Preparing for Power: Ep 6 – Into Government

Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

Institute for Government

News, Politics, Government

4.6 • 252 Ratings

🗓️ 15 March 2024

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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

Transcript

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0:00.0	He said, Tony's not your friend. He's the Prime Minister. And he was trying to tell me something very profound, which is when you get into government, all your relationships change.
0:23.6	He didn't have any of the measures in it at all. I mean, you didn't put any of the policy in and I kind of went in and said,
0:25.6	I was the problem with your speech government because you haven't put any of the policy in.
0:28.6	He said, it's all really unpopular. Why don't want to say any of this?
0:31.6	And I said, well, because you're the Chancellor.
0:32.6	If you don't say it, it doesn't happen. Hello and welcome to preparing for power, a special inside briefing podcast brought to you by the Institute for Government.
0:41.3	The days, weeks and months ahead are going to be dominated by opinion polls and campaign slogans, policy pledges and manifesto launches.
0:48.3	But what about the morning after election night?
0:50.3	Whoever forms the next government will need to be prepared and the job begins
0:54.1	almost as soon as the votes have been counted. So what's it like to go from opposition to government
0:58.5	overnight? How do civil servants get ready for the possibility of a transition of power or of a
1:03.6	hung parliament? And what is it like for a governing party to continue in power after a bruising
1:08.2	campaign? In this series, the Institute for Government takes
1:11.5	you behind the scenes to find out how our politicians, their advisors and officials block
1:16.2	out the noise of a general election campaign to get ready for being in government. We'll be speaking
1:21.3	to former ministers, special advisors and senior civil servants to discover how they prepared for
1:26.6	that all-important election result
1:28.3	and its aftermath to hear their secrets and to work out the lessons for 2024.
1:40.7	I'm Emanoris Deputy Director at the Institute for Government.
1:44.4	In this episode, we'll be looking at what it's like inside government during the first days, weeks and months with a new party in power.
1:51.2	A new government will want to hit the ground running.
1:53.4	Their political capital may be high, but their understanding of how to deliver their agenda will be at its lowest.
	...

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