Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government
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Government 2025 at The IfG: Darren Jones Keynote Speech
22 januari 2025 · 48 min
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." Lees meer
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.
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Rachel Reeves takes a gilt trip
17 januari 2025 · 47 min
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. Lees meer
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
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Happy New Year, Keir?
10 januari 2025 · 44 min
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. Lees meer
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.
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2024 in Review: The Start of the Keir Show
30 december 2024 · 54 min
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. Lees meer
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
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Christmas Special: IfG Book Club
27 december 2024 · 41 min
The IfG team has spent the year reading government reviews, white papers, select committee reports, consultations, manifestos plans for change… you get the idea. Lees meer
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
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Power to the people
20 december 2024 · 42 min
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. Lees meerLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Appetite for Disruption
12 december 2024 · 43 min
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 Lees meerLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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The Plans they are A-Changing
6 december 2024 · 44 min
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. Lees meer
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
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The new cabinet secretary: Can Sir Chris Wormald rewire the British state?
3 december 2024 · 51 min
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? Lees meer
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.
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Cabi-not yet Secretary
29 november 2024 · 43 min
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. Lees meer
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
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Starmer’s Farmer Drama
21 november 2024 · 44 min
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. Lees meer
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.
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Donald Trump's Team Calls
15 november 2024 · 38 min
We are living in a different world. Donald Trump’s world. Lees meer
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
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In Conversation with Michael Gove
13 november 2024 · 48 min
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. Lees meer
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.
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Is the world ready for Donald Trump?
8 november 2024 · 44 min
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
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Rachel Reeves' Halloween budget: trick or treat?
1 november 2024 · 41 min
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.
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What did Rachel Reeves’ budget reveal about the government’s priorities?
30 oktober 2024 · 46 min
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? Lees meer
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
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Donald Trump and the politics of interfere
25 oktober 2024 · 43 min
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. Lees meer
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
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Saturday Night's Alright for Investing
18 oktober 2024 · 47 min
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.
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Gray goes out of fashion
11 oktober 2024 · 39 min
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? Lees meer
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.
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After Sue Gray: How can Keir Starmer reset No.10?
9 oktober 2024 · 59 min
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. Lees meer
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.
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Why was the Conservative Party Conference so upbeat?
4 oktober 2024 · 42 min
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. Lees meer
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
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Live from the Labour Party Conference!
24 september 2024 · 39 min
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. Lees meer
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.
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KEIR AND PRESENT DANGER
20 september 2024 · 38 min
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? Lees meer
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.
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Extra: What can be done to improve government procurement?
19 september 2024 · 47 min
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? Lees meer
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
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Winter Fuel of Discontent
13 september 2024 · 46 min
Is this the week that things started to get a little difficult for the new government? Lees meer
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.
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Decades of failure by central government
6 september 2024 · 37 min
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. Lees meer
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.
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Starmer looks back in anger
30 augustus 2024 · 45 min
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
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Appointments of contention
22 augustus 2024 · 49 min
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
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Does Sam Freedman have a plan to fix the failed state?
15 augustus 2024 · 36 min
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. Lees meer
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.
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The politics of the Olympic Games
8 augustus 2024 · 44 min
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.
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SpAdcast: What is it really like to be a special adviser? – Ep.4: Moving On
5 augustus 2024 · 26 min
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.
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The Chancellor’s statement of intent
2 augustus 2024 · 55 min
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. Lees meerHannah White presents, with Tom Pope and Jack Worlidge. Produced by Candice McKenzie
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SpAdcast: What is it really like to be a special adviser? – Ep3: Beyond the department
29 juli 2024 · 34 min
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. Lees meerPresented by Jack Worlidge. Produced by Candice McKenzie.
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The Trump vs Harris Showdown
26 juli 2024 · 48 min
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.
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SpAdcast: What is it really like to be a special adviser? – Ep2: Relationships
22 juli 2024 · 35 min
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. Lees meer
Presented by Jack Worlidge. Produced by Candice McKenzie.
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Britain with the brakes off, America at the abyss
19 juli 2024 · 39 min
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. Lees meer
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
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SpAdcast: What is it really like to be a special adviser? – Ep1: Into government
16 juli 2024 · 45 min
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.
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Keir and Prison Danger
12 juli 2024 · 44 min
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
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LIVE: The day after the 2024 general election
5 juli 2024 · 38 min
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.
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Sunak’s election gamble: will Starmer hit the jackpot?
28 juni 2024 · 43 min
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. Lees meer
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
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Election 2024: Poll positions
21 juni 2024 · 48 min
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.
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Election 2024: This Charming Manifesto?
14 juni 2024 · 37 min
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
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Question Time Special: What does the election mean for civil servants?
7 juni 2024 · 51 min
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
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Sunak vs. Starmer: Tax Attacks
7 juni 2024 · 36 min
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.
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Rishi Sunak’s Titanic challenge
31 mei 2024 · 38 min
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. Lees meerLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Extra: General Election question time special
24 mei 2024 · 13 min
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
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Rishi Sunak’s General Election gamble
24 mei 2024 · 36 min
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.
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Starmer steps on Sunak’s toes
17 mei 2024 · 35 min
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
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Dover and done with
10 mei 2024 · 38 min
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.
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Local Elections 2024: Swings and roundabouts
3 mei 2024 · 40 min
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
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