Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

With a promise to abolish the position of Cabinet Secretary and scrap the Cabinet Office, Reform UK’s Danny Kruger has launched his party’s plans for reforming the civil service.  IfG senior fellow Henry Hill joins the podcast team to explore the Kruger blueprint for government.  Tony Blair has entered the Labour leadership race! Well, sort of. The former PM's 5000 word essay sets out his vision for government. But is it a sensible plan for the current - or future - prime minister to follow? Plus: Everyone is talking about Brexit again. Weeks away from the 10th anniversary of the referendum, we look at where things are with the reset and where they might go. Hannah White presents. With Alex Thomas and Jill Rutter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 28 May 2026

How has England’s political landscape changed after the May 2026 elections? How will new local leaders go about their new roles? And what does this mean for the delivery of the government’s local government reorganisation (LGR) agenda?   In this special episode of Inside Briefing, Matthew Fright, the Institute for Government’s LGR anorak, has been gathering views across three areas - Surrey, Essex and Kent – at the forefront of LGR delivery to see how the government’s aims to remove two-tier local government will be impacted by May’s elections.  PLUS: An expert panel to unpick the election results and consider the demanding in-tray facing new local leaders as they get up to speed on this once in a generation transformation of local areas.    Featuring:   Ed Hammond, Director of Public Sector Audit at Grant Thornton UK  Heather Jameson, Editor of MJ  Vicky Elliot, Director of the IfG Academy  Akash Paun, Programme Director for Devolution at IfG  Plus interviews with:   Cllr Tim Oliver OBE, Leader of Surrey County Council  Mari Roberts-Wood, Chief Executive of Reigate and Banstead District Council  Cllr Stephen Robinson, Leader of Chelmsford District Council  Cllr Kevin Bentley, former leader of Essex County Council   Cllr Linden Kemkaran, Leader of Kent County Council  Cllr Vince Maple, Leader of Medway Council  This podcast was produced with the kind support of Grant Thornton UK.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 22 May 2026

With Andy Burnham inching closer to a return to Westminster, Sam White, Keir Starmer's former chief-of-staff, joins the podcast team to explore what happens next - and what the prime minister can do while this drama plays out around him. If Burnham makes it to Number 10, then he will follow a path once trodden by Boris Johnson  in being a mayor turned prime minister. So what skills does the mayoralty provide - and how might they be transferable to Downing Street? Plus: What is in Rachel Reeves's economic support package and will it meet the scale of the Iran crisis?  Catherine Haddon presents.With Hannah Keenan and Tom Pope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 21 May 2026

With Keir Starmer's premiership on the rocks, Claire Ainsley - a former adviser to Starmer in opposition - joins the podcast team to make sense of an explosive week in Westminster.  Can the PM reassert his authority? How could a leadership contest play out? And what have the bust-ups of the last few days revealed about the failings of Starmer’s premiership - and what can he, or someone else, learn from these mistakes? Plus: On a day of pomp and pageantry, what stood out in the King’s Speech - and how much of it will actually make it onto the statute book? Hannah White presents. With Cath Haddon and Tim Durrant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 13 May 2026

Keir Starmer and Labour government have just faced their biggest electoral test since the 2024 general election. Reform are on the rise. The SNP have made big gains. And Plaid Cymru are making history in Wales. The consequences for British politics could be huge. So what happens next? What will results mean for who governs in Holyrood? Is Wales ready for a whole new governing party? What will the changes - big changes - to England's electoral map mean for Keir Starmer's prospects? And how significant will Thursday night's votes be for the future of the United Kingdom? Hannah White and Akash Paun present.  With Matthew Fright, Harriet Shaw and Megan Isaac. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 8 May 2026

After avoiding an ethics inquiry into the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal, what can Keir Starmer do to get the government agenda back on track? James Lyons, former director of communications in Number 10, joins the podcast team to assess the Prime Minister's options as the days count down to a big set of big local and devolved elections.  For lessons on relationship rebuilding - and delivering the positive vibes - perhaps the PM should turn to King Charles? The monarch is over in the US, where he seems to be doing a good job of flattering Donald Trump. So is the special relationship special again? Plus: Children’s social care. A new IfG report has dug into a system in crisis, weighed up the government’s reforms, and come up with - what we say is - a better plan.  Alex Thomas presents. With Cath Haddon and Amber Dellar. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 30 April 2026

Seven days in, Westminster is still consumed by the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal. The PM has had his say. Olly Robbins - the permanent secretary that Starmer dismissed - has also given his account. So where does this leave Keir Starmer?  Foreign Office permanent secretary Peter Ricketts joins the podcast team to work out where a week of blame and counter-blame has left the government - and what it means for an already damaged relationship between civil servants and ministers. Plus: new IfG research on how civil servants should handle policy making in major crises. Hosted by Hannah White. With Alex Thomas, Cath Haddon, and Vimbai Dzimwasha. Produced by Milo Hynes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 23 April 2026

The government is reeling from the revelation that Peter Mandelson was appointed as UK ambassador to the US despite having failed a security vetting process. With the blame-game dominating the week in Westminster, what will we learn from Keir Starmer's 'judgment day' Commons statement? What will Olly Robbins – who was sacked by the PM as Foreign Office permanent secretary – reveal in a crucial select committee appearance? What has the vetting row shown about the way decisions are made at the top of government? How should the vetting and appointments process be overhauled? And what does this row mean for relations between civil servants and ministers? An IfG expert webinar answered these questions and more. The webinar featured: Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government Hannah Keenan, Associate Director at the Institute for Government Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 22 April 2026

"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

Transcribed - Published: 16 April 2026

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

Transcribed - Published: 2 April 2026

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

Transcribed - Published: 27 March 2026

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

Transcribed - Published: 20 March 2026

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

Transcribed - Published: 20 March 2026

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

Transcribed - Published: 13 March 2026

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

Transcribed - Published: 6 March 2026

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

Transcribed - Published: 4 March 2026

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

Transcribed - Published: 3 March 2026

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

Transcribed - Published: 26 February 2026

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

Transcribed - Published: 20 February 2026

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

Transcribed - Published: 12 February 2026

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

Transcribed - Published: 6 February 2026

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

Transcribed - Published: 29 January 2026

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

Transcribed - Published: 21 January 2026

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

Transcribed - Published: 16 January 2026

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

Transcribed - Published: 9 January 2026

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

Transcribed - Published: 22 December 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 16 December 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 12 December 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 3 December 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 26 November 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 21 November 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 19 November 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 13 November 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 6 November 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 30 October 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 23 October 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 16 October 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 8 October 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 1 October 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 24 September 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 17 September 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 12 September 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 5 September 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 28 August 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 20 August 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 14 August 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 7 August 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 31 July 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 25 July 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 18 July 2025