Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Institute for Government

This Institute for Government webinar brought instant expert analysis of the prime minister’s plans to radically overhaul the British state. Ahead of his speech, Keir Starmer told officials he wants to unshackle them from bureaucracy to stop their talent being "constrained”, and to create an “agile, mission-focused and more productive” civil service. But planned job cuts across the civil service and a clampdown on quangos and regulators have seen the government’s reform blueprint dubbed “Operation Chainsaw” – echoing Elon Musk’s DOGE plans for reforming the US government. So what is in the PM’s plan? What will it mean for delivering Labour’s missions and its milestones? What should civil servants expect in the coming weeks and months? And how can Whitehall leaders best put the government’s reform agenda into action? To discuss these questions and more, we were joined by an expert panel including: Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government Dr Matthew Gill, Programme Director at the Institute for Government Hannah Keenan, Associate Director at the Institute for Government The event was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government.

Whitehall Monitor 2025 – the Institute for Government’s flagship annual report on the civil service – found that high staff turnover, confused workforce planning, slipping morale and uncompetitive pay will hinder its ability to deliver Labour’s missions, even with an increasing headcount and a relentless pressure for greater efficiency and productivity Keir Starmer and Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden have shown a welcome enthusiasm for Whitehall reform – including a commitment to a “test and learn” mindset and “mission boards” – but little will change until long-running civil service challenges, like excessive staff turnover and falling morale, are resolved. This webinar – the second in a three-part series focusing on the report’s findings – examined civil service recruitment practices and discuss what is driving the staff turnover levels across Whitehall. The webinar featured: Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government Liz Tolcher, Workforce Transformation Expert at PA Consulting Jack Worlidge, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government and lead author of Whitehall Monitor 2025 The event was chaired by Emma Norris, Deputy Director of the Institute for Government. We would like to thank PA Consulting for supporting both this event and Whitehall Monitor 2025.

Productivity in public services has never been more important. Most services are struggling to return to pre-pandemic performance levels, and the government has indicated that spending will be tight from April 2026 onwards. Improvements in performance will likely come from frontline workers finding new, innovative ways of delivering services. So what can be done to improve productivity? By highlighting outstanding examples of innovation across public services, Productivity Pitches, a series of events hosted by the IfG, aims to share and support ways to improve performance levels. This event is the fifth in the series and will focus on schools. Each speaker has 10 minutes to present their innovation, followed by 10 minutes of audience questions. The chair and a guest from the Productivity Institute – who are kindly supporting this event series – then brought together the common themes from the pitches and discuss the lessons for improving productivity. The speakers for this edition of Productivity Pitches are: George Barlow, Principal of Belgrave St. Bartholomew’s Academy on the outcome of providing every pupil and teacher with a tablet. Steph Hamilton, Director of The Engagement Platform part of the ImpactEd Group which run frequent School Employee surveys that allows schools and MATs to compare their employee satisfaction to peers and use this to improve engagement, satisfaction and retention and Cara Ackroyd, Executive Principal at Outwood Grange Academies Trust. Cara leads on school engagement work across Outwood Grange Academy Trust. The trust have been founding partners of TEP and have integrated the use of the data into their strategy and processes to support outcomes. Lauren Wilson, Head of Marketing and Communications at The Thinking Schools Academy Trust on consolidating communication and marketing functions. Allowing them to standardise their marketing materials and learn what works before rolling it out further. The event will be chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. Professor Anna Vignoles, Director of the Leverhulme Trust and Policy Advisor at The Productivity Institute Policy Unit joined to discuss the common themes. Productivity Pitches is kindly supported by The Productivity Institute.

The question of how to reform the House of Lords dominates discussions about the upper house, with less attention focused on its day-to-day activities. Since his election as Lord Speaker in 2021, Lord McFall of Alcluith has sought to champion its important role of revising legislation and advising the government, while ensuring the Lords remains on the path of modernisation. Lord McFall has focused on parliamentary outreach and prioritised communicating the value of the House of Lords externally, bringing the devolved parliaments and Westminster closer. He has also worked with schools and universities, and launched a podcast, to demystify the upper house. What are public perceptions of the upper chamber and how have they changed? How has the Lords changed its ways of working? What kinds of links does it have with the devolved parliaments? And what might all of this mean for discussions about reform of the Lords? Lord McFall addressed these questions and more in a keynote speech at the Institute for Government, before taking part in a discussion with the IfG’s Director Dr Hannah White and an audience Q&A. Lord McFall of Alcluith became Lord Speaker in 2021, having served as senior deputy speaker for five years. He entered the Lords in 2010 after spending 23 years in the Commons as Labour MP for Dumbarton and later West Dumbartonshire. There, he served as a minister in the Northern Ireland Office, a government whip, and chaired the Treasury Select Committee between 2001 and 2010, including during the global financial crisis. Before entering politics, Lord McFall worked for over a decade as a teacher.

AI-generated ‘deepfake’ audio clips of both London mayor Sadiq Khan and leader of the opposition Sir Keir Starmer have circulated on social media. A faked robocall impersonating Joe Biden was sent to voters before a primary election. The number of AI-enhanced images of politicians is increasing. In a year when over two billion people in more than 50 countries will vote in elections, the use of AI technology – more widely accessible than ever – and disinformation could have a major impact on trust and integrity. So what can be done to tackle this growing problem? What can political parties, government, media companies and civil society do to mitigate the risks of AI and ensure electoral integrity? And what steps can be taken ahead the elections of 2024 and then in the longer term. We were joined by an expert panel, including: Professor Joe Burton, Professor of International Security in the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion at Lancaster University Louise Edwards, Director of Regulation and Digital Transformation at the Electoral Commission Chris Morris, Chief Executive of Full Fact Simon Staffell, Director of Government Affairs at Microsoft The event was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. We would like to thank Lancaster University for kindly supporting this event.

Just a few hours after Jeremy Hunt sets out his spring budget, a team of Institute for Government experts gathered in the IfG studio to record a special edition of the Inside Briefing podcast. Olly Bartrum, Jill Rutter, Dr Gemma Tetlow and Giles Wilkes gave their instant reaction to the budget and shared expert analysis of a major day for the country. What have we learned from the chancellor’s big announcements and what choices did he make? What did the new OBR forecasts show about the UK’s economic prospects? What did it mean for public services? How did Labour respond? And how might this budget shape the battles on the economy at the next general election – and when that election might be held?

Public services have faced the greatest level of disruption from strikes in more than a quarter of a century. Over the past year nurses, ambulance drivers, teachers, junior doctors, consultants, and civil servants, among others, have all staged walkouts to protest against pay and working conditions. While improved pay offers from Rishi Sunak’s government have resolved many disputes, some staff are still on the picket line and other disputes could flare up again. So what impact has recent industrial disputes had on public service performance? What skills do ministers, civil servants, frontline public sector leaders and unions need to effectively negotiate with each other and resolve disputes – and what mechanisms can be used to resolve entrenched disputes? How effective are pay review bodies and do they need to be reformed? And to what extent will the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act help or hinder the management of industrial dispute? To discuss these questions and more, we were joined by an expert panel, including: Mike Clancy, General Secretary at Prospect Baroness Finn, former Government Adviser on Industrial Relations Raj Jethwa, Chief Executive at UCEA Kate Nowicki, Director of Dispute Resolution at Acas The event was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

The Treasury is perhaps the most powerful department in Whitehall. Its ownership of public spending means it has direct control over the money available to the rest of government, while the Treasury’s responsibility for tax policy gives it enormous influence over the finances of households and businesses. But criticism of the department’s influence on government policy is almost as old as the institution itself, with frequent complaints about the “dead hand of the Treasury” or attacks on the department’s “orthodoxy”. However, a recent IfG report found many of the fiercest criticisms to be overblown: many simply represent a dislike of a budget constraint. The department plays an important function in effectively managing public spending and guarding against financial disorder. It has also consistently been a champion of economic growth, though there is debate about how that is managed against its responsibility for managing government spending. While the department has clear strengths, there are clearly problems with how it functions. The Treasury often takes a short-term approach, is frequently accused of micromanaging other departments, and wields excessive influence over government policy relative to the rest of the centre. So how can these problems be addressed? How much are they due to the relative weakness of other departments or the incentives facing Treasury ministers? And just what impact does the Treasury have on government policy making? Our expert panel exploring these issues and more featured: James Bowler CB, Permanent Secretary of HM Treasury Anita Charlesworth, Director of Research at the Health Foundation and former Director of Public Spending at HM Treasury David Gauke, former Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government and co-author of Treasury orthodoxy, and former No 10 special adviser for industrial strategy The event was chaired by Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government.

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 was the 49th in our series, where the speakers present their work in an exciting, quickfire format.

Fraud is the UK’s most common crime. But despite 3.5 million incidents reported in 2022/23, 40% of all reported crimes, only one in a thousand results in a charge or summons. So why is there such a huge gap between preventing, detecting and prosecuting this crime – and what can be done to fix the problem? A wide range of organisations have responsibility for tackling fraud, including the Home Office, National Crime Agency, Serious Fraud Office, City of London Police, Metropolitan Police Service, Financial Conduct Authority and the National Cyber Security Centre. However, there are problems with coordination, capacity and capability. So what can government and others do to help prevent fraud? How can coordination among the various agencies responsible for tackling fraud be improved? And what steps could be taken to help increase detection and prosecution rates? We were joined by an expert panel, including: Francesca Carlesi, CEO of Revolut UK Adrian Searle, Director of the National Economic Crime Centre Nick Stapleton, Co-Presenter of BBC Scam Interceptors Rt Hon Emily Thornberry MP, Shadow Attorney General The event was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. We would like to thank Revolut for kindly supporting this event.

As he prepares to step down as Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary for the Cabinet Office, Alex Chisholm spoke at the Institute for Government for his final time as a civil servant. During nearly a decade at the top of the civil service as a permanent secretary, Alex served four prime ministers and worked with three cabinet secretaries, covering eventful and tumultuous times. After four years as permanent secretary at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, in 2020 Alex moved to his current role at the heart of the civil service. Having played a leading part in the civil service reform agenda, Alex reflected on the scheme to relocate parts of the civil service from London, efforts to improve Whitehall’s use of data and digital and to overhaul cross-departmental working, and his reflections on the government’s response during the Covid-19 pandemic. At the event, Alex Chisholm was in conversation with IfG Director Dr Hannah White and will take part in an audience Q&A.

The future of the UK asylum system could dominate the 2024 general election campaign. The prime minister has made his controversial Rwanda plan a flagship part of the government’s agenda, while Labour has committed to reforming the asylum system as part of its plan to tackle Channel crossings. Rishi Sunak pledged to clear the legacy asylum backlog by the end of 2023, but the sizeable backlog of people waiting for a decision remains – with the government struggling to deal with new asylum cases and problems elsewhere in the system. So what are these problems? Does the government have a coherent plan to bring down the backlog? And what can be done to improve the UK’s asylum system in the long term? This panel examined what steps the government can take to ensure the asylum system is fit for purpose in the long term. We were joined by an expert panel, including: Alvina Tamara Chibhamu, Ambassador at the VOICES network Sal Copley, Executive Director of Communications and External Affairs at the British Red Cross Lizzie Dearden, Home affairs journalist and author Sir Philip Rutnam, former Permanent Secretary at the Home Office The event was chaired by Joe Owen, Director of Impact at the Institute for Government. We would like to thank the British Red Cross for kindly supporting this event.

Political parties are increasingly focusing their energy and resources on the approaching general election campaign. The pace will be relentless. The atmosphere will be increasingly fraught. So as the campaign intensifies, how can think tanks make themselves heard – and help to shape policy and political debate? A dramatic – and sometimes chaotic – decade in British politics has brought new challenges to think tanks. Different think tanks, with a range of political views and policy priorities, play different roles – but how has their work evolved in recent years? What level of influence do they have in shaping the priorities and policies of opposition parties and government and how does this change in an election year? What are a think tank’s responsibilities when it works with political parties, government ministers or their advisers? And does being a registered charity impact how a think tank can inform and influence public debate and policy development? These questions and more were explored in a joint Institute for Government and Charity Commission event featuring: Andy Cook, Chief Executive of the Centre for Social Justice Polly Curtis, Chief Executive of Demos Orlando Fraser KC, Chair of the Charity Commission Dr Hannah White OBE, Director of the Institute for Government The event was chaired by Lord O'Donnell, former Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service (2005–11).

As Sir Chris Wormald starts his new job as cabinet secretary, two panels – one livestreamed from Singapore – brought together civil service leaders from other countries to explore how they approached the job and what the UK could learn from their experiences. With: Pamela Dow, Chief Operating Officer at Civic Future and a former UK civil servant Leslie Evans, Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government 2015-2021 Martin Fraser, Ambassador of Ireland to the UK, Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach 2011–22 This panel was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

Fixing the centre of government by Institute for Government

Data Bites #48: Getting things done with data in government - smart data special by Institute for Government

With the general election less than a year away, the Conservatives, Labour and all other political parties are drawing up their manifestos. Scrutinised by the media and voters, manifestos can shape debate, shift the polls, and play a major part in an election campaign – and shape what the winning part does in government. While manifestos are described as a contract between a party and the people, the reality in government is often quite different. Pledges may prove difficult to deliver in practice, with unforeseen crises and the day-to-day challenges of governing seeing commitments fall by the wayside. In a coalition or minority government, parties may have to compromise. So how do the parties develop and write their manifestos? What does a good manifesto actually look like? What are the questions that Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer will be considering when signing off on their manifestos? And just how important are manifestos during – and after – a general election campaign? Joining us to discuss these questions and more were: Andrew Fisher, former Executive Director of Policy for the Labour Party, and author of the 2017 and 2019 Labour manifestos Robert Shrimsley, Chief UK Political Commentator and Executive Editor at the Financial Times Rachel Wolf, Founding Partner at Public First, and co-author of the 2019 Conservative manifesto The event was chaired by Dr Catherine Haddon, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

Productivity Pitches #2: criminal justice and law enforcement by Institute for Government

Inside the Political Mind: How the human side of politics shapes behaviour by Institute for Government

Former deputy prime minister, health secretary and environment secretary Thérèse Coffey joined us at the Institute for Government to reflect on her nine years as government minister. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/therese-coffey

Devolution to Wales is almost 25 years old. Since the first Welsh assembly elections in 1999, the powers of the devolved institutions in Cardiff have been substantially expanded –with Welsh voters backing the historic transformation of the assembly into a law-making parliament in a 2011 referendum. A quarter of a century since devolution began, what are the potential next steps in Wales’s unfinished constitutional journey? Set up to address this very question, the cross-party Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales, established by the Welsh government, will publish its final report in January 2024 – a key moment in the debate on the future of Wales. The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome Rt Hon Mark Drakeford MS, the First Minister of Wales, to discuss the findings of the commission, his perspective on how devolution to Wales could be protected and strengthened, and how a future Labour government in Westminster should reform the constitution and improve relations with the devolved administrations. Mr Drakeford was in conversation with Dr Hannah White, Director of the Institute for Government, followed by Q&A with the live and online audience.

A special live episode of The Expert Factor podcast. Adam Fleming, Presenter of BBC Newscast Paul Johnson, Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies Professor Anand Menon, Director of UK in a Changing Europe Dr Hannah White OBE, Director of the Institute for Government

The essential IfG briefing From devolution to parliamentary scrutiny, standards in public life to net zero, a panel of IfG experts explore a range of key policy areas that this and future governments will need to focus on. Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government Dr Matthew Gill, Programme Director at the Institute for Government Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government Dr Catherine Haddon, Programme Director at the Institute for Government (Chair) 40:51- IfG Director’s closing remarks Dr Hannah White OBE, Director of the Institute for Government

Rhys Clyne, Associate Director at the Institute for Government, set out key findings from Whitehall Monitor 2024 – the IfG’s annual report into the shape, size and performance of the civil service – ahead of a panel discussion on how the civil service can be reformed to deliver for ministers. Rowena Mason, Whitehall Editor at the Guardian Rt Hon Lord Maude, author of the Independent Review of Governance and Accountability in the Civil Service Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government Rt Hon Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Shadow Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office) Emma Norris, Deputy Director at the Institute for Government (Chair)

Two of England’s elected mayors join an expert panel to explore how well mayors are working with central government – and what powers they need. - Ben Houchen, Mayor of Tees Valley - Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands This panel was chaired by Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

A wide-ranging discussion on the key issues facing government – and the economy – as a general election draws near. Claire Ainsley, Director of the Project on Center-Left Renewal and former Executive Director of Policy to Keir Starmer Anita Boateng, Partner at Portland Communications and former Special Adviser for the Cabinet Office, MoJ and DWP Sam Freedman, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government Joe Owen, Director of Impact at the Institute for Government (Chair)

Government keynote speech: Rt Hon John Glen MP by Institute for Government

Stuart Hoddinott, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government, set out key findings from Performance Tracker – the IfG’s annual stocktake of nine key public services – ahead of a panel discussion on how public service performance can be turned around. Adam Boulton, former Political Editor of Sky News Councillor Georgia Gould, Leader of Camden Council Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP, former Chancellor of the Exchequer Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government (Chair)

We were delighted to welcome Karin Smyth MP, Shadow Minister of Health, for a keynote speech at Government 2024, the IfG's annual conference with Grant Thornton UK LLP. This was followed by an in conversation with Dr Hannah White OBE, Director of the IfG.

2024 will be a crucial year for government and for British politics. With a general election no more than a year away, Rishi Sunak has asked to be judged on meeting his five pledges – and the pressure is on Keir Starmer to add policy details to his five missions. To mark the start of this pivotal 12 months, the Institute for Government’s annual conference brought together influential speakers and IfG experts to explore the key questions facing government – and opposition parties – in 2024, stimulate new thinking and discuss the year ahead. Dr Hannah White, IfG Director, gave a welcome to the conference, followed by opening remarks by Phillip Woolley, Partner at Grant Thornton UK.

Audio recording of event held at the Institute for Government, 16 January 2024.

The next general election is – at most – one year away. If Labour wins, there will, as is almost always the case in the UK, be an overnight transition of power. A party that has spent 14 years in opposition would be instantly thrown into government. But having focused already limited resources on election campaigning, and often lacking the knowledge and experience of being in government, how can opposition parties prepare for an overnight transition? Which issues do they need to consider ahead of a possible election win? And what challenges might arise on that first day in power? As the Institute’s research shows, proper preparation can make the difference between success and stagnation once in office. This event, the latest in the Institute for Government’s General Election programme, discussed a new IfG report – Preparing for government: How oppositions should ready themselves for power – which sets out how to prepare for a possible transition into government. Joining us to the discuss the report and its findings was an expert panel, including: Wes Ball, former Director of the Parliamentary Labour Party Baroness Fall, former Deputy Chief of Staff to David Cameron Dr Catherine Haddon, Programme Director at the Institute for Government Lord Macpherson, former Permanent Secretary at HM Treasury (2005–16) The event was chaired by Joe Owen, Director of Impact at the Institute for Government. Follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter) @ifgevents and join the conversation using #IfGGeneralElection.

Governments often tackle similar issues again and again – from day-to-day matters to major challenges such as natural disasters, public health threats or global financial or security crises. So it is vital that governments learn from experience about what works – and what doesn’t – to improve the functioning of government. But extensive churn in ministers – and the civil servants who support them – means that institutional memory can be lost. In the mid-2010s, the Treasury was grappling with how to maintain and improve public service performance as budgets were squeezed. Senior officials in the department identified the need for a review of historic evidence to ensure they understood what the experience of previous decades showed about how to manage public spending effectively The Nuffield Foundation funded a project involving the Institute of Fiscal Studies (Paul Johnson, Rowena Crawford and Ben Zaranko) and a team based at the Blavatnik School of Government in Oxford (Christopher Hood, Iain McLean, Maia King and Barbara Piotrowska). The task of the IFS team was to assess what happened to UK spending over 1993–2015 from the available statistics, while the Blavatnik team explored the more qualitative aspects of public spending control over the same period from a mixture of published sources, interviews and archival material – now published in book form (The Way the Money Goes: The Fiscal Constitution and Public Spending in the UK). Drawing on that work, this event will reflect on the value – but also the challenges – of historical research on government and explore what can be learnt from past experience in the planning and control of public spending. To discuss these questions and more, we were joined by a panel of experts: Sir Charles Bean, Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics and former member of the Budget Responsibility Committee at the Office for Budget Responsibility (2017–21) Mark Franks, Director of Welfare at the Nuffield Foundation Catherine Haddon, Programme Director at the Institute for Government Professor Christopher Hood, Visiting Professor at the Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University Conrad Smewing, Director General, Public Spending at HM Treasury The event was chaired by Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government.

In this first Productivity Pitches event, a new series that the Institute for Government will organise jointly with The Productivity Institute, we were delighted to welcome Cat Little, Second Permanent Secretary to the Treasury and Bart van Ark, Managing Director of The Productivity Institute to discuss these questions: What are the causes of weak productivity growth in public services? How can digital and AI play in improving public service productivity? What lessons can be learned from the private sector? With little room for manoeuvre to increase spending on struggling public services, the UK government must ensure that every pound is spent well. However, public service productivity fell both during and after the pandemic. For example, the government’s successful programme to increase the number of police officers by 20,000 has only resulted in a small improvement to charge rates. Some important hospital activity is still below pre-pandemic levels despite substantial spending increases and rising staff numbers. And ONS records show that adult social care productivity more or less stalled for the decade before the pandemic. So with the fiscal situation unlikely to improve in the immediate future, what can government and frontline services do to improve productivity? The event was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. Productivity Pitches is a new quarterly series hosted by the Institute for Government highlighting examples of productivity improvements in public services. These events will look at innovations in everything from technology and IT to management and clinical improvements, allowing those on the frontline to showcase how their innovations are improving service performance and saving money.

Earlier this month Lord Maude, who served as Minister for the Cabinet Office from 2010-2015, published his Independent Review of Governance and Accountability in the Civil Service. The comprehensive review saw Maude speak to former and present civil service leaders, minister and ex-ministers, former prime ministers, and many civil servants. Maude concludes that “the arrangements for governance and accountability of the civil service are unclear, opaque and incomplete”, and that the centre of government has become "unwieldy, with confusion about where responsibilities lie." So what is Lord Maude’s plan to fix these problems and how would his 57 recommendations work? Ministers have reacted coolly to Maude’s plan to split the Treasury and create an Office of Budget and Management, but is he right? What responsibilities should the cabinet secretary hold? And what can be done to ensure this review of the civil service succeeds when so many previous attempts have failed? To discuss these questions and more, Lord Maude joined us in conversation at the Institute for Government. The event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. Read the IfG's response to the Maude review.

Following his speech, Rt Hon Darren Jones MP was in conversation with Dr Hannah White OBE, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.

In 2019, the UK government passed trailblazing legislation committing itself to achieving ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The UK has already made significant progress in decarbonising its economy: carbon emissions have fallen by over 45% from the 1990s levels. This has been mainly achieved through centrally directed policy to decrease emissions from power generation, by substituting coal generation for gas and investment in renewable energy. But reducing emissions further will require disruptive policy and behavioural change across a wider range of sectors, involving a more diffuse set of actors. Metro mayors and local government in England will play a key role, given their powers in critical areas such as transport, planning, housing, skills and economic strategy. This event explored how mayors and other local leaders are using devolved powers to achieve net zero at the regional level, by supporting the growth of green industry and energy, investing in clean transport and infrastructure, retrofitting houses and buildings to reduce emissions, and upskilling the population for the green jobs of the future. Drawing on research it published earlier this year, Net zero and devolution: The role of England’s mayors in the climate transition, the Institute for Government hosted a virtual event in partnership with The Royal Society to discuss these questions. To explore these questions and more, our expert panel included: Ed Cox, Executive Director - Strategy, Economy & Net Zero at the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA)Professor Joanna D. Haigh, Research Fellow at Imperial College LondonRosa Hodgkin, Researcher at the Institute for GovernmentShirley Rodrigues, Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy at the Greater London Authority The event was chaired by Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. This event was kindly supported by The Royal Society.

After Rishi Sunak used the recent Conservative Party Conference to pitch himself as the ‘change’ candidate, the autumn statement on 22 November was Jeremy Hunt’s first opportunity to set out the government’s new tax and spending plans. But what the prime minister and chancellor offered was in part be shaped by the new economic and fiscal forecasts they were given by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the UK’s independent fiscal watchdog. So, what did the autumn statement reveal about this government’s approach to economic and fiscal policy? How has the economic and fiscal outlook changed since March and how might that shape the general election campaign? Does the government have any new plans to try to boost growth and household incomes? What do the government’s public spending plans look like – and are they plausible? To explore these questions and more, our expert panel included: - Anoosh Chakelian, Britain Editor of the New Statesman - Stuart Hoddinott, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government - Richard Hughes, Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility - Thomas Pope, Deputy Chief Economist at the Institute for Government The event was chaired by Hannah White, Director of the Institute for Government.

High standards are crucial for maintaining public trust in the police – but in recent years the reputation of the Metropolitan Police has been damaged by a number of scandals. Sir Mark Rowley was appointed as Met Commissioner in September 2022 with a mandate to bring in higher standards of policing, reduce crime rates, and deliver more trust in the Met Police. At this Institute for Government event, the Commissioner set out how he intends to achieve his priorities, including through changes to police structures, improved leadership, and the New Met for London plan. The event was chaired by Emma Norris, Deputy Director at the Institute for Government. Following his brief opening remarks, the Commissioner took part in a Q&A with the in-person and online audience.

Rishi Sunak has until December 2024 to call an election. While the formal starting pistol has yet to be fired, and may not be for at least a year, the long campaign has already begun. Both Sunak and Starmer are presenting themselves as the change candidate and the person to fix a country that – they both argue – is struggling to find its way. Kicking off the Institute's General Election programme, this event reflected on the opening pitches of the two main parties at their recent conferences. It will ask what change the country, government and political system needs, what change the voters want, and whether either party has a plan to deliver it. Joining us were: Kelly Beaver, Chief Executive of Ipsos in the UK and Ireland Lord Mandelson, Chairman of Global Counsel and former minister in the Blair and Brown governments Kate McCann, Political Editor at Times Radio Lord Willetts, President of the Resolution Foundation and former minister in the Major and Cameron governments The event was chaired by Emma Norris, Deputy Director at the Institute for Government.

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 was the 47th in our series, where the speakers present their work in an exciting, quickfire format. Each speaker had eight minutes, followed by eight minutes of questions from the audience. This month's speakers were: Phillip Davies, Deputy Director of Business Surveys and Registers Transformation, Office for National Statistics, on ‘Business Data Collection: Digital by Default & A Future Vision Gordon Guthrie, Research Fellow at Scottish Government under the First Minister's Digital Fellowship Programme, on constitutional oversight of data as the foundation for digital transformation Adam Locker, Head of Data Architecture and Engineering at National Highways, on getting data things done Siân Thomas, Chief Data Officer at the Department for Business and Trade, on agile governance of Large Language Models (LLMs) The event was chaired by Gavin Freeguard, Associate at the Institute for Government.

The Ministers Reflect archive includes interviews with ministers who have served under every prime minister between Margaret Thatcher and Liz Truss. They all faced their own challenges and had to deal with the problems of the era in which they served in government, but there is much that unites their experience of holding ministerial office. So what does it mean to be a minister? What are the most important skills and attitudes for success? How has the role changed over recent years, and between different governments? And what can future ministers learn from their predecessors? Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government Dame Angela Eagle MP, Labour MP for Wallasey and member of the Treasury Select Committee Marie Le Conte, journalist and author Ann Francke, Chief Executive of the Chartered Management Institute This event was chaired by Dr Hannah White, Director of the Institute for Government. This event was part of the IfG's Ministers Reflect one-day conference.

The Institute’s Ministers Reflect project includes several interviews with former ministers in the devolved governments in the UK, and the model of long-form interviews with former ministers has been exported to a number of countries around the world. Of course, the political and cultural contexts differ, and the ease of access to former ministers varies between these countries. But there are many similarities between the experiences of ministers and the challenges they face in leading officials, passing legislation and getting things done in government. To discuss how ministers’ roles vary around the UK and around the world, and how Ministers Reflect-style interviews can inform our understanding of government, we were joined by: Professor Caspar van den Berg, Chair in Global and Local Governance at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, and member of the Dutch Senate Dr Hans Gutbrod, Associate Professor of Public Policy at Ilia State University in Georgia Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government Dr Catherine Haddon, Programme Director at the Institute for Government This event was chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. This event was part of the IfG's Ministers Reflect one-day conference.

The Ministers Reflect archive is a unique source for those outside government too. The interviews provide a rich, publicly available seam of material for academics interested in UK government, politics and policy making. Several researchers are already interrogating the archive in a variety of ways – from using textual analysis to explore ministerial leadership styles, to qualitative comparisons examining different approaches to specific ministerial roles. To discuss how they have used Ministers Reflect interviews in their work and what they have found, we were joined by: Professor John Boswell, Associate Professor in Politics at the University of Southampton Dr Jessica Smith, Lecturer in Politics with Quantitative Methods at the University of Edinburgh Dr Orly Siow, Associate Senior Lecturer in Gender Studies at Lund University This event was chaired by Dr Alice Lilly, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government. This event was part of the IfG's Ministers Reflect one-day conference.

One of the most common themes in Ministers Reflect interviews is the relationship between ministers and civil servants. From the importance of a good private office team, to civil servants’ poor understanding of parliament, to ongoing gripes around spelling and grammar, there are many things that ministers wish the civil service did differently. To discuss how the civil service can use Ministers Reflect to understand what ministers want, and how they can improve the support they offer, we were joined by: Chloe Smith MP, MP for Norwich North, and former minister at Department for Science, Innovation and Technology; Department for Work and Pensions; and Cabinet Office. Dame Una O’Brien DCB, former Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care (then Department of Health) Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government This event was chaired by Dr Catherine Haddon, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. This event was part of the IfG's Ministers Reflect one-day conference.

Ministers Reflect interviews show us what governing looks like from the inside. They offer a range of perspectives on what being a minister actually involves on a day-to-day basis, the different aspects of the job, and how ministers develop their approach to the role over time. To explore ministerial life and what the archive reveals about it, we were joined by Leighton Andrews, Professor of Practice in Public Service Leadership at Cardiff University, and a former Minister for Education and Minister for Public Services in the Welsh government. Leighton not only uses Ministers Reflect interviews in his teaching about government and policy making, but is also drawing on the archive in a forthcoming book about ministerial leadership. Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government This event was part of the IfG's Ministers Reflect one-day conference.

Local government has faced huge financial pressures, leaving residents across England struggling to access services. Featuring presentations from council leaders, this panel explored what can be done to turn around performance.  Presentations from: - Jenny Rowlands, Chief Executive of Camden Council - Claire Taylor, Chief Operating Officer, Sheffield City Council Panel: - Hilary Cottam, author, innovator and change maker and Honorary Professor at the Institute of Innovation and Public Purpose at UCL - Florence Eshalomi MP, Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee - Jim McMahon MP, Minister of State (Minister for Local Government and English Devolution) This panel was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

Public services were hit hard by the pandemic, which exacerbated existing performance problems and pressures on staff. High inflation and widespread strikes have since caused further disruption. Ahead of the autumn statement, this event brought together an expert panel to discuss: How does public service performance compare to pre-pandemic levels? How can the government recruit and retain sufficient staff to improve public service performance? What are the key public service challenges that will be faced by the winner of the next election? As the Institute for Government and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) publish the latest edition of Performance Tracker which features new analysis on the performance of public services, Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government, presented the key findings. He was joined by Stephen Bush, Associate Editor and Columnist at the Financial Times, and Baroness Morris, Chair of the Lords Public Services Committee. The event was chaired by Emma Norris, Deputy Director of the Institute for Government, with opening remarks by Jeffrey Matsu, Chief Economist at CIPFA.

To mark the publication of her new book, The Women Who Made Modern Economics, Rachel Reeves MP sat down with IfG's Chief Economist, Dr Gemma Tetlow.

Twenty-five years after the Scotland Act established the devolved Scottish government and parliament, the future of devolution and Scotland’s place in the union remain contentious issues. The SNP continues to advocate for Scottish independence. Meanwhile, the UK government has pursued a strategy of ‘muscular unionism’. Scottish Labour has called for a new approach, based on greater cooperation between UK and Scottish governments, and for stronger local government within Scotland. So what does Scotland’s constitutional future hold? The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome Anas Sarwar MSP, Leader of the Scottish Labour Party. How can Scottish devolution be strengthened? What might a future Labour government at Westminster mean for relations with Holyrood? And what is Sarwar’s vision for Scotland’s place in a reformed union? To discuss these questions and more, Anas Sarwar was in conversation with Dr Hannah White, Director of the Institute for Government, followed by Q&A with the live and online audience. Follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter) @ifgevents and join the conversation using #IfGSarwar.