The last few years have been an unusually hectic time to be in government – especially for ministers. To mark a year since Boris Johnson stepped down as prime minister, we interviewed five of his former ministers, who saw his management style and the …
Growing concerns over the safety of buildings constructed with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), a material in use between the 1950s and 1990s 1 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-guidance-for-schools-impacted-by-raac , has seen the …
McFadden brings experience – but has a sprawling brief Angela Rayner’s move means there is a new occupant of the crucial role shadowing Oliver Dowden as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (CDL). This is a flexible role but usually includes acting as a …
Better use of data is key to more effective government. Across government, teams are doing fascinating work with data. But those projects don’t get the attention they deserve. Data Bites aims to change that. This event is the 45th in our series, where the …
The run in to general election is always a recipe for poor government. Political decisions are made with a view to optics and short-term deliverability. Nuanced policy solutions are rejected in favour of black and white answers that create clear water …
This event is online only. The Institute for Government welcomes Rt Hon Liz Truss MP to give a keynote speech on the economy. A year since her government’s Growth Plan – the September 2022 ‘mini-budget’ – including a programme of tax cuts and supply side …
In episode five of our six-part series, we talk about budgets – multi-billion pound budgets. Because government departments deal with major commercial contracts, infrastructure projects, and financial investments, and each employ thousands or tens of …
Having made halving inflation one of his five key pledges, Rishi Sunak has warned that increasing public sector pay will fuel permanently higher inflation – an argument that the Treasury has repeatedly made over the last year. Many, including us, have …
Summer is nearly over. Parliament is set to return. And the Inside Briefing team is back to take stock of the last few months – and look ahead to what a lively couple of months might bring. Ben Wallace is out, Grant Shapps is the new defence secretary, and …
Three ministerial appointments took place yesterday, and there is apparently a more extensive reshuffle planned for the autumn. So now is a good time to consider what reshuffles actually achieve and why prime ministers undertake them in the first place. …
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4. More change at DESNZ Shapps’ departure means Rishi Sunak has chosen to disrupt his new energy security and net zero department just seven months after it was created. Leadership churn will not be helpful in a department with a long to-do list. New …
Since March, there has not been much good economic news. While most forecasters no longer expect a recession this year, most now expect slower growth in 2024 because of higher interest rates, which are designed to cool down the economy. That means overall …
There is more public spending per head in Northern Ireland than in other nations of the UK unsurprising given relative need – but there is also less revenue raised from its citizens. With its public finances in a dire state, Chris Heaton-Harris, the …
In episode four of this six-part series, we talk about the centre of government – No.10. No.10 is the residence and office of the prime minister – but it’s much more than that too. With a team of special advisers and civil servants keeping an eye on all of …
Most modern inquiries are held under the 2005 Inquiries Act. But the government is proposing that the inquiry into the murders committed by Lucy Letby is non-statutory – and will operate outside the guidelines and powers of most public inquiries. …
In the third episode of our six-part series, we talk about how ministers can work with the civil service. As a new minister, you now have access to the civil service machine: a small army of officials whose job it is to serve the government of the day and …
Questions about standards in public life have dominated politics in recent years. As Chair of the independent Committee on Standards in Public Life since 2018, Lord Evans KCB DL has been at the heart of these debates, leading the committee’s work to define …
The NHS also missed the most recent of its elective targets: to clear the number of waits that were longer than 78 weeks by the end of April 2023. At the end of June, the number of 78 week waiters was still 7,177. The service’s next target is to …
Few things are more important for effective government than the relationship between ministers and their civil servants. But recent years have seen a notable deterioration, particularly marked by more frequent public criticism of officials by political …
