. The Prime Minister is on the defensive. Here we go again.   Wes Streeting, the health secretary, is in the headlines - accused of plotting a leadership challenge against the prime minister. Streeting has dismissed the attacks as “self-defeating nonsense” and has urged Keir Starmer to sack whoever is briefing the media. So what does this all say about how Number 10 is working, or not, and what impact does this type of row have across government?   PLUS: Wes Streeting really wants to be talking about his plans for turning around NHS performance. But our new report has some mixed news about how that is going.    Catherine Haddon presents. With Alex Thomas, Jill Rutter, and Stuart Hoddinott. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Taxes set to rise? Spending set to be cut? Promises to be kept – or maybe broken? Whatever chancellors choose to reveal on budget day, it’s normally a good idea to let people know what they can expect…   So has Rachel Reeves done a good job of rolling the pitch? How did former chancellors go about warming up their party, voters, the media and business? And what can they do to make sure the right people are listening   Stewart Wood and Giles Winn, former advisers to Gordon Brown and Philip Hammond, join this special Inside Briefing episode to reveal how chancellors get ahead of the big day in parliament – and give their verdict on Rachel Reeves’ attempts to set the scene for the November 26 budget.   Presented by Gemma Tetlow. With Jill Rutter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Home Office is not fit for purpose. At least that’s the verdict of the home secretary. So what’s the problem and how can it be fixed? Former home office special adviser Hannah Guerin joins the podcast team for a deep dive into the woes of one of Whitehall’s most challenging departments.   Reform UK’s Danny Kruger has been setting out his plans for government reform. Outlandish or workable? We’ve been weighing it up.   Plus: Labour’s historic poll low. What do the numbers say about the state of British politics?   Hannah White presents. With Alex Thomas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Prisons nearly bursting. Court cases backlogged. Prisoners released early. It couldn’t happen again, could it? Former BBC journalist and Labour adviser Danny Shaw joins the podcast team to discuss a brand new IfG report into the state of the criminal justice system. In another difficult week for the government, the inquiry into grooming gangs has run into problems after at least four members of the victims and survivors panel quit in protest at how the government has handled the process so far. Can Louise Casey fix it? Plus: Prince Andrew, the Royal family, and the government. What happens next?   Catherine Haddon presents. With Alex Thomas and Cassia Rowland.  Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the prime ministers facing awkward questions over the collapse of the Chinese spy case, the Guardian’s Gaby Hinsliff joins the podcast team to explore the row and what it says about the UK’s relations with Beijing. Local authorities provide services that everybody relies on, but the findings of a new IfG report into the state of local government finances and services makes for some eye-watering reading. We dig into the detail. Plus: A big week for the government’s standards and ethics regime! Goodbye ACOBA, and hello Ethics and Integrity Commission. So how will this all work? Hannah White presents, with Stuart Hoddinott, Amber Dellar and Tim Durrant. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lagging well behind Reform in the polls and bruised by a series of defections, the Conservative Party was in low spirits as it gathered for its party conference.  So did party leader Kemi Badenoch answer her critics with that big stamp duty announcement? Will new Conservative policies win back voters? Do Mel Stride's spending pledges add up? And does any of this really make any difference at all?  YouGov's Patrick English joined the Inside Briefing team in Manchester to assess the state of the official opposition.    Presented by Hannah White. With Alex Thomas and Tom Pope. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The gloves are off. And it's a fight for the soul of our country. So says Keir Starmer. So how is he planning to win it? Sophie Stowers of More in Common joins the IfG podcast team for instant reaction to the Prime Minister's speech in Liverpool - which features praise for the swagger of Oasis - and expert analysis of the Labour Party conference. So what does Starmer's speech say about his Nigel Farage strategy? Did the PM give any clues about the upcoming budget? And has Andy Burnham overplayed his hand? Plus: What is going to be the big story at the Conservative Party conference? Hannah White presents. With Alex Thomas and Catherine Haddon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Labour is heading back to Liverpool for its annual conference, so what does Keir Starmer need to do to lift the party’s spirits and get some momentum behind his government? Former Number 10 adviser Tom Webb joins the podcast team to preview a massive couple of days for the prime minister and his team. The November budget will loom large over Liverpool – so how might the chancellor approach the tricky question of raising taxes? A new IfG report has the answers. Plus: The Liberal Democrat conference saw Ed Davey say a lot about Nigel Farage – but what did we actually learn about where the UK’s third party is trying to position itself?   Presented by Hannah White. With Tom Pope and Jill Rutter. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The US president is in town. And the timing could probably hardly be worse for a prime minister still reeling from his sacking of Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the US. Michael Martins, a former senior official at the US embassy, joins the podcast team to preview the visit – and what Keir Starmer can actually hope to achieve from Donald Trump’s visit.   Plus: Arriving on a Jet Ski? Ed Davey, Nick Clegg and our Liberal Democrat conference preview.   Presented by Hannah White. With Catherine Haddon and Alex Thomas. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Peter Mandelson has been sacked as the UK’s ambassador the US. But what does his downfall say about Keir Starmer’s judgment in making appointments? The Observer’s Cat Neilan joins the podcast team to weigh up the dramatic end of Mandelson’s time in Washington.   Keir Starmer has a new team in place, with ministers hastily moved around following Angela Rayner’s dramatic departure from the cabinet – so what do all the recent personnel changes mean for where his government goes next?   Plus: Has Starmer done enough to strengthen rules around ethics? And what future headaches are looming?   Presented by Hannah White.  With Jill Rutter and Philip Nye. Produced by Podmasters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Phase one is complete. Phase two begins. And it’s all about delivery. But just how hard is it for governments to do the delivery bit of governing? The IfG podcast team give their expert view.   Civil servants are key to making a success of the government’s policies and priorities - perhaps none more so than the high flying fast stream. But who are they - and is this cohort doing a good job? A new IfG report reveals all.   Plus: Reform Party conference preview – we speak to former Reform head of press Gawain Towler.   Catherine Haddon presents. With Hannah Keenan, Rebecca McKee and Teodor Grama Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The party conference countdown has begun, and the Westminster Village is set to decamp to Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Bournemouth and beyond.   But what this the point of the party conference jamboree?  What is it really like to spend four days locked inside a windowless conference centre and take yp residence at t a hotel bar? How do civil servants manage this temporary Westminster exodus? And does it really make any difference at all?   Join the IfG on another trip to the Inside Briefing vault, as we dig out a fascinating episode that we recorded in 2022 with political journalist and party conference veteran Michael Crick, journalist and author Marie Le Conte, former special adviser Peter Cardwell, and the IfG’s very own Jill Rutter.    Presented by Alex Thomas and Hannah White. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All governments face crises, from floods and diseases to riots and terrorist attacks.   So how can ministers lead during these unexpected events? How can they ensure that everyone in the system – from the first responders to the prime minister – is doing what is needed to respond to the crisis? And what are the best ways to keep the public informed?   With guests including former home secretaries Amber Rudd and Jack Straw, this special Inside Briefing episode dives into the roles ministers play during crises, and looks at how they can prepare for the unexpected.   Read our related report: Ministerial leadership during crises Presented by Tim Durrant. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Being a minister is a job like no other. No briefing, no training and, sometimes, no warning – from day one a new minister could find themselves making high-stakes decisions with huge consequences for the country.   So getting some advice from people that have been a minister can be useful – and the IfG’s Ministers Reflect series is the place to start.   Over the past 10 years, the Institute for Government has interviewed more than 170 former ministers from the UK and devolved governments about their time in office   To mark the 10th anniversary of Ministers Reflect, this special edition of Inside Briefing, featuring guests  including Jeremy Hunt, Una O’Brien and Marie Le Conte, takes a look at what former ministers have told us in the last decade. Essential listening for anyone wanting to understanding what it is like to be a minister – and especially for anyone who might want to become one.   Presented by Sachin Savur and Paddy McAlary Produced by Candice McKenzie Additional recordings by Milo Hynes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is it really like to govern in summer? Who is in charge when ministers leave Westminster? And what happens when, as it so often does, the summer isn’t all that quiet?   The Inside Briefing podcast team have headed into the vaults to dig out a special episode from 2021 featuring Sky’s Sam Coates, former (and future) minister Jacqui Smith, journalist Steve Richards and former No10 adviser Kate Fall.   So join us we return to a time when Boris Johnson was prime minister, Keir Starmer was barely a year into his tenure as leader of the opposition, and Nigel Farage was a few months into his recently announced retirement from politics and busy making Cameo messages.    Presented by Hannah White and Alex Thomas. Original podcast recording by PodmastersUpdated edits by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kemi Badenoch has completed one. Keir Starmer is rumoured to be lining one up.  Yes reshuffles, or rumours of ministerial reshuffles, are never far away in Westminster.   So what should ministers fear? What should the prime minister avoid? When do reshuffles go right? And why do they sometimes go wrong?    With special guests Cleo Watson and Helen Macnamara, who have had front row seats alongside prime ministers for countless reshuffles, this special Inside Briefing episode takes you behind the No10 front door to reveal the inside story of one of Westminster’s favourite – and most feared – events.   Presented by Cath Haddon. With Tim Durrant.   Produced by Milo Hynes.   Cleo Watson is a former special adviser to Boris Johnson.  Helen MacNamara was Director General of Propriety and Ethics and then Deputy Cabinet Secretary . Tim Durrant leads the IfG’s ministers work.. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Partygate, revolving doors, freebiegate and cash for questions... stories about misbehaviour in public life are never far away, and this week the government has set out new plans for toughening up the rules. Doug Chalmers, who will chair the new Ethics and Integrity Commission, joins the Inside Briefing team for an exclusive interview. From setting up new bodies to abolishing existing ones.  A new report has been published on the state of the water industry - and it says that Ofwat, the water regulator, needs to be scrapped.  Plus: The reshuffle that wasn’t - and the one that was.  Hannah White presents. With Tim Durrant and Matthew Gill. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Afghan data leak – and the unprecedented superinjunction which followed – has dominated the week in Westminster. The FT’s Lucy Fisher – whose reporting has led coverage of the story – joins the podcast team to discuss who is to blame and what this episode tells us about how the state reacts when mistakes are made.   The story knocked Rachel Reeves off the front pages, but the chancellor has made a big speech this week. We’ll check in with what she had to say.   Plus: The government has just set out some new reforms on voter ID, electoral fraud and, most eye-catching of all, on lowering the voting age. The Inside Briefing team give their instant reaction.   Catherine Haddon presents. With Gemma Tetlow and Alex Thomas. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Prime Minister has racked up the visits, tours and summits over the last year, but this week he turned host and invited President Macron for a state visit. Former Europe minister David Lidington joins the podcast team to assess the state of UK-French relations.   This week has brought us a major new review of criminal courts – with some big recommendations to easing the court case backlog in England and Wales. So what’s the plan - and will it work?   Plus: The government has published a new bill on devolution. And it’s a big one….   Hannah White presents With Jill Rutter, Akash Paun and Cassia Rowland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is one year since the general election brought Labour back to government and since Keir Starmer walked into Number 10. Instead of a smooth anniversary, the government has been forced to confront a major parliamentary rebellion and roll back on a flagship spending policy. So how has Labour’s first year in power really worked out for Keir Starmer? What lessons can they learn for the challenges ahead? Jill Rutter, Claire Ainsley and Sam Freedman join Hannah White to weigh up the government’s highs and lows - and what comes next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The government’s controversial plans to cut the welfare budget have caused serious disquiet on the Labour benches. Luke Sullivan, former political director to Keir Starmer, joins the IfG podcast to explore how serious a problem this is for Keir Starmer - and how the government got itself into this situation.It isn’t just Labour MPs that are giving No10 a headache. Apparently civil servants are too - because No10 has issued new guidance demanding that civil servants no longer speak on panels at public events. So what’s the thinking behind this heavy handed approach - and does it add up?  Presented by Cath Haddon With Alex Thomas and Tim Durrant. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To conclude the IfG’s conference on the Nolan Principles, our panel will discuss the impact of the Nolan Principles in public life today. How have they changed the standards landscape in the UK? What do the public think about standards in public life? How useful are standards and principles to leaders in government? And how can a strong standards system support a government’s wider objectives?    Speakers:    Doug Chalmers, chair, Committee on Standards in Public Life Chris Morris, CEO, Full Fact Sachin Savur, researcher, Institute for Government Rowena Mason, Whitehall Editor at the Guardian   This session was chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With conflict in the Middle East is dominating the headlines, the New Statesman’s Rachel Cunliffe joins the podcast team to explore Keir Starmer’s attempts to influence Donald Trump and ask whether the UK has a role to play beyond that of a concerned bystander.   There is plenty of domestic politics around too, with the prime minister announcing an inquiry into grooming gangs - having said, only a few months ago, that he wouldn’t – and the government trying to face down a rebellion over its welfare budget cuts.   Plus: John Major at the IfG and what comes next for government standards and ethics.   Presented by Hannah White.   With Catherine Haddon.   Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s the morning after one of (perhaps the) most significant days in this government’s lifetime to date. Gideon Skinner of IPSOS joins the podcast team to weigh up what Rachel Reeves’ Spending Review told us about the government’s priorities – and how it has landed with the electorate. Which departments will be happy and which will be feeling hard done by? What does it mean for public service performance across the country? Has the much-heralded vision of mission-led government survived? And how many levers does it leave chancellor – and, of course, for Keir Starmer – to pull if things don’t work out? Presented by Hannah White, with Tom Pope and Giles Wilkes. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join IfG experts for instant analysis of the 2025 spending review – a critical moment for Keir Starmer’s government. Were the spending allocations sufficient to improve public services, deliver growth and make progress on the government’s other missions? Which departments will be pleased – and which lost out? And did this multi-year spending review reveal a coherent strategy for the government over the next few years?   To answer these questions and more, IfG experts convened shortly after the chancellor’s announcement to provide their initial analysis.   The webinar was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government, with a panel including: Nick Davies, Programme Director for Public Services at the Institute for Government Ben Paxton, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain has been through a difficult period since the global financial crisis, leading many to conclude the country is doomed to inevitable decline. But Jeremy Hunt, who was at the top of government as both Foreign Secretary and Chancellor, disagrees. In his new book, Can We Be Great Again?, he sets out to rebut those who think Britain is no longer capable of shaping the world we live in.   With the election of president Trump, a world that was already becoming more dangerous has also become more unpredictable. But when it comes to the big challenges facing the world – whether on European security, the future of democracy, migration, trade and climate – the UK remains one of the most influential countries and should, Hunt says, use that influence wisely. Hunt does not shy away from the UK’s weaknesses but argues that they should be considered in perspective and without underestimating this country’s many strengths.   To discuss his new book and the questions it raises, Jeremy Hunt was in conversation with Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The newly-published Strategic Defence Review sets out how the UK can fight and win a full-scale war. So what is it recommending and just how dangerous is the world right now? Tom Newton Dunn, presenter of The General and the Journalist podcast, joins the podcast team to make sense of an ever-shifting – and alarming – defence landscape.   Plus: Spending Review countdown. This Wednesday will see Rachel Reeves reveal how much money government departments will be given for the next few years. So what choices are facing the chancellor? How much money does she have to play with? And what will her decision reveal about the government’s priorities?   Presented by Hannah White. With Alex Thomas and Gemma Tetlow. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is one year since the 2024 general election campaign kicked off and already reshuffle rumours are doing the rounds. Adam Payne, Editor of PoliticsHome, joins us to discuss whether a reshuffle is a good way to inject energy into a not-so-new government or risks knocking it off course.   The spending review is looming, and in time-honoured tradition the final negotiations are playing out in the media. We will look at what lies behind these stories and what being in a spending review is really like.     Plus: We look back at some of the ministers who left government in 2024, who shared their reflections with us in our latest Ministers Reflect interviews.   Presented by Hannah White   With Tim Durrant, Gemma Tetlow and Patrick McAlary   Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keir Starmer has signed off on a so-called UK/EU reset. So, what’s in the new deal and what does it mean for the never-ending Brexit drama? The Guardian’s Kiran Stacey joins the podcast team to dig into the detail.   Davie Gauke has been uncorked. So, what is in his review of prison sentencing? The team dig into his recommendations and give their verdict.   Plus: Nick Clegg is back! The former deputy prime minister returned to the British political stage with a big speech at the IfG this week - and he also sat down for an exclusive interview for Inside Briefing. So, is it time to reevaluate the coalition?   Presented by Jill Rutter. With Giles Wilkes and Cassia Rowland  Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After Keir Starmer made headlines with his warnings of an “island of strangers”, British Future’s Sunder Katwala joins the podcast team to dig into the detail of the government’s new immigration policy. Farewell to 102 Petty France - and a few other Whitehall buildings too. The government is dispersing civil servants to new locations around the country. Will the plan work? Plus: Why the government needs to fundamentally shift its strategy for tackling homelessness. Presented by Hannah White. With Hannah Keenan, Sachin Savur and Amber Dellar. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will white smoke on two trade deals help shift the narrative for Keir Starmer after a tricky week? Peter Foster, the FT’s new world trade editor, joins the podcast team to dig into the details of breakthrough agreements with both the US and India. Perhaps a bigger win for the government would be to achieve that elusive reset with the EU. A big summit is looming. So what is on the table and is progress on the cards? Plus:  The reshuffle rumour mill is in overdrive. Who is up? Who is in? Who is out? No, we’re not talking about ministers. This time it’s the changing of the permanent secretary guard. And the IfG is watching closely.  Hannah White presents. With Jill Rutter and Alex Thomas. Produced by Simon Williams for Podmasters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Votes have been counted – well, most of them. So what do Thursday’s elections for four regional mayors, more than 1000 councillors and the new MP for Runcorn and Helsby mean for British politics, Keir Starmer and the Labour government’s devolution agenda? Another big election has taken place too – and that’s in Canada. Mark Carney – remember him? – has won the general election, and in doing so turned around months of terrible polling for the now still ruling Liberal Party. So how did he do it and what does it mean for the UK? Plus: The data on school absence is moving in the wrong direction. Moira Wallace, who used to run Tony Blair’s Social Exclusion Unit, joins the podcast team to tell us what Keir Starmer needs to do – and how he could learn from the last Labour government. Presented by Catherine Haddon with Akash Paun and Alex Thomas. Music: ‘Everything to Me [Instrumental]’ by Notize courtesy of artlist.io Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Labour jostles with Reform for polling points and the Conservatives debate the merits of cosying up to Nigel Farage's party, More in Common's Luke Tryl joins the podcast team to take stock of the polls - and what they might say about the upcoming local elections. With Rachel Reeves still looking nervously at the economic data and Donald Trump making increasingly hard-to-follow statements about tariffs, we assess the chancellor's trip to Washington. Plus: Are people satisfied with their GPs? A new IfG paper reveals all. Presented by Hannah White. With Jill Rutter, Tom Pope and Stuart Hoddinott.   Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Procurement is central to the operation of modern government but, following a series of high-profile scandals, is often controversial. Much of the criticism has focused on the role of the biggest suppliers, some of whom have become household names for the wrong reasons. But who are these big suppliers and how dependent is the government on them? This special episode of Inside Briefing will tell you everything you need to know about how much the government actually spends with big suppliers, the kind of services these companies provide, how well do they perform compared to other suppliers, and how effective the government is at holding them to account. With IfG programme director Nick Davies, former Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude, Capita Public Service CEO Richard Holroyd, the TUC’s Director of Organising Public Services and Skills Sian Elliott, and Gus Tugendhat, Founder of Tussell. This podcast episode is kindly supported by Tussell. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Donald Trump pauses his trade war (well, except in the case of China) the podcast team are joined by economist and author Duncan Weldon to make sense of the president’s wild economic rollercoaster ride – and the uncomfortable choices it means for Keir Starmer. The PM and his team have some levers to pull, and this week they eached for a familiar one labelled ‘Quango Bonfire’. So what has been announced, and will it work? Plus: What does the government want to do about immigration? A white paper is on the way. But an IfG paper is out now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The rules of global trade have been dramatically ripped up by Donald Trump. So what is the US president’s tariff plan actually meant to do? Has a global trade war started? How big a hit will the UK economy take? And what options does Keir Starmer have to fight back?   The government urgently needs to inject some growth into the economy, but can Whitehall make that happen? Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, joins the podcast to argue for more powers to be given away by London.   Plus: Who reviews the reviews? The government has launched a lot of them. But will they succeed? A new IfG report has set out its verdict. We’ll talk to its authors.   Tim Durrant presents. With Giles Wilkes, Jill Rutter and Ben Paxton. Produced by Milo Hynes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Spring has nearly sprung, but the fiscal forecasts made for a rather gloomy spring statement for Rachel Reeves. Stewart Wood, a Labour peer and former adviser to Gordon Brown, joins the podcast team to assess the state of the economy - and Reeves’s attempts to turn it around.  How much will welfare cuts upset Labour backbenchers? What could Donald Trump's tariffs mean for Reeves's plans? And just how difficult are the choices awaiting the chancellor as the spending review approaches? Plus: New IfG research focuses on left behind groups - and sets out some of the tensions in how the government is approaching one of its missions and milestones. Presented by Alex Thomas. With Jill Rutter, Gemma Tetlow and Sophie Metcalfe. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Rachel Reeves just days away from setting out her spring statement to parliament, chief secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones MP drops into the podcast studio to discuss the Treasury’s new plans for watching the pennies. So what could the chancellor do? What shouldn’t the chancellor do? The podcast team weigh up her options - and analyse the government’s controversial welfare reforms. Plus: IfG senior fellow and public policy expert Nick Timmins gives his expert take on the big decision to abolish NHS England. Presented by Emma Norris. With Cath Haddon and Tom Pope. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Minutes after setting out his plans for reforming the civil service, abolishing NHS England, and ending ministerial reliance on quangos, Keir Starmer joined Inside Briefing for an exclusive interview with IfG director Hannah White. So what type of civil service does the PM need to deliver his missions? Why does he want to close down NHS England? And what should officials and ministers prepare for as the PM’s reform agenda becomes reality?   Following the prime minister’s interview, Hannah was joined by Alex Thomas, Emma Norris, Stuart Hoddinott and former cabinet secretary Gus O’Donnell for expert analysis of the PM’s speech and his interview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So much has happened since that explosive – and unsettling – White House press conference bust-up between Donald Trump and Vlodymer Zelensky, but does Keir Starmer have a workable plan for peace? UKICE’s Anand Menon joins the podcast team to reflect on another extraordinary week of UK/US/EU relations.   Despite the focus on international affairs, the government also needs to deal with tough spending choices with not a lot of money to spend. After the aid budget, what could be next to face some cuts?  PLUS: What is going wrong with prisons in England and Wales? A new IfG reports reveals some stark data – and sets out how to turn performance around.   Hannah White presents. With Jill Rutter and Anand Menon Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keir Starmer has completed his first visit to the White House – and delivered a letter from King Charles to Donald Trump. So just how special is the special relationship looking this weekend? Defence expert Karin von Hippel, formerly of RUSI, joins the podcast team to look back on a huge week for international relations.   Does the PM’s plan to boost defence spending by cutting the international aid budget add up. We’ll look at the sums - and weigh up the consequences of this trade-off.   PLUS: The boss of the NHS is on the way out and local government finances are under massive pressure.   Presented by Hannah White. With Alex Thomas and Stuart Hoddinott Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Donald Trump making a series of headline-making statements on Ukraine and its leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, former national security adviser Peter Ricketts joins the podcast team to make sense of America’s place in the world – and what it means for the UK and Europe.   British politicians have been scrambling to respond, not least defence secretary John Healey - who this week was speaking at the IfG on a stage bedecked with union flags. We’ll catch up with what Healey had to say, and try and make sense of what Trump is up to.   Plus: Something a little bit lighter. We’ve got a new batch of our ‘ministers reflect’ interviews out, this time featuring Matt Hancock. We’ll give you the highlights.    Alex Thomas presents. With Cath Haddon and Paddy McAlary   Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome Rt Hon John Healey MP, Secretary of State for Defence, to discuss his priorities for reforming UK defence.   With war in Europe, instability in the Middle East and a new US administration, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has taken centre stage during the Labour government’s first six months in power. But with increasing threats, how will the MOD ensure it stays ahead of the UK’s adversaries and deliver maximum value for taxpayers? How will it contribute to the government’s missions, particularly economic growth?   Healey opened the event with brief remarks on his defence reform programme, after which he was in conversation with Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government, before taking questions from the audience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Valentine’s Day is upon us... but there doesn’t seem to be a great deal of love for Keir Starmer and his government right now. So what is the PM going to do about it? Commentator Ian Dunt joins the podcast team to weigh up Labour's latest policy blitz – this time on immigration – and what seems to be ever-increasing pressure on chancellor Rachel Reeves.   Plus: What does Donald Trump’s statement on Ukraine mean for the UK, not least our defence secretary and the armed forces?  Hannah White presents, with Joe Owen. Produced by Candice McKenzie.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall Editor of the Sunday Times, joins the podcast team to discuss his new book Get In, which is being billed as the definitive account of Labour’s reinvention under Keir Starmer.   The prime minister is continuing his mission to reset UK/EU relations, all while trying to work out what a relationship with Donald Trump’s America should look like. We’ll take a look at the PM’s diplomatic headaches.   Plus: Local elections. Or rather, no local elections. The government has postponed a batch of them. So what’s going on?   Hannah White presents. With Jill Rutter and Akash Paun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

No more talk of blackholes. No more doom. No more gloom. So what is Rachel Reeves’ plan for economic growth all about? Times columnist Sebastian Payne joins the podcast team as they make their way through the chancellor’s vision of reservoirs, runways and the UK’s own Silicon Valley – and ask whether government is really set up to make it all happen.   Plus: Ministers Reflect devolved government special! Nicola Sturgeon, Humza Yousaf and Mark Drakeford feature in a brilliant new batch of IfG interviews – and they have plenty to say about Brexit, Boris Johnson and making devolved government work.   Presented by Nick Davies. With Gemma Tetlow and Millie Mitchell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The details of how Axel Rudakubana, the Southport killer, plotted his attack have forced the government into action. Ciaran Martin, the former CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre, joins the podcast team to discuss Keir Starmer's response - and his decision to put tech firms in the spotlight. The government also had some more positive tech announcements to make this week, so will its grand plans for overhauling digital services - in an attempt to boost productivity - really work? Plus: Darren Jones’ big plans to do the spending review differently  Hannah White presents. With Cassia Rowland and Tom Pope. Produced by Candice McKenzie  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a speech at the IfG this week, Darren Jones MP, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, insisted that “we are long overdue a reckoning with government spending and a realistic appraisal of how we're using taxpayers' money."   So what is Jones planning? Where might the spending cuts fall? How can AI – the so-called Chat HMTGPT – help deliver Whitehall savings? And what will Jones be doing to embed the government’s mission-led approach into the spending review?   After his speech, Darren Jones was in conversation with Hannah White. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It has been a tricky couple of days for the chancellor. But how much trouble is Rachel Reeves really in and how much attention should people be paying to the markets? Politico’s Esther Webber joins the podcast team to look at the challenges facing the chancellor.   The prime minister tried to inject some optimism into the government’s week with a big announcement on AI, but do his plans compute?    And what does the resignation of Tulip Siddiq reveal about how this government understands the way people view ministerial behaviour?   PLUS: How big is the civil service? How happy is the civil service? How well does the civil service actually do what it's meant to do? A new IfG report reveals EVERYTHING you need to know.   Presented by Hannah White.   With Tim Durrant, Giles Wilkes and Jack Worlidge    Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tricky poll ratings, gloomy economic news, and Elon Musk's online onslaught have made for a tricky start to 2025 for Keir Starmer, but how much should No10 be worrying? Theo Bertram, a former adviser to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown joins the pod team to give his verdict.   Musk's X attacks have placed the child grooming scandal on the front pages, but are the Conservatives right to call for a new inquiry?   The government would rather we were talking about its announcements on NHS and social care reform: our resident IfG health expert plans all? Plus: What will Mark Zuckerberg's Meta's fact-checking shift really mean?  Hannah White presents. With Emma Norris and Stuart Hoddinott.   Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It has been quite some year for British politics. Sure, there were no mass-ministerial resignations, rule-breaking No10 gatherings or economy-shaking mini budgets, but July’s general election saw a change of ruling party for the first time in 14 years.    So did Rishi Sunak’s final rolling of the dice really achieve anything? Could the general election ever have turned out differently? And how have Labour adapted to government – and Keir Starmer to the daurning job of prime minister? What was the surprise of the year? What was the moment of election night? And what does it all say about what might come next…?   Sam Freedman, Giles Wilkes, Jill Rutter and Hannah White gather in the IfG studio to look back on extraordinary 12 months for politics and government.   Produced by Robin Leaburn for Podmasters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The IfG team has spent the year reading government reviews, white papers, select committee reports, consultations, manifestos plans for change… you get the idea.    But this podcast is going to step away from the treadmill of political news and instead bring the IfG book club to the podcast studio. So put down whichever IfG report you’re reading, get yourself a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie, and join a cast of your IfG favourites to hear their top tips on non-fiction, fiction, biographies, thrillers, science fiction and more.   And look for a festive treat at the end of the podcast too…   Cath Haddon and Nicola Blacklaws present.   With Hannah White, Alex Thomas, Jordan Urban, Stuart Hoddinott, Jill Rutter and Sophie Metcalfe and the IfG choir.   Produced by Robin Leeburn for Podmasters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The devolution revolution is in full swing, with Angela Rayner setting out the government’s plans to give power away across England. Former Conservative special adviser Salma Shah joins the podcast team to explore what the plan contains – and whether it stands any chance of working? Asylum is one of the trickiest issues facing this or any government. The author of a new IfG paper tells us why what has become a chronic policy problem and what could be done to fix it. Plus: Will Elon Musk’s money be making its way into British politics?  Hannah White presents with Sachin Savur, Akash Paun and Millie Mitchell. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pat McFadden – the minister for the Cabinet Office – is making a plea for an army of disruptors to sign up to the Civil Service and make Whitehall think like a start up. Jess Studdert, director of New Local, joins us to ask whether this is fresh thinking? Plus, Rachel Reeves has another plan to whip Whitehall into shape, and it’s a familiar one. The chancellor is on the hunt for efficiency savings. So where could they be found - and will they really make a difference? Also: From rewiring the civil service to rethinking the prison service. Does the government have  plan to fix the prison service? Hannah White presents, with Alex Thomas, Tom Pope and Cassia Rowland. Produced by Robin Leeburn for Podmasters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is that sound the heavy thud of a gauntlet been thrown down? The podcast team are joined by Peter Hyman, a former adviser to Keir Starmer – when he was a key player in designing Labour’s missions – and Tony Blair, to make sense of the government’s new Plan for Change.   What do the six new ‘milestones’ say about this government’s five missions? Do targets actually work? Why has Keir Starmer set this plan out now? And why is he sounding so frustrated with the civil service?   Plus: Sir Chris Wormald is the new cabinet secretary. So who is he, and what can he do to deliver the prime minister’s command to completely rewire the British state?    Catherine Haddon presents.   With Jill Rutter and Nick Davies   Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After weeks of speculation, and many rounds of interviews, Sir Chris Wormald has been confirmed as the UK’s new cabinet secretary. But who is Chris Wormald, why has Keir Starmer appointed him, and how can he succeed as the country’s top civil servant? David Lidington, the former minister for the Cabinet Office and Theresa May’s one-time de facto deputy prime minister, joins the IfG team to make sense of someone who is both the conventional pick and yet also the surprise choice for the job of the country’s top civil servant. What does Wormald bring to the role? What is waiting in his in-tray? How exactly could he set about that big rewiring job? And what steps he can take to ensure the civil service can deliver Keir Starmer’s priorities?   Presented by Emma Norris. With Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s a competition that has gripped the nation. The candidates have been whittled down. The country is on tenterhooks. Strictly? Of course not. We’re talking about the appointment of the next cabinet secretary. The Guardian’s Rafael Behr joins the podcast team to speculate about who might get the job – and what they need to do.   How can the government get more people back to work? It has published a new “Get Britain Working” white paper for starters, but what does it set out and is this any different to anything we have heard before?   Plus: Does the government have an electric car problem?    Hannah White presents. With Alex Thomas and Nehal Davison. Produced by Robin Leeburn for Podmasters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keir Starmer has been on his travels again, but it has been a tricky week at home for the government. Tim Ross and Rachel Wearmouth, the authors of new book Landslide: The Inside Story of the 2024 Election, join the podcast team to discuss how Labour returned to power – and how Starmer and his team are faring.  The Budget has gone down very badly with Britain’s farm owners and a private members’ bill on assisted dying is posing a big headache for Starmer. How much worse could things get? And from bruising encounters to a political bruiser, the former deputy prime minister John Prescott, a key figure in the last Labour government, has died. The pod team look back on Prescott’s legacy.  PLUS: Labour is promising to set up a lot of new public bodies: 17 and counting. A new IfG report has been tracking their progress, and reveals how to succeed, or not, when setting these bodies up.  Cath Haddon presents, with Giles Wilkes and Matthew Gill. Produced by Jade Bailey for Podmasters and the IfG.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are living in a different world. Donald Trump’s world. Kim Darroch, the UK's former ambassador to the US, joins the podcast team to make sense of what could be some jaw-dropping appointments to the Trump administration. The UK government has been scrambling to make sense of it all too - responding in measured tones while potentially bracing for impact. So how should Keir Starmer handle the new Trump era? Plus: COP29. The prime minister has been on his travels again - this time to Azerbaijan for a major climate change summit.  Hannah White presents. With Alex Thomas and Jill Rutter. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Gove spent more than a decade as a senior government minister, including as secretary of state for education, justice and levelling up.  He was one of the longest-serving ministers of the last government – and one with perhaps the most ambitious plans for public service reform. He was also, arguably, the most successful at making those plans happen.    To look back on his time in government, the reforms he introduced or tried to introduced, and to share his lessons for the current government and Conservative opposition, thew newly-appointed Spectator editor took part in wide-ranging and thought-provoking in conversation event with IfG Director Hannah White. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Buckle up everyone.  Donald Trump has won the US presidential election and will return to the White House after an extraordinary campaign featuring criminal convictions, assassination attempts, shocking language, and so much more. So what does this tell us about the US? What does it mean for the UK? And how might the world change in the years to come? Scarlett Maguire of JL Partners, the pollsters that called the numbers right, and Michael Martins, a former US Embassy adviser, join the podcast team to explain an extraordinary week. Plus: Kemi Badenoch is the new leader of the Conservative party. We’ll take a look at what this means for the opposition. And finally: another huge story - well, at least for some parts of the IfG. A new ministerial code has been published. We’ve read it and will give you the lowdown. Alex Thomas presents. With Cath Haddon and Sachin Savur. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Budget day is over and Halloween is here - and Rachel Reeves certainly came up with some pretty scary numbers.  Stewart Wood, a former adviser to Gordon Brown at the Treasury and No10, joins the podcast team to make sense of the chancellor’s statement. Will her plans - this is one of the biggest tax raising budgets in modern history - come back to haunt her? Will her new rules for borrowing spook the markets? Or will her announcements begin the process of bringing economic growth back from the near-dead? Hannah White presents. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel Reeves’ first budget might well be one of the most consequential in years – and is the biggest tax-rising budget in over 30 decades. Spending is up too. As is borrowing. So what does this all mean for the economy, for the government, and for people’s pockets?   The IfG expert team gathered just a few hours after the chancellor’s statement to MPs to crunch the numbers and explain what the chancellor is trying to do. What decisions has Reeves taken on new fiscal rules, tax measures and public services? What does this budget mean for the government’s growth mission? Does Reeves have a credible plan for fixing the public spending “black hole”? And what does this budget reveal about this government’s priorities?   Jill Rutter presents. With Giles Wilkes, Tom Pope and Stuart Hoddinott.   Produced by Podmasters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If there’s one thing we’ve learned about US politics in recent years, it’s this: don’t fall out with Donald Trump. So how have Keir Starmer and the Labour government ended up being dragged into a big row with the former - and maybe future - president? Foreign policy expert Sophia Gaston joins the podcast team to make sense of an unexpected twist in the US presidential election. The PM is in Samoa for a meeting of Commonwealth leaders. But what can the UK hope to achieve at this gathering? Plus: It has been a frenetic week of government activity, with reviews announced on the NHS, sentencing, water and more. But does this type of approach really make any difference? Emma Norris presents. With Alex Thomas and Stuart Hoddinott. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week was all about the launch of Invest 2035. Invest what? The Guardian's City Editor Anna Isaac joins the podcast team to get behind the scenes for the big government day - complete with an exclusive Elton John concert - at the Guildhall. The glitz and the glamour was designed to provide some soothing mood music ahead of the Budget - now fast approaching. We preview the latest pitch rolling.  Plus: what are private members’ bills all about? Hannah White presents. With Giles Wilkes, Tom Pope and Finn Baker. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chiefs of staff aren’t meant to become the story. But Sue Gray most definitely did - until she wasn’t. So what does Keir Starmer’s No10 reset mean for how he wants to govern – and what should Labour be doing to turn around those plummeting poll rates?   More in Common’s Luke Tryl joins the podcast team to explore the Downing Street job moves and examine what voters want this government to get on and deal with.   Plus: For all the drama in government, it’s the Conservatives who have stunned everyone with the latest round of their leadership contest. James Cleverly is out. Which means Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick are through to face the members. So what on earth is going on…?   Hannah White presents. With Nehal Davison and Jordan Urban. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reports of dysfunction and unhappiness at the centre of government have led to Sue Gray’s departure as the prime minister’s chief of staff. In an effort to reset his top team, Keir Starmer has replaced Gray with Morgan McSweeney, and has also made a number of other key appointments to his No.10 operation.   So what does this restructuring tell us about how Starmer wants to run his centre of government? What lessons should be taken from the difficulties – and disagreements – at the centre that have hindered Labour’s first 100 days in power? And what else needs to change to ensure No.10, the Cabinet Office and the Treasury deliver for the prime minister?   The IfG’s final report of the Commission on the Centre of Government examined why the centre has failed successive prime ministers – and the early experiences of Keir Starmer’s administration have underlined, yet again, the urgent need to implement the Centre Commission’s seven recommendations for radical reform to create strengthened, united political leadership at the heart of government.   This webinar explored Gray’s exit, assess Starmer’s reset, and discuss the IfG’s recommendations for reform.   Our expert panel included:   Sam Freedman, Author of Failed State and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government Dr Catherine Haddon, Programme Director at the Institute for Government Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government   This event was chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not even the torrential rain seemed to dampen the high spirits of the Conservative party conference. So what's going on? Scarlett Maguire of JL Partners joins the pod team to explore what happened in Birmingham and which of the party’s would-be leaders emerged as the front runner. With the attention of the lobby elsewhere, the government no doubt breathed a sigh of relief. But the bruising accounts of gifts and donations aren't going away, and all does not seem entirely happy at the heart of Keir Starmer's team. Is it going to get better any time soon? Plus: IfG pulses are racing after news that there is going to be a new Cabinet Secretary. The biggest job in the civil service is up for grabs after Simon Case confirmed that he'll be stepping down. So who are the front runners and what are the qualities that Keir Starmer should be looking for? Emma Norris presents. With Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The IfG team is up in Liverpool for Labour's first party conference since winning the general election - and the party's first in government since 2009.    So, what's the mood? Has Keir Starmer managed to shift the narrative away from freebies and falling-outs? Does the annual party get together tell us anything about how government is working? And what should we be looking out for as the Conservatives prepare to meet in Birmingham?   The Sunday Times' Gabriel Pogrund, Bloomberg's Ailbhe Rea and UK in a Changing Europe’s Anand Menon join Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas for a special live recording of Inside Briefing.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Does it matter if the prime minister accepts a free gift? Lots of free gifts. The House Magazine’s Sienna Rodgers joins the Inside Briefing team to explore a question that, unfortunately for Keir Starmer, is not going away. It has also emerged that Sue Gray, the PM’s chief staff, is paid more than the country’s most senior politician - and a lot, lot more than plenty of special advisers. So is Gray’s pay day a problem?   Talking of money, a new IfG report has set out how the government can save some - billions in fact. Its author reveals where the money can be found.   Plus: How to complete England’s devolution map? Another new IfG report - we’re spoiling you - has the solutions.   Cath Haddon presents.   With Tim Durrant, Ben Paxton, Akash Paun and Matthew Fright.   Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Post Office and PPE VIP-lane scandals have put government procurement in the headlines – and not in a good way. But with the government spending almost £400bn a year on goods, works and services from businesses and charities, what can be done to stop things going wrong?   Well, the Labour government has an opportunity – and a big one – to do things differently, with new legislation – in the form of the Procurement Act – kicking in. But what will this mean for ministers, civil servants and businesses? What opportunities will it bring? What risks might it create? The impact is not entirely clear.   Drawing on a new IfG report, published in partnership with Tussell and AutogenAI, this special episode of Inside Briefing tells you everything you need to know about the scale of public procurement, where billions of pounds are spent, why failures happen, how accountability in procurement currently works (or doesn’t) and where it could be improved.   Emma Norris presents.   With IfG programme director Nick Davies, DEFRA chief commercial officer Einav Ben-Yehuda, the i paper’s senior report Ben Gartside, and Gus Tugendhat, Founder of Tussell.   Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is this the week that things started to get a little difficult for the new government?   Prisoners have been released early - something which is never going to guarantee good headlines - and the row about the decision to cut winter fuel payments is not going away.   So are the attacks deserved? Will the government manage to fend them off - or at least take the blows and move on? And what does this all mean for Keir Starmer?    Plus: Select committee chair elections, Conservative leadership contest, and the Liberal Democrat conference.   With Emma Norris, Cath Haddon, Gemma Tetlow and Cassia Rowland, plus guest Aubrey Allegretti, chief political correspondent for The Times.   Produced by Robin Leeburn for Podmasters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The usual cut and thrust of politics took a backseat this as the Grenfell Inquiry’s final report blamed “decades of failure by central government” and the “systematic dishonesty” of multimillion-dollar companies for a fire which killed 72 people. Sam Coates of Sky News joins the podcast team to discuss the inquiry’s findings – and what happens next.   Elsewhere in Westminster the focus a row featuring cabinet secretary Simon Case and the up and downs of the Conservative leadership contenders – so who has had a good week?   PLUS: Who has served as a minister? Which roles have they held? What dates were they in office? All the answers can be found in the fantastic IfG Ministers Database, which launched this week.   Hannah White presents.   With Jill Rutter, Emma Norris and Philip Nye.   Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The prime minister followed Tuesday’s Oasis-fuelled Cool Britannia nostalgia with a rather gloomier vision of Britain in 2024 – with a speech that heaped blame on the last government for the tough choices to come. So will things only get worse? The Guardian’s Jess Elgot joins the podcast team to respond to Keir Starmer’s speech – and look ahead to Monday’s return of parliament. The failure to fix the housing crisis stretches way back to the 1990s – so why have successive governments failed to build the homes the country needs? A new IfG report takes a tour through history – and has some solutions for the future. Plus: What is like to be a minister who takes maternity leave – and is the system working? Another new IfG report speaks to six former ministers. Hannah White presents, with Jess Elgot, Joe Owen, Sophie Metcalfe and Nicola Blacklaws Produced by Podmasters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is the difference between a spad and pad? How should people be fast-tracked into big government jobs? And is Labour going about this process the right way – or committing a series of unforced errors?  With the new government on the defensive after a string of eyebrow-raising appointments to civil service roles, ConservativeHome’s Henry Hill joins the podcast team to make sense of the row – and explore where Keir Starmer and Sue Gray might have questions to answer.  Plus: Does Rachel Reeves have any money to spend? Presented by Hannah White with Alex Thomas and Jill Rutter. Produced by Milo Hynes  www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the IfG knows all too well, government sometimes – perhaps often – doesn’t seem to work. So who or what is to blame? Sam Freedman, IfG senior fellow and author of Failed State: Why nothing works and how to fix it, joins Hannah White for a fascinating discussion about what has gone wrong – and how to make it right.   From a stuttering civil service to a stumbling parliament, failed prime ministers and fraught permanent secretaries, Hannah and Sam take a journey through the failures of British governance – and explore what reforms the Labour government could introduce to help turn the system around.   Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Olympic Games is all about sport – but it is unavoidably also all about the politics. So two days after the opening ceremony, the IfG team assembled its crack team of sporting fanatics to discuss the links between power and the Olympic Games.  From claiming credit to trying to duck the blame, prime ministers, presidents and mayors are as involved as any athlete – signing off on bids to host the games, settling on multi-billion budgets, being booed in the stands, and keeping fingers crossed that everything runs smoothly. So just how political are the Paris 2024 Olympics Games? And how do they compare with what has come before – including the 1908, 1948 and 2012 Games in London – and what might follow in Los Angeles, Brisbane and the Games of the future? Podcaster, academic, historian and author David Runciman returns to Inside Briefing for a fascinating tour through the ever-changing relationship between sport and the Olympics that has defined over a century of successful (and not so successful) Games. Hannah White presents with Jill Rutter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Special Advisers are some of the most important yet misunderstood figures in government. They play vital roles – as the voice of their minister in the department, shaping policy agendas and managing the media.  As a new government gets up and running and scores of new SpAds get to grips with their roles, this four part series lifts the lid on what SpAds do, how they do it, and why they’re indispensable to modern government.  In this final episode, we look at how SpAd careers end. We start with reshuffles – what’s it like to go through a reshuffle as a SpAd, and how do you find out when one’s about to begin? We also discuss what it’s like to lose one of these jobs and how little notice you really get.  Finally, we finish the episode and the series by asking our interviewees to reflect on their time in government. What would they do differently if they had their time again? What are they most proud of? And what advice would they give to future SpAds?  Presented by Jack Worlidge. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel Reeves has revealed a “£22bn black hole” in the public finances. So do the chancellor’s sums add up and what is her plan for balancing the books? Sonia Khan, a former Treasury special adviser, joins the IfG podcast team to discuss the changing of the ministerial guard at the Treasury and the politics of spending reviews. Talking of spending reviews, is there a better way to go about running them? A new IfG paper has the answers. And is the civil service set up to deliver for a mission-led government? Another new IfG paper reveals 20 ways to overhaul Whitehall. Plus: Braced for Badenoch? Poised for Patel? Time for Tugenhadt? We preview the Conservative leadership contest. Hannah White presents, with Tom Pope and Jack Worlidge. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Special Advisers are some of the most important yet misunderstood figures in government. They play vital roles – as the voice of their minister in the department, shaping policy agendas and managing the media. As a new government gets up and running and scores of new SpAds get to grips with their roles, this four part series lifts the lid on what SpAds do, how they do it, and why they’re indispensable to modern government.  In the third episode, we look at how SpAds’ work extends beyond their own departments. Government is complicated, so no-one can do one of these jobs effectively without working with other departments across Whitehall.  Most SpAds will be in regular contact with the centre – No10 and the Treasury. So how do those relationships work? How powerful is No10 in reality, and what’s it like to negotiate with the Treasury? SpAds also need to work effectively with other departments, so we discuss the importance of the cross-government SpAd network. Finally, we hear about the importance of maintaining good relations with those outside government – including Parliament, their party, and external stakeholders.  Presented by Jack Worlidge. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There’s only one story in town – actually, there’s only one story on the planet. And that’s Joe Biden’s decision to pull out of the presidential race – and vice president Kamala Harris’ coronation as the new Democrat candidate to face Donald Trump in November. Mark Landler of the New York Times is back on the podcast to reflect on an absolutely momentous week in US politics, what Biden’s exit means for the presidential race, and what this all means for the UK. PLUS: What is the government’s public service inheritance – and how will public services look by the next general election if the government sticks to its spending plans? A new IfG report has the answers. Hannah White presents, with Alex Thomas and Stuart Hoddinott. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Special Advisers are some of the most important yet misunderstood figures in government. They play vital roles – as the voice of their minister in the department, shaping policy agendas and managing the media.
As a new government gets up and running and scores of new SpAds get to grips with their roles, this four part series lifts the lid on what SpAds do, how they do it, and why they’re indispensable to modern government.
In the second episode, we’re focusing on how important relationships are to any SpAd’s job. We start by discussing the importance of trust and understanding between SpAds and their secretary of state – how is this relationship built, and why is it so critical? And what about junior ministers – how do SpAds work with them?
The link between SpAds and the civil servants they work with is also vital. We look at their links with both the secretary of state’s and their own private offices, as well as what they thought about the civil service overall, and whether anything frustrated them. Presented by Jack Worlidge. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The pace of British politics isn’t slowing down. A big international summit for Keir Starmer. Devastating Covid inquiry headlines. And a King’s Speech full of bills. But all this is nothing compared to the US. President Biden – now isolating with Covid – is under pressure to withdraw from the 2024 race, and his rival Donald Trump survived, by millimetres, an assassination attempt.  The FT’s Lucy Fisher hot-foots it from Blenheim Palace to join the podcast team to make sense of big events either side of the Atlantic.   Presented by Hannah White, with Alex Thomas and Rosa Hodgkin www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Special Advisers are some of the most important yet misunderstood figures in government. They play vital roles – as the voice of their minister in the department, shaping policy agendas and managing the media. As a new government gets up and running and scores of new SpAds get to grips with their roles, this special four-part series from the Institute for Government lifts the lid on what SpAds do, how they do it, and why they’re indispensable to modern government.  In this first episode, we look at how SpAds are recruited, and how they found their first days in government. What surprised them, and how did they fit into the wider SpAd team in their department?  We also ask our interviewees what their day-to-day lives were like in government, how they added value for their ministers, and finally how they dealt with crises.  Presented by Jack Worlidge. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The New Statesman’s Freddie Hayward joins the Inside Briefing team to reflect on Keir Starmer’s busy first week as prime minister, with the PM appointing new ministers, the government firing off press releases and policy announcements, and Rachel Reeves making her first big speech as chancellor. But Starmer is also facing his first difficult decision: how to deal with a major crisis in prisons. England and Wales are on the brink of running out of cells... Hannah White presents, with Emma Norris, Tom Pope and Cassia Rowland. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We hosted a special livestreamed recording of the Institute for Government podcast, as a team of IfG experts – bleary eyed but full of coffee – gathered in the podcast studio to make sense of a momentous night in British politics. What does the general election result mean for how the UK will be governed? What decisions and duties await the prime minister over the next days and weeks? How are governments formed and what does it mean civil servants? And what are the big challenges facing the government – and how can it meet them? Hannah White and the team shared their instant reaction, expert analysis, and essential insights. Presented by Hannah White with Giles Wilkes, Tim Durrant and Catherine Haddon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re into the general election final countdown and all the polls point to a big Labour win for Keir Starmer. So does Rishi Sunak have any aces up his sleeve or has the general election gambling scandal confirmed many Conservatives’ fears that that their leader is a busted flush? The Guardian’s Rafael Behr joins the podcast to look back on the campaign and explore what might happen next for Labour and the Conservatives.   Who has had a good campaign and who has had a bad one? The podcast team pick their choices.   What is it the last day – and the first day – in government really like? The IfG’s Giles Wilkes and Jack Worlidge, both former government special advisers, give the inside story.   PLUS: What are the big barriers to Labour’s clean energy plan and what can Keir Starmer do to knock them down?   Presented by Emma Norris.   With Gilkes Wilkes, Jack Worlidge and Rosa Hodgkin.   Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are less than two weeks to go until the general election and the polls are showing no signs of shifting. But what do they really tell us about what voters are thinking about Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer? Which Labour or Conservative policies and promises are cutting through? What are the polls to look out for? Deltapoll’s Joe Twyman joins the podcast team to explain all. Plus: What exactly is a supermajority? We break down the Conservative party’s warnings about what a big Labour election win would mean in Parliament.  Presented by Hannah White with Alice Lilly. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Manifesto week of the general election campaign has seen lots of promises, plenty of policies and even more polling – but whose plans for government actually add up? Kitty Donaldson, chief political commentator of the i paper, is this week’s podcast guest as Inside Briefing weighs up what we learned from the manifesto launches – and what they mean for Rishi Sunak and for Keir Starmer. Hannah White presents, with Alex Thomas. Produced by Milo Hynes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We were swamped with loads of fantastic questions at our recent IfG webinar and didn’t have time to get to all of them – so, by special request, Jill Rutter, Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas have reunited in the IfG podcast studio to record this special Question Time episode of Inside Briefing. So as Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer hit the general election campaign trail, what does this frenzied time in British politics mean for the nation’s civil servants? What happens to special advisers during general election campaigns? What should private offices be getting ready for? Why don’t we talk about purdah anymore?  And why is it important that everyone reads the IfG’s brilliant Ministers Reflect series of interviews? Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The IfG rebuttal unit kicked into gear this week after our very own Nick Davies found himself dragged into the Conservative party’s tax attack on Labour. So where did that number really come from – and what can Labour do about it? Full Fact’s Chris Morris joins the IfG podcast to look back on a very noisy TV debate between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer. We’re into the manifesto countdown – but will either Labour or the Conservatives say anything about the problems piling up for whoever forms the next government? A new IfG paper, The Precarious State of the State, sets out the scale and severity of the challenges likely to dominate the next parliament. Plus: The state of GPs’ surgeries. Another new IfG report – out on Saturday – says GPs’ surgeries are old, cramped and crumbling. So, what can be done about it? Hannah White presents, with Nick Davies and Ben Paxton. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Was Rishi Sunak’s rain-soaked speech on the steps of No10 really only a week ago? We’ve had policy announcements, MPs stepping down, a spectacular fall from a paddle board, more MPs stepping down, Keir Starmer colliding with the Labour left, Rishi Sunak clashing with some of his ministers, Nigel Farage deciding not to stand for parliament - again. An awful lot has happened. The Inside Briefing team examine the big policy announcements on national service and pensions, reflect on some big name MPs – most notably Michael Gove – quitting parliament, and look back on a week of awkward gaffes and bust-ups for both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer. Hannah White presents. With Alex Thomas and Jill Rutter. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rishi Sunak has braved the weather and called a general election. So, what happens now? The IfG has been bombarded with questions about what this all means for government, for parliament, for the civil service, for legislation, for candidates, for conferences, and more. And these really are the type of questions that get the IfG’s collective pulse racing.  So, we’ve scrambled together a team of IfG experts to answer all your questions. Listen to hear Hannah White, Joe Owen, Cath Haddon and Emma Norris tell you everything you need to know. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The wait is over! The election has been called! The countdown to July the 4th starts now. After months of speculation, and a frenzied day of drama in Westminster, the IfG podcast team are joined by Sam Freedman to make sense of Rishi Sunak’s decision and explore what happens next.  Things could hardly have got wetter as the prime minister gave his podium address on the steps of Downing Street, with Sunak’s moment in the rain shared with whoever was playing - at an incredible volume - that familiar New Labour anthem by D:Ream. So why has the PM called a general election? What could happen between now and the July 4th polling day? What needs to happen in Parliament first? And given Labour’s seemingly unshifting poll lead, is there really a route to victory for the Conservative party or has Sunak - as his harsher critics are saying - just given up? Presented by Hannah White with Emma Norris and Joe Owen. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer delivered their election pitches to the public this week – the PM with a focus on security and the Labour leader with six broader commitments from tackling NHS waiting lists to small boats. In parliament, the week started with a sobering report on the trauma that too many women face while giving birth. And on Monday evening MPs voted (narrowly) for members to be suspended from the estate if they are arrested for a violent or sexual offence And inquiries are back: Sue Gray spoke at the Covid inquiry this week, while Westminster awaits the next session of the Post Office inquiry and the long-awaited publication of the report into the infected blood scandal. The IfG’s Hannah White, Emma Norris and Alice Lilly are joined by special guest PoliticsHome political editor Adam Payne to discuss what it all means. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The defection of Dover MP Natalie Elphicke shocked both the Conservatives and, it seems, most of the Labour Party. The FT’s Lucy Fisher joined the podcast team to weigh up another a big twist in the Westminster soap opera. Meanwhile a massive government data breach has sent Whitehall into a panic. But how big is the problem, who is responsible and how can this type of thing be stopped? Also, how to complete the half-done job of English devolution? A new IfG report has a plan. Plus: Who really runs Whitehall? Another IfG report reveals everything you need to do know about the country’s top civil servants. Hannah White presents. With Cath Haddon, Matthew Fright and Jordan Urban. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Conservatives take a pounding in the local elections and Labour are taking councils in former Brexit heartlands. But there’s a crumb of Tory comfort in Ben Houchen’s victory in the Tees Valley mayoral election – and Labour fail to take key target Harlow. As results continue to roll in, what do the last votes before the General Election mean for Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer? Plus we are approaching a cliff-edge moment on departmental budgeting… good job there’s an IfG paper for that. Emma Norris, Akash Paun and Ben Paxton are joined by our special guest, political journalist Rachel Wearmouth, for this week’s pod. Presented by Emma Norris. Audio production by Alex Rees. A Podmasters Production for the IfG. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rishi Sunak’s flagship Rwanda Act is finally on the statute book, and the prime minister has promised that – “no ifs, no buts” – flights will be taking off by the summer. So how much of a triumph is his for Sunak – and what legal challenges could still derail his asylum plan? Political journalist Zoe Grunewald joins the podcast team to weigh up an eventful week for the PM. We’re just days away from a set of crucial local elections. Who is standing and where? What are the contests we need to look out for? And what could it all mean for Sunak and Keir Starmer? Plus: Rising energy bills and rising raw sewage has put regulators like Ofgem and Ofwat in the spotlight, but is parliament doing enough to properly scrutinise the role that over 100 regulators play? A new IfG report has the answers. Hannah White presents. With Jill Rutter, Akash Paun and Matthew Gill Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Liz Truss is back, with her new book providing journalists with all sorts of extraordinary insights into her retrospective arguments about why her premiership collapsed. But what legacy has Truss left the Conservatives in the polls and what does this tell us about how voters view the party? Polling expert Will Jennings joins the podcast team to take a deep dive into the current state of the polls, how polling works and what the forthcoming election might mean for trust in our politics. Plus: The prime minister’s flagship smoking ban has passed its first parliamentary hurdle, but also exposed some fundamental philosophical divisions within the Conservative Party. What does the bill tell us about political debate and long-term policy making? And what can we take from it about how willing political parties are to use prevention to tackle public health challenges? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is the Foreign Office still a department built to deliver the UK’s global priorities in the 21st century or is it out of date in the way it looks and works? Is David Cameron’s comeback as foreign secretary turning out to be a surprise success and what has it meant for the UK’s diplomatic clout? And just how complicated is the civil job of servants when they are asked to work on controversial government foreign policy – particularly when it relates to military action or weapons sales. Former ambassador and No10 adviser Tom Fletcher, the co-author of new headline-making report into the future of UK international affairs, joins the podcast team to explore the UK’s status in the world, what it can achieve on the global stage, and what David Cameron's return to government has meant for the Foreign Office. Emma Norris presents, with Alex Thomas and Tim Durrant. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is China really launching cyberattacks on British politicians and institutions? If so, then how serious is the threat – and what can the government do about it? Ciaran Martin, the first chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, joins the podcast team to discuss. Two more ministers have quit the government – and announced that they will step down from Parliament. So how dangerous is this exodus for Rishi Sunak, and how has the PM reshuffled his pack? PLUS: Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner launched Labour’s local government campaign with a new plan for devolving power across England. So how will it work – and will it succeed? Hannah White presents, with Cath Haddon, Tom Pope, and Sachin Savur. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Spectator’s Isabel Hardman joins the IfG podcast team to discuss Conservative party plots – and weigh up just how much trouble Rishi Sunak is in. Rachel Reeves has been making headlines with a major speech on the economy. So what did the shadow chancellor say, and does Labour have a plausible plan? Plus: Who wants to be a member of a men-only private members’ club? Hannah White presents, with Jill Rutter and Giles Wilkes. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A general election is getting closer – and whoever forms the next government needs to be prepared. The campaign will dominate time and resources, but the job of being in government begins almost as soon as the votes have been counted. Preparing for Power, a special six-part series from the Institute for Government, takes you behind the scenes to find out how our politicians, their advisers and officials block out the noise of a general election campaign to get ready for what comes next. Episode 6 explores the first days, weeks and months of a new government. What is like to be at a prime minister’s side as they enter No.10 for the first time? Can a new minister ever be properly prepared for the sudden task of running a huge government department? And what is it like to be a civil servant welcoming a brand new political team into office? We speak to the people who have been at the heart of government as a new government is formed, including Ed Balls, Jonathan Powell, Gus O'Donnell, Harriet Harman, Polly Mackenzie and Nick Macpherson. The concluding part of Preparing for Power reveals what actually happens on a prime minister’s first day, explores what it is like for civil servants as a whole new team of politicians – and their advisers – take charge, and shares key lessons for making the most of going into government. Presented by Emma Norris. Produced by Milo Hynes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A weak No.10 Downing Street compulsively micro-manages. The Cabinet Office is bloated and unwieldy. The Treasury dominates decision-making. And prime ministers often find that the levers of power aren’t working. So what is going wrong with the centre of government? What can be done to fix it? And, as a general election approaches, what difference would a re-designed centre mean for either Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer? A new Institute for Government report – the result of a year-long commission on the centre of government – has examined the problem and come up with some radical recommendations for reform. The report was launched was this week, at an event featuring two former prime ministers: Sir John Major and Gordon Brown. So on this special edition of Inside Briefing, the IfG team – with special guest Sally Morgan, Tony Blair’s former political secretary – take a deep dive into the heart of government. Hannah White presents, with Alex Thomas and Jordan Urban. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jeremy Hunt’s budget was a massive day in Westminster – and a big moment for the country. But what difference did it really make to the government’s fortunes – and to people’s pockets? Straight after crunching the numbers, studying the forecasts and making sense – or trying to – of the chancellor’s statement, the IfG public finances team gathered in the studio to record a special livestreamed episode of Inside Briefing.  What have we learned from the chancellor’s big announcements and what choices did he make? What did the new OBR forecasts show about the UK’s economic prospects? What did it mean for public services? How did Labour respond? And how might this budget shape the battles on the economy at the next general election – and when that election might be held? Presented by Gemma Tetlow with Giles Wilkes, Jill Rutter and Olly Bartrum. Produced by Milo Hynes and Neil Bowerman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A general election is getting closer – and whoever forms the next government needs to be prepared. The campaign will dominate time and resources, but the job of being in government begins almost as soon as the votes have been counted. Preparing for Power, a special six-part series from the Institute for Government, takes you behind the scenes to find out how our politicians, their advisers and officials block out the noise of a general election campaign to get ready for what follows once the votes are counted. Episode 5 explores the role that manifestos play in – and after – an election campaign. How do political parties write their manifestos? What does a good manifesto look like? What are the questions that Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer will be considering when signing off on their manifestos for the 2024 general election? And how hard is it to deliver manifesto promises once a government is formed? Packed with insight and revelations from key figures behind past manifestos – including Oliver Letwin, Jonathan Powell and Polly Mackenzie – and former civil servants who were asked to turn manifesto pledges into workable policy, this episode of Preparing for Power reveals the inside story of this key part of a general election campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tom Baldwin joins the Inside Briefing team on the day his long-awaited biography of Keir Starmer is published. So what does the book reveal about the man who wants to be the next prime minister? How did Starmer’s upbringing – and his complicated relationship with his father – shape the politician he became? Do the book’s revelations give us a sense of what will define the general election showdown between Starmer and Rishi Sunak? And can political biographies affect how people think about politicians – and will this one answer the questions ask about the Labour leader? Plus: Lee Anderson is making headlines and political parties are accusing each other of Islamophobia and antisemitism. So why is the use of divisive political language getting worse – and what can be done it about it? And: Does it matter if Jeremy Hunt uses the Budget to say he has met his fiscal rules? A new IfG report accuses politicians of gaming the rules with “worse than fiction” spending plans. Its author joins the podcast to explain the problem – and set out a solution. Hannah White presents, with Cath Haddon, Tim Durrant and Olly Bartrum. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A general election is getting closer – and whoever forms the next government needs to be prepared. The campaign will dominate time and resources, but the job of being in government begins almost as soon as the votes have been counted. Preparing for Power, a special six-part series from the Institute for Government, takes you behind the scenes to find out how our politicians, their advisers and officials block out the noise of a general election campaign to get ready for what comes after. Episode 4 explores how the governing party prepares for an election while continuing to govern, with ministers, civil servants and special advisers – including Oliver Letwin, Harriet Harman, Gus O'Donnell, Polly Mackenzie and Nick Macpherson – revealing how they approached the work of government during an election campaign.
 How does a governing party balance a gruelling campaign alongside running the country? What are the advantages of being the party in power as the election approaches? And how can a governing party make the most of those final months before polling day? Veterans of the 2010 and 2015 elections share their stories. Produced by Milo Hynes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wednesday night’s debate on Gaza saw chaotic – and unedifying – scenes in Commons which brought parliament into disrepute. ConservativeHome’s Henry Hill joins the podcast team to make sense of what happened and to weigh up how much trouble Speaker Lindsay Hoyle is in. From trouble in parliament to problems with government, the IfG’s Commission on the Centre of Government will publish its final report on March 11. The podcast team set the scene – and explain why the winner of the next general election needs to radically redesign the centre of power. PLUS: Kemi Badenoch vs The Post Office.  The business secretary has knocked Rishi Sunak out of the headlines, but will this help her chances of succeeding him if a vacancy were to arise? Hannah White presents, with Alex Thomas. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A general election is getting closer – and whoever forms the next government will need to prepare for the possibility of power. Thecampaign will dominate time and resources, but the job of being in government begins almost as soon as the votes have been counted. Preparing for Power, a special six-part series from the Institute for Government, takes you behind the scenes to find out how our politicians, their advisers and officials block out the noise of a general election campaign to get ready for being in government.  Episode 3 explores how opposition parties prepare for a potential transition of government, with ministers, civil servants and advisors, including Jonathan Powell, Harriet Harman, Gus O’Donnell and Oliver Letwin, revealing how they got ready for the possibility of a change of government. How does an opposition develop policies that would actually work once they are in office? How can shadow teams ready themselves for taking over departments? What is the role of the chief of staff in these preparations? And what lessons could the approaches of Tony Blair and David Cameron provide for opposition parties preparing for the possibility of being in government? Veterans of the 1997 and 2010 transitions share their recollections – and their advice forKeir Starmer’s Labour party as a general election approaches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A double by-election battering for the government has made this a very bad week for Rishi Sunak. The loss of Kingswood and Wellingborough to Labour followed the news that the UK has fallen into recession. Conservative backbenchers are restless. And the polls are showing no signs shifting. Chris Cook of the Financial Times joins the podcast team to explore just how much trouble the prime minister is in – and what he can do to turn things around as a general election approaches. While the week ended on a high for Keir Starmer, it has not been a happy time for the Labour leader. Far from it. The selection - and then slow rejection - of Labour’s candidate in the Rochdale by-election has put Starmer under pressure – and left Labour without a candidate. So who is to blame for this clumsy handling of an increasingly embarrassing situation? Gemma Tetlow presents with Catherine Haddon and Giles Wilkes. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whoever forms the next government will need to be prepared. The job begins almost as soon as the votes have been counted. Preparing for Power, a special six-part series from the Institute for Government, takes you behind the scenes to find out how our politicians, their advisers and officials block out the noise of a general election campaign to get ready for being in government. Episode 2 explores how the civil service prepare for a potential transition of government, with five former permanent secretaries revealing how they readied themselves and their departments for a potential change in their political bosses. How does Whitehall prepare for a change in the party in power? What can civil servants do to get ready for a hung parliament? And how do they continue to serve the current government while these preparations are going on? In this episode of preparing for power, we speak to former senior civil servants to discover how they prepared for that all important election result and its aftermath, hear their secrets, and work out the lessons for 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The King’s health has dominated the news this week, but the prime minister has been making controversial headlines with his televised bet with Piers Morgan and a major PMQs bust-up with Keir Starmer. It hasn't been an easy couple of days for the Labour leader either, with Starmer dropping his £28bn green pledge – but will voters notice? Plus: How can we fix the NHS? This week sees the publication of the Times Health Commission. Its chair, Rachel Sylvester, is this week’s guest. Hannah White presents, with Cath Haddon and Stuart Hoddinott. Produced by Candice McKenzie   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whoever forms the next government will need to be prepared. The job begins almost as soon as the votes have been counted.  So what is it like to go from opposition to government overnight? How do civil servants get ready for the possibility of a transition of power or a hung parliament? And what is it like for a governing party to continue in power after a bruising campaign? In this six-part series, the Institute for Government takes you behind the scenes to find out how our politicians, their advisers and officials block out the noise of a general election campaign to get ready for being in government. We’ll be speaking to former ministers, special advisors and senior civil servants to discover how they prepared for that all important election result and its aftermath, to hear their secrets, and to work out the lessons for 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A deal to restore government in Northern Ireland has finally been struck and Stormont is set to return. So what was the decisive factor? Who are the big winners? And what are the chances of this deal actually holding? Peter Foster of the Financial Times joins the IfG team to reflect on a historic week. It is four years since the UK left the EU – so how has life outside the Single Market and the Customs Union been working out? With new border checks set to be introduced in 2024, the pod team review the state of Brexit. Plus: Just how transparent is government – and what could it to do show a willingness to open up rather than cover up?  Presented by Emma Norris with Jill Rutter, Tim Durrant and Sachin Savur. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Simon Clarke has called for Rishi Sunak to go. A former No10 special adviser has said the Conservatives won’t win the election with Sunak at the helm. And an endless supply of new polling keeps painting an awkward picture for the PM’s prospects. So just how much trouble is Sunak in? The Times’ Geri Scott joins the podcast team to make sense of the latest chapter in the Conservative party psychodrama. Plus: Everything you need to know about the civil service. The IfG’s annual stocktake into the size, shape and performance of Whitehall is out this week. And, is the Treasury guilty of orthodox thinking? A new IfG report tests out the complaints of Liz Truss and her allies. Hannah White presents, with Giles Wilkes and Rhys Clyne. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rishi Sunak’s controversial Rwanda legislation has made its way through the House of Commons, but at what cost to his authority? Peter Ricketts, the UK’s first national security adviser, joins the podcast team to discuss Sunak’s battles with his MPs, his looming battles with the House of Lords, and his ongoing battles to get any flights off the ground. Plus, Sunak has authorised his first military action as PM, with the UK joining airstrikes against Houthi rebels. So what happens next? And is the UK – and the rest of the world – ready for the possibility of Donald Trump returning to the White House? Hannah White presents. With Alice Lilly and Jill Rutter. Produced by Milo Hynes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Post Office scandal has been described by Rishi Sunak as one of greatest miscarriages of justice in UK history – so who is responsible, and is the government’s response the right one? Adam Boulton, former political editor of Sky News, joins the podcast to discuss how the faulty Horizon software led to hundreds of postmasters wrongly prosecuted for theft.   Plus, the prime minister is urging voters to “stick with the plan” – but is the plan actually working? The pod team weigh up a tricky start to the year for Rishi Sunak, with a big resignation over his net zero plans and the controversial Rwanda bill returning to the Commons. And, access talks have been authorised – but is Labour prepared for the possibility of government? A new IfG report sets out what Keir Starmer needs to do. Hannah White presents with Cath Haddon and Nick Davies. Produced by Milo Hynes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2024 is going to be quite some year for politics. A general election is no more than a year away. The Conservatives are still a long way behind in the polls, but has Keir Starmer done enough to convince people to vote for Labour? What are they key dates to look out for over the next 12 months? What happens next at the Covid Inquiry? Where are local elections happening? And what are the events overseas that could yet impact on British politics? Sky’s Sam Coates joins the IfG podcast team to look ahead to what could be a hugely significant year in British politics, to explore what we know is going to happen and – after dusting down the trusty IfG crystal ball – explore what we think might happen in 2024.  Hannah White presents, with Jill Rutter and Joe Owen. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you opened all your presents and need something to lift your flagging festive spirits? Perhaps those in-laws are staying a little longer than you’d like and you’re looking for a little audio escape? Or maybe you need a political fix to get you through the holidays... but you’re not quite ready to reengage with the latest Westminster machinations? Then this is the podcast for you. For one Christmas only, the IfG team have been submitting their candidates for a fantasy cabinet – and the reshuffle has been recorded for this special edition of Inside Briefing. Will Hugh Grant’s Love Actually PM get the nod as prime minister? Is Graham Norton or C3P0 the best pick for foreign secretary? Which government job would suit the Spice Girls? And does Count von Count have the right skills for chief whip, or would Danny Dyer make sure no MP puts their trotters up when a big vote was happening in Westminster? Join Alex Thomas, Emma Norris, Alice Lilly and Joe Owen for an Inside Briefing like no other, as the team step into a parallel universe and argue for their Fantasy Cabinet selections. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So that was the year that was. Just the one prime minister this time, but plenty of political drama and intrigue, twists and turns, and high and lows. David Runciman, the former host of the Talking Politics podcast, joins the IfG team to look back on the last 12 months. How did Rishi Sunak’s five pledges work out? Does anyone remember what Keir Starmer’s five missions are? What did all those by-elections tell us about what the public are really thinking? Do Boris Johnson or Liz Truss have a second political act ahead? How is David Cameron’s second political act working out? Did Nicola Sturgeon quit at just the right time? And how might conflicts overseas – and election results across the world – impact on politics at home? Hannah White presents, with Jill Rutter and Giles Wilkes. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While five groups of right wing Conservative MPs – the so-called “Five Families” – have not been making life easy for the prime minister, Rishi Sunak’s controversial immigration bill made its way through the Commons without one Tory rebelling. But is the real fight still to come? Politico’s Esther Webber joins the podcast team to take stock of a dramatic few days in parliament. Luckily for the prime minister he got to spend Monday away from Westminster. Unluckily for the prime minister he had to spend Monday giving evidence to the Covid inquiry in Paddington. So how did he do and what did we learn? And finally, as parliament shuts up shop for the festive period, the podcast team round up the week’s other events – and take a quick glance ahead to 2024. Emma Norris presents, with Olly Bartrum and Alex Thomas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Robert Jenrick has resigned as immigration minister, former home secretary Suella Braverman says the Rwanda Bill will lose the Conservatives the next election, and the prime minister has been forced hold an emergency – and rather tetchy – press conference to defend his plan. So how big a crisis is this row over immigration for the government? Paul Waugh, the i paper’s chief political commentator, joins the podcast team to look back on a very tricky week for Rishi Sunak. After much build-up, plenty of briefings to the press, and hundreds of missing WhatsApp messages, Boris Johnson this week appeared before the Covid inquiry. So what are we learning – if anything – about his government’s handling of the pandemic. And Keir Starmer made a big speech on the economy this week and also got into knots when he praised Margaret Thatcher for bringing in “meaningful change” as prime minister. So just how prepared Labour for a big year ahead? Hannah White presents, with Alex Thomas and Jill Rutter. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nobody predicted a massive diplomatic bust-up with Greece, so is Rishi Sunak losing his marbles? PoliticsHome editor Laura Silver joins the podcast team to catch up on the extraordinary row over the Elgin Marbles. Access talks – the moment that opposition parties begin meeting the civil service ahead of a general election – haven’t started yet, but the pressure is building. So what happens next and how important are they? Cabinet secretary Simon Case is still on medical leave – but what does his absence mean for how the government is functioning? A restless gaggle of Conservative backbenchers, and even some frontbenchers, are waiting for Rishi Sunak’s new plan to get his Rwanda asylum flights off the ground. So what could the prime minister’s scheme look like and what are its next steps in Parliament? Hannah White presents, with Alex Thomas, Alice Lilly and Alex Thomas. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jeremy Hunt has framed the autumn statement as the biggest tax cut in British history, but do the chancellor's sums add up? The podcast team crunch the numbers and discuss what Hunt's big day in Parliament told us about the state of the economy, what the government is trying to do, and when the next general election might take place.   Giles Winn, a former Treasury special adviser, joins the podcast team to reveal what really goes into planning a big fiscal statement - and trying to secure a set of positive headlines. Cath Haddon presents With Gemma Tetlow and Giles Wilkes Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Supreme Court's verdict has left the government's Rwanda asylum policy in tatters - but Rishi Sunak says he has a plan to get planes taking off by the spring. So what is the prime minister proposing, and is there any chance it will work?  That won't be a job for Suella Braverman, with the controversial now ex-home secretary the biggest loser in this week's reshuffle. The biggest winner was David Cameron, who surprised everyone with his return as foreign secretary. Francis Elliott, editor of the House Magazine and Cameron's first biographer, joins the podcast to run the rule over the reshuffle and weigh up Sunak's Rwanda scheme. Plus: How big a problem did this week's resignations create for Keir Starmer? Emma Norris presents, with Jill Rutter and Rhys Clyne. Presented by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The reshuffle rumour mill went into overdrive over the weekend, and on Monday morning Rishi Sunak kicked off a day of sackings - and surprise appointments. So the IfG team wolfed down their breakfasts, raced to the office, and assembled in the podcast studio for an emergency recording of Inside Briefing. Who is in and who is out? What does this reshuffle tell us about how Rishi Sunak wants to govern - and how he plans to fight the general election? And is David Cameron’s return to the Cabinet a masterstroke or a desperate roll of the dice? Hannah White presents with Jill Rutter, Cath Haddon and Tim Durrant. Produced by Milo Hynes   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The King’s Speech on Tuesday meant a day of dashing uniforms and galloping horses, but was there anything of substance behind the pomp and ceremony? The Sun’s Noa Hoffman is this week’s podcast guest as the Inside Briefing team weigh up the legislative agenda on offer from Rishi Sunak. The home secretary is in the news. When isn’t she? We unpick Suella Braverman’s rows with the country’s most senior policeman and ask how Rishi Sunak handles an increasingly outspoken member of his cabinet. And the Covid inquiry is in the news. When isn’t it? We’ll catch up on the latest evidence sessions. Hannah White presents with Alex Thomas and Cath Haddon. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Astonishing revelations and appalling language made for a gripping week at the Covid inquiry, with Dominic Cummings dominating headlines once again with his account of Boris Johnson’s chaotic No10. The BBC’s health reporter Jim Reed joins the podcast team to work out what we’ve learnt from the evidence sessions, Whatsapp messages, witness statements and diary entries.   The autumn statement is looming, and chancellor Jeremy Hunt is under pressure to come up with some additional funding for struggling public services – and the IfG’s Performance Tracker 2023, our annual stocktake of nine key public services, published with CIPFA, sets out the scale of the problem. We chat to the report’s author about what could be done to fix it.   Rishi Sunak has been busy hosting his AI summit – and taking part in a slightly surreal interview with X boss Elon Musk. How did the two-day gathering at Bletchley Park work out, will the robots rule whr world, and what is the next step to working with this new technology?   Hannah White presents.   With Emma Norris, Nick Davies and Matthew Gill.   Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What progress has the government made in devolving power across England? Has it been a success? And what would a Labour government do differently?   In this special episode of Inside Briefing, Akash Paun, the Institute for Government’s devolution watcher-in-chief, travels across England to find out whether a devolution revolution – promised by George Osborne back in 2015 – is really taking place. Join Akash as he takes a journey on Manchester’s new Bee Network buses, heads to the Conservative and Labour party conferences, explores how power is being devolved to the East Midlands, and brings together an expert panel to make sense of England’s evolving devolution settlement.   Featuring:   Simon Christian, director of public services consulting, Grant Thornton UK Charlotte Aldritt, CEO of the Centre for Progressive Policy Adam Hawksbee, deputy director of Onward Mark Sandford, senior research analyst at the House of commons Library   Plus interviews with:   Ben Bradley MP, leader of Nottinghamshire County Council Jess Studdert, deputy chief executive of New Local Dr Fiona Aldridge, West Midlands Combined Authority Tom Pope, IfG deputy chief economist   This podcast was produced with the kind support of Grant Thornton UK.   Produced by Milo Hynes.   Additional research and production by Briony Allen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rishi Sunak has clocked up 365 days as Prime Minister – but is the anniversary a cause for celebration or just a moment of relief? Politico’s Dan Bloom joins the podcast team to weigh up Sunak’s first year in the job, assess his achievements and failures and how he has surprised us, and explore what might come next. From the man in Number 10 to a woman who might fancy a tilt at the top job… Rachel Reeves enjoyed a successful Labour conference, and this week the Shadow Chancellor launched her new book – which has already caused some controversy – at the IfG. The podcast team take a look at Reeves’s ambitions and challenges, as well as an increasingly complicated party problem for Keir Starmer. With Hannah White, Cath Haddon and Giles Wilkes. Produced by Milo Hynes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Labour's double by-election win has sent shockwaves through Westminster. So what does it mean for Keir Starmer? What does Rishi Sunak do now? And what might it tell us about the battleground on which the general election might be fought? The FT's Lucy Fisher joins the pod team to react to the results. Talking of the general election… everyone is guessing when it might be held. Could it be next May? Early Autumn. Late Autumn? Maybe as late as January 2025? We plot the paths and game the scenarios. Could a second referendum on Scottish independence be back on the cards? The SNP think they have come up with a route. So what is it and could it work? Presented by Hannah White. With Cath Haddon, Alex Thomas and Jess Sargeant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will it be May? Maybe October? Perhaps November? Surely not January 2025? Yes, everyone is talking about when the next general election is going to be held – and speculating when Rishi Sunak will decide to go to the country.   So is it right for the prime minister to have the power to choose the date of a general election? What are the key considerations to make when looking at the polls – or the weather forecast? And what does history tell us about when is the right time to call an election – and when is the wrong time to stick rather than twist?   This special episode of Inside Briefing brings together three veterans of elections that were – or maybe weren’t – to look back on their experiences and discuss what might happen next.   Former Labour MP Jacqui Smith was home secretary when Gordon Brown chose not to call a general election in the autumn of 2007. Katie Perrior was working as the Number 10’s director of communications when Theresa May decided to call a snap election in 2017. Political adviser and pollster James Johnson worked in No10 as a strategic adviser to Theresa May between 2016 and 2019.   Presented by Tim Durrant. Produced by Milo Hynes and Podmasters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Party conference season is nearly over and the IfG podcast crew have made their way back to London after their trips to Manchester and Liverpool. But which politicians will be returning to parliament battling new headaches? Has Rishi Sunak done enough to shake off the Conservatives’ post-Truss era hangover? And did Keir Starmer give Labour reason to believe that a new dawn might be about to break? The Guardian’s Kiran Stacey joins the team to take stock of the post-conference landscape, pick apart the Labour leader’s speech, and look ahead to the renewal of parliamentary hostilities. Presented by Hannah White. With Emma Norris and Cath Haddon. Produced by Milo Hynes.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How will Keir Starmer respond to Rishi Sunak’s ambitious pitch to be the “change” candidate at the next general election? The New Statesman’s Anoosh Chakelian and Josh Simons, director of Labour Together, are the guests on this week’s Inside Briefing as the podcast crew preview Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool.  Will the Labour leader add detailed policies to his big five missions? Will there be policy u-turns - or will we see more barnacles being carefully removed from the boat? And what challenges - or traps - has Rishi Sunak set out for Labour on HS2 and net zero?   Presented by Hannah White. With Emma Norris. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When you put a load of ministers and MPs in a conference centre for four days, without enough sleep, and very little natural light, something unexpected – at least for the government – always happens. So what – and who – should we be keeping an eye on as the Conservatives decamp to Manchester for their annual conference? Will Suella Braverman – or maybe Liz Truss – create a storm on the fringe? What should Keir Starmer be worried about as he watches on from afar? And is this really a sink or swim conference for Rishi Sunak?   The Spectator’s political correspondent James Heale and Robert Colville, director of the Centre for Policy Studies, join the podcast team for a special party conference preview podcast.   Hannah White presents. With Cath Haddon.   Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rishi Sunak has ripped up the UK's net zero plan - but did the prime minister's emissions statement make sense and will it win him votes? Daily Telegraph political editor Ben Riley-Smith, the author of a new book on the last 13 years of Conservative government, is this week's podcast guest.  Liz Truss returned to the political fray with a big speech at the IfG on Monday - with the former PM mounting a defence for her doomed mini-budget. Is anyone convinced? PLUS: The tumultuous last 8 years in British politics have stretched the UK constitution to - and sometimes beyond - breaking point. How can it be strengthened? The author of a new IfG report sets out a plan. Hannah White presents. With Jill Rutter and Jack Pannell. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The podcast team dissect Rishi Sunak's appearance at the G20 summit in India - and Daily Mirror political editor John Stevens reveals what it's really like to join the prime minister on the plane for a foreign trip. Westminster has been rocked by a spy scandal - but should MPs really be that surprised? Plus: Is central government set up to deliver the government's 'levelling up' pledge - or Labour's plans for 'real life levelling up'? A new IfG report has the answers - and passes judgment. Hannah White presents. With Alex Thomas and Rebecca McKee. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keir Starmer has reshuffled his team of shadow ministers. So who’s up? Who’s down? Is this the march of the Blairites? And what does the reshuffle reveal about Starmer’s plans for the general election campaign – or for government should Labour win? The Guardian’s Aletha Adu joins the IfG podcast team to run the rule over the new shadow cabinet.   The concrete crisis in schools has placed education secretary Gillian Keegan under pressure – with the education secretary’s comments also landing her in hot water. So who is to blame, how has the government handled the fall-out, and how could the problem be fixed?   PLUS: A very bad week for Birmingham City Council. So why are city councils running out of money? What does it mean for the people who live there? And how can the government make sure this doesn’t happen again?   Hannah White presents. With Nick Davies and Sam Freedman.   Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There is no job quite like that of a government minister – and no training manual for how to do it. So what happens on the first day in the job? How can ministers manager the demands on their time? Are particular skills needed to get the best out of civil servants? Is there a trick to working with Number 10? What is the best way to handle a multi-billion pound departmental budget? And how can ministers master the art of navigating parliament? In this special six-part series from the Institute for Government, former ministers and civil servants reveal what it is really like to hold ministerial office and how to do the job well. You will hear all about the challenges, confusion, decisions and drama of a job which really is like no other.  Presented by Tim Durrant, with Grant Dalton. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Summer is nearly over. Parliament is set to return. And the Inside Briefing team is back to take stock of the last few months – and look ahead to what a lively couple of months might bring.   Ben Wallace is out, Grant Shapps is the new defence secretary, and Claire Coutinho has become the youngest member of the cabinet. But what does Rishi Sunak’s mini-reshuffle tell us about his priorities for government – and is there a better way to go about appointing government ministers?   What should we look out for at the party conference season? How is the economy faring and are tax cuts at all likely? And what stage of the Nando’s spice scale is politics going to hit this autumn?   Hannah White presents. With Joe Owen, Cath Haddon and Tom Pope. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There is no job quite like that of a government minister – and no training manual for how to do it. So what happens on the first day in the job? How can ministers manager the demands on their time? Are particular skills needed to get the best out of civil servants? Is there a trick to working with Number 10? What is the best way to handle a multi-billion pound departmental budget? And how can ministers master the art of navigating parliament? In this special six-part series from the Institute for Government, former ministers and civil servants reveal what it is really like to hold ministerial office and how to do the job well. You will hear all about the challenges, confusion, decisions and drama of a job which really is like no other.  Presented by Tim Durrant, with Grant Dalton. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There is no job quite like that of a government minister – and no training manual for how to do it. So what happens on the first day in the job? How can ministers manager the demands on their time? Are particular skills needed to get the best out of civil servants? Is there a trick to working with Number 10? What is the best way to handle a multi-billion pound departmental budget? And how can ministers master the art of navigating parliament? In this special six-part series from the Institute for Government, former ministers and civil servants reveal what it is really like to hold ministerial office and how to do the job well. You will hear all about the challenges, confusion, decisions and drama of a job which really is like no other. Presented by Tim Durrant, with Dr Nicola Blacklaws. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There is no job quite like that of a government minister – and no training manual for how to do it. So what happens on the first day in the job? How can ministers manager the demands on their time? Are particular skills needed to get the best out of civil servants? Is there a trick to working with Number 10? What is the best way to handle a multi-billion pound departmental budget? And how can ministers master the art of navigating parliament? In this special six-part series from the Institute for Government, former ministers and civil servants reveal what it is really like to hold ministerial office and how to do the job well. You will hear all about the challenges, confusion, decisions and drama of a job which really is like no other. Presented by Tim Durrant, with Dr Nicola Blacklaws. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There is no job quite like that of a government minister – and no training manual for how to do it. So what happens on the first day in the job? How can ministers manager the demands on their time? Are particular skills needed to get the best out of civil servants? Is there a trick to working with Number 10? W hat is the best way to handle a multi-billion pound departmental budget? And how can ministers master the art of navigating parliament? In this special six-part series from the Institute for Government, former ministers and civil servants reveal what it is really like to hold ministerial office and how to do the job well. You will hear all about the challenges, confusion, decisions and drama of a job which really is like no other. Presented by Tim Durrant, with Beatrice Barr. Produced by Milo Hynes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There is no job quite like that of a government minister – and no training manual for how to do it. So what happens on the first day in the job? How can ministers manager the demands on their time? Are particular skills needed to get the best out of civil servants? Is there a trick to working with Number 10? What is the best way to handle a multi-billion pound departmental budget? And how can ministers master the art of navigating parliament? In this special six-part series from the Institute for Government, former ministers and civil servants reveal what it is really like to hold ministerial office and how to do the job well. You will hear all about the challenges, confusion, decisions and drama of a job which really is like no other. Presented by Tim Durrant, with Beatrice Barr. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some MPs are rarely seen in the Commons. Others can’t seem to stay away from the chamber. So what happens in those 45 days when the Palace of Westminster shuts up shop?  This week on the podcast, former Attorney General Dominic Grieve and Labour peer Baroness Armstrong join Cath Haddon and Alice Lilly of the IFG to reveal just how switched off parliamentarians can be on their summer break.  Stay tuned to the Inside Briefing feed for more podcasts during the summer recess, including a 6-part series on what it’s like to be a government minister. Produced by Alex Rees at Podmasters for the Institute of Government Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After two years of ethical scandals, the government finally published its plans to clean up standards just before parliament went into recess. We’ll dive into the detail to find out what Sunak will be changing and how the rules around ministers, civil servants and other government employees are upheld – and what isn’t going to change after all. We’ll be joined by Fleur Anderson MP, John Penrose MP and Dr Susan Hawley from Spotlight on Corruption to look at the government’s proposals, how they compare with the various independent reviews into government ethics, find out where the gaps are and ask what else might need to change in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By-elections are rarely like buses, but this time three have arrived at once. The Conservatives lost Somerset and Frome and Selby, but held on to Boris Johnson’s old seat in Uxbridge… by a hair’s breadth.   As parliament prepares to shut up for summer, the podcast team discuss a night that produced plenty of food for thought in government and the opposition - and not forgetting the by-election experts, the Lib Dems.  Will Jennings, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of Southampton also joins us after a busy night of polling.  With Alex Thomas, Giles Wilkes and Cath Haddon.  Produced by Podmasters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rishi Sunak pledged to lead a government of integrity after the high-profile scandals of the Boris Johnson era, but Angela Rayner says only a Labour government would restore trust in politics. The podcast team, with guest Rachel Wearmouth of the New Statesman, review the Labour deputy leader’s big speech at the IfG – and examine whether she has come up with a workable plan.   Plus:   Simon says what exactly? What did we learn from a rare public appearance by embattled cabinet secretary Simon Case.   What follows first past the post? A new IfG report looks at the knock-on implications of changing the UK’s electoral system.   Mastering the Art of the Devolution Deal. How Westminster – and local government – can make a success of giving away power.   Catherine Haddon presents.   With Alex Thomas, Jack Pannell and Peter Hourston.   Produced by Podmasters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Evidence Week in the House of Commons and on Inside Briefing, we’re interrogating just how effective Parliament actually is at scrutinising and testing policy. We’re joined by Tracey Brown, director of Sense about Science, the independent charity that promotes the public interest in sound science and evidence. We’ll also hear from former Chancellor Sajid Javid, whose big idea for a more effective Parliament is half the MPs… on twice the pay.  And, as Rishi Sunak skips out on PMQs once again, we ask if the Prime Minister himself is scrutinised enough.  Alex Thomas presents, with Cath Haddon and Alice Lilley.  Produced by Alex Rees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thames Water struggles to stay afloat. But who is to blame, will the taps dry up, and what solutions are there? ConservativeHome’s Henry Hill joins the podcast team to discuss the latest headache for the PM. And are there any good chaps left in politics anymore? Boris Johnson’s new job as a newspaper columnist has caused controversy – so perhaps it is time to overhaul the rules for jobs after government. Plus, does Rishi Sunak actually believe in the Net Zero agenda? A new report by the Climate Change Committee is far from impressed with the government’s efforts to drive down emissions. Tim Durrant presents, with Jill Rutter and Alex Thomas. Produced by Milo Hynes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The prime minister has been trying to fend off a barrage of bad economic news - but what can he actually do about stubbornly high inflation, rising interest rates, and a predicted surge in mortgage payments? The Guardian’s City Editor Anna Isaac joins the podcast team to see what options - if any - Sunak has available. Whatever the cause might be for the UK’s economic woes, don’t mention the ‘B’ word. Ok, whisper it: is Brexit to blame? As the seventh anniversary of the 2016 referendum result passes, the podcast team check in on how leaving the EU has worked out for the UK PLUS: Is there a way out of the political stalemate in Northern Ireland? Hannah White presents. With Jess Sargeant and Giles Wilkes. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Privileges Committee has delivered its verdict on Boris Johnson, with the former PM lashing out after the committee found he had lied to Parliament. Sam Freedman joins the podcast team to ask what the damning conclusions – and a recommended 90-day suspension from Parliament which Johnson has avoided by quitting as an MP – means for the former prime minister and the Conservative Party. Plus, from an inquiry that is over to one that has just got going. The Covid Inquiry has held its first public hearings, and some big-name witnesses are booked in for next week. And: Is the NHS in a death spiral? A new IfG report examines why more money and extra staff has failed to turn around declining performance levels in hospitals. Hannah White presents, with Emma Norris and Cath Haddon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the Covid inquiry gets underway, the Financial Times’ Chris Cook joins the IfG podcast to examine whether public inquiries can actually make any difference – and look ahead to the potential twists and turns – and witnesses – that await inquiry chair Baroness Hallett and her team.   Rishi Sunak’s No10 predecessors are notably vocal, and a batch of former Labour leaders still have plenty to say. Should we welcome the contribution of former party leaders or are they just a source of irritation?   PLUS: Relocation, relocation! Has the government’s plan to relocate parts of the civil service to Darlington been a success – and is it actually making any difference to its levelling up mission? A new IfG report reveals the answers.   Hannah White presents. With Emma Norris and Jordan Urban.   Producer by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Westminster watchers are used to the long tails of public inquiries. Baroness Hallett’s investigation of the pandemic will be no different, with hers due to take evidence until 2026.  Her first big hurdle is the cache of government WhatsApps that have long been withheld by Number 10. With a legal challenge looming, what do the messages contain that has pushed their publication to the deadline?  Former advisor to Sajid Javid, Salma Shah, and the Independent’s Paul Waugh join Catherine Haddon and Tim Durrant to discuss the unprecedented scale of the Inquiry.  Plus, with an election not far off, Rishi Sunak is in search of his own strategy, as he attempts to clean up the messes his predecessors left behind. Can he activate the machinery of Whitehall in time to make his own mark on Number 10? Produced by Andrew Harrison and Alex Rees of Podmasters for the IFG Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It has been quite some week for the home secretary. From a row over her handling of a speeding ticket to a row over the latest release of net migration stats, Suella Braverman has hardly been out of the headlines. Sunday Times deputy political editor Harry Yorke, the journalist who broke the speeding story, joins the podcast team to pass judgment on Braverman’s performance.     Why does the Home Office always seem to lurch from crisis to crisis – and what can be done to fix it? A new IfG report lays bare the department’s institutional and cultural problems.   Boris Johnson is back in the news too – so what exactly is his bust-up about lawyers, WhatsApp messages and Covid rules all about?   And is a deteriorating relationship between ministers and civil servants a reason to allow more political appointments into the civil service? A new report sets out the IfG view.   Emma Norris presents.   With Cath Haddon, Alex Thomas, Tim Durrant and Rhys Clyne.   Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How does our system of government work? Why does it sometimes fail? And what can be done to fix it? Join the IfG podcast team – and political commentator and author Ian Dunt – for a journey through the corridors of power to discover where Westminster goes wrong. Are MPs doing the job their constituents need – and good government requires? Is No10 really the right building to house the centre of UK government? How much power does a prime minister actually wield? And has the relationship between civil servants and ministers ever been this bad? All this and more on this week’s wide-ranging, thought-provoking and problem-solving Inside Briefing. Hannah White presents. With Alex Thomas and Cath Haddon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Does Rishi Sunak have a strategy for restoring the Conservatives' electoral prospects after the bruising local elections? Tim Bale, author of The Conservative Party After Brexit: Turmoil and Transformation, joins the podcast team to make sense of the prime minister's battles over boats and bust-ups around Brexit. Meanwhile Westminster is abuzz about the possibility of no party winning a majority at the next election, possible pacts and coalitions. But are people asking the right questions about what a hung Parliament might mean for how government works? Plus: Does devolving power from Westminster guarantee regional economic growth? A new IfG report reveals the answers, and its author Tom Pope joins the podcast to explain what works - and what doesn't. Hannah White presents. With Giles Wilkes and Cath Haddon. Produced by Milo Hynes  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Big wins for Labour. Big losses for the Conservatives. But just how much should we read into this week’s local election results? The Guardian’s Rafael Behr joins the podcast team to crunch the numbers and examine what the votes mean for Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer.    The Labour leader is reported to have delayed plans for shadow cabinet reshuffle until the autumn – but is that the right call? A new IfG paper, which analyses the transitions of 1997 and 2010, sets out the steps Starmer should take to ensure his shadow team is best prepared for government – should Labour win the next general election.   And how can we all stay engaged with politics without getting enraged? What steps can we take to survive the toxicity of British politics? Rafael Behr explains why his new book can help.   Presented by Emma Norris.   With Cath Haddon, Peter Hourston and Grant Dalton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dominic Raab’s exit from government hasn’t drawn a line under the simmering tensions between ministers and civil servants. So have expectations of behaviour changed or has snowflakery broken out in Whitehall? The IfG podcast team asks what this all means for the future of the civil service. The Foreign Office is trying to manage another tricky evacuation of UK nationals from an increasingly dangerous situation – so how well is it responding to the crisis in Sudan? And why did the Treasury end up creating a “tug of war” at the heart of government during the Covid pandemic? A major new IfG report reveals all. Hannah White presents. With Cath Haddon, Alex Thomas, Tim Durrant and Gemma Tetlow. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you remember being told to stay at home? Or becoming very familiar with the word “furlough”? How about all those assurances that the Government was following the science? And were you persuaded when ministers urged you to Eat Out to Help Out? The Treasury was at the heart of the Government’s response to the pandemic, rapidly designing and rolling our policies designed to protect jobs, support people and help businesses through an extraordinary – and unprecedented – time. But it was also wary of sharing its analysis, wary of external advice, and reluctant to work openly with other Government departments. To mark the publication of a major new IfG report into the Treasury’s Covid response, Financial Times economics editor Chris Giles joins this special episode of Inside Briefing for a deep dive into how the UK’s finance ministry performed during the pandemic – and asks what lessons needs to be learned.  Presented by the IfG’s Emma Norris with Gemma Tetlow and Olly Bartrum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dominic Raab has resigned. The report into whether or not he bullied civil servants finally landed on the prime minister’s desk – so what should we make of Adam Tolley’s findings? Is Rishi Sunak’s response adequate? And what will Dominic Raab’s stinging resignation letter mean for tensions between ministers and civil servants?  It had already been a lively week for the prime minister, with a big speech on maths education and some awkward headlines over declaring and registering interests. But did Sunak’s speech add up? And how significant was his slip up? Plus: Why can’t government ever come up with plan to tackling this country’s obesity problem? Hannah White presents, with Jill Rutter, Alex Thomas, Sam Freedman and Sophie Metcalfe.  Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From unsolved pay disputes to record backlogs, abandoned social care reforms and now accusations of sexual harassment of female surgeons, finding a good news story about health and care services in the U.K. is nigh on impossible. So just how bad is the crisis facing the NHS? Who, or what, can be blamed for the pile-up of problems? And is there any way that Rishi Sunak - or maybe Keir Starmer - can fix the crisis? In this special episode of Inside Briefing, Nick Davies is joined by IfG senior fellow Jill Rutter, Rachel Sylvester, who chairs the Times' Health Commission, and Rachel Wolf, founding partner at Public First, co-author of the 2019 Conservative manifesto, and now also co-author of an upcoming report on NHS productivity in partnership with the Institute and the Health Foundation. Presented by Nick Davies. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Delays at the Dover border mean holidaymakers are getting hot under the collar – while the heat is on the government to fix the problem. The FT's Peter Foster joins us to explore whether the long queues are just an inevitable Brexit non-benefit. Also, the government appears to have ditched any plans (and a manifesto promise) to reform social care. So why is this policy challenge proving beyond the wit of ministers? And teachers have rejected a pay offer from the government. Just how distant is a deal to end public sector strikes? PLUS: In praise of politicians, and politics. This weekend is the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. How was the historic deal reached, what is its legacy, and what might happen next in Northern Ireland? Hannah White presents, with Jill Rutter, Jess Sargeant and Stuart Hoddinott. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 10 April marks 25 years since the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement was signed, paving the way for peace in Northern Ireland and the restoration of devolved government. The agreement was a triumph of political leadership, endorsed overwhelmingly by the public in votes in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.  This special podcast episode brings together some of the key people who worked behind the scenes to make a deal happen – the officials working in the UK, Northern Ireland, Irish governments – to look back on how the historic agreement was reached, discuss the challenges in supporting the peace process, and reflect on what has been achieved. Presented by Jill Rutter Produced by Podmasters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Humza Yousaf is Scotland’s new first minister – but following the Nicola Sturgeon era is no easy task. The Sunday Mail’s Hannah Rodger joins the podcast team to weigh up the challenge ahead for Yousaf, and ask what the SNP’s change at the top means for the Scottish political landscape.   Is Rishi Sunak really that much of a Green Day fan? As parliament rises for recess, Inside Briefing turns its attention to Westminster to issue an Easter report card for Rishi Sunak.   PLUS: Panic on the streets of Paris! The Institut Montaigne’s Georgina Wright drops in to the IfG to give us the lowdown on the problems facing Emmanuel Macron.   Hannah White presents. With Emma Norris and Akash Paun   Produced by Neil Bowerman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Leaving the BBC has given Emily Maitlis the freedom to say what she really thinks, and the co-host of The News Agents podcast doesn’t hold back in this special edition of Inside Briefing.   In a wide-ranging and frank discussion with Hannah White, the former Newsnight presenter discusses the media’s role in holding politicians to account, the recent travails of her former employer, and whether government ministers should really by taking part in broadcast interviews conducted by MPs of the same party.   Produced by Neil Bowerman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The decision to go to war in Iraq – 20 years ago this week - remains both the most controversial and consequential American and British foreign policy of the last quarter of a century. Just over a year after the war began, Robin Butler, a former cabinet secretary, published his Review of Intelligence on Weapons of Mass Destruction - better known as the Butler Review. The weapons were never found, and the debate about the decision to go to war has never ended. To mark the 20th anniversary of the start of the Iraq war, to look back at the key findings of his report, and to ask how government has changed since - and whether lessons have been learned, Catherine Haddon speaks to Lord Butler for this special episode of Inside Briefing. Presented by Cath Haddon, produced by Alex Rees Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Guardian’s political editor Pippa Crerar, who led the way in the reporting of partygate, joins the IfG podcast team to weigh up Boris Johnson’s Privileges Committee hearing. How did the former prime minister perform when quizzed about whether he deliberately misled the Commons? What might the committee decide to do next? And what was it like for Crerar to be the journalist at the centre of one of the biggest political stories of recent years?   And while Johnson fought for his political future, in another part of the Palace of Westminster Rishi Sunak was celebrating as MPs – Johnson and Liz Truss not included – backed his Stormont Brake. So is Brexit finally done? Will power-sharing return in Northern Ireland? And what does the vote mean for Sunak’s standing?   Presented by Catherine Haddon. With Hannah White and Jill Rutter.   Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jeremy Hunt hands a pensions tax break to the better off and free childcare to families. There’s £9bn of allowances to business – but little mention of public services and only vague assurances about falling living standards. What’s in the small print? Plus, Boris Johnson comes up before the Privileges Committee next week. Will it be a day of reckoning for the former PM? Henry Hill, Deputy Editor of Conservative Home, is our special guest. “By the standards of past budgets this is a success in that the Government hasn’t fallen over and gone on fire.” – Henry Hill “This economic situation hurts everyone’s living standards. Whatever is in the budget, people are going to feel that they’re just not getting better off.” – Giles Wilkes Presented by Hannah White with Jill Rutter, Olly Bartrum and Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.  www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Illegal Migration Bill is the latest government attempt to deter asylum seekers from making their way to the UK by irregular routes. But has Rishi Sunak come up with some substance to match his ‘stop the boats’ slogan? How does the government intend its plan to work – and how likely is it to succeed? Will the legislation prove popular or polarising? And is the row about Gary Lineker and Match of the Day no more than a distraction? The IfG’s Emma Norris and Rhys Clyne are joined by Sunder Katwala, director of British Future, and Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory, for a deep dive into the government’s asylum plan.  Presented by Emma Norris. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Channel 4’s political editor Gary Gibbon joins the IfG podcast team to examine whether the government’s controversial new asylum bill will actually work, and whether the politics of promising to stop the boats will win the Conservatives support – and pose a headache for Labour.   Boris Johnson wants to knight his father. So is it time for Rishi Sunak to do away with the increasingly farcical tradition of prime ministerial resignation honours?   And talking of abolitions, why do governments so often seek to abolish public bodies – and why does it so often go wrong? A new IfG report has the answers.   Hannah White presents. With Alex Thomas, Rhys Clyne and Grant Dalton.   Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To mark International Women’s Day, IfG director Hannah White is joined by Polly Curtis, director of Demos, and Charlotte Pickles, director of Reform, to record a fascinating episode of Inside Briefing. What is it like to be a woman in public life, working in government, parliament, the civil service – and for a think tank? What are the barriers that women face entering and working in these professions? What more could be done to bring more women into politics and policy-facing roles – think tanks included? And why does diversity of thought matters when designing policy?  Presented by Hannah White. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will Sunak’s new deal with the EU solve the vexed issue of a customs border in the Irish Sea? Can the “Windsor Framework” finally bring the rancorous Brexit debate to an end? How will it work? What about the “Stormont Brake”? And what’s in the small print?  To examine the Windsor Framework the IfG’s Jill Rutter and Jess Sergeant are joined by special guests Georgie Wright of the Institute Montaigne, John Campbell of BBC Northern Ireland and Sam McBride of the Belfast Telegraph.  “This deal gives business most of what it was asking for.” – John Campbell “We can’t be certain of how the deal will work but it’s a hell of a lot better than the previous one.” – Sam McBride “There’s trust for Sunak in the EU that just wasn’t there for Boris Johnson.” – Georgie Wright “You do have to ask, how much are UK products really going to diverge from EU standards in future?” – John Campbell Presented by Jill Rutter with Jess Sargeant. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.  www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Sue Gray making headlines again, the IfG podcast team are joined by former Conservative MP Sir David Lidington to make sense of a big Whitehall and Westminster career move and ask what it might mean for Labour and the civil service.   Plus: What do Matt Hancock's WhatsApp messages tell us about how government works – and how it didn't during the pandemic? How did Rishi Sunak come up with a Brexit deal that seems to please everyone – except maybe Boris Johnson and the DUP – and is the Windsor Framework actually any good? And why doesn't the centre of government seem to work very well? The IfG is launching a new Commission to examine the problem – and come up with solutions. Presented by Hannah White. With Alex Thomas, Jill Rutter and Tim Durrant Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russia invaded Ukraine one year ago. Peter Ricketts, the UK’s former national security adviser, joins the IfG podcast to reflect on how the war has changed Europe – and changed UK government – and what might happen next.   At the time of recording there was still no Brexit breakthrough, but just how close are we to a deal on the Northern Ireland protocol and what could it look like?   And with Jeremy Hunt’s Budget just a few weeks away, a new IfG report takes stock of performances across nine key public services. The report’s author joins the podcast to reveal where the problems are – and how they might be solved.   Hannah White presents With Alex Thomas, Jess Sargeant and Matthew Fright Produced by Candice McKenzie  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices