INSIDE BRIEFING with Institute for Government: Recent Episodes
Institute for Government
How can we make government work more effectively? What are Brexit and the current political tumult doing to our institutions? Is Britain's Constitution able to withstand the strains of 21st Century social, political and technical change? What needs to change in our system of government – and how can we change it?
Find out in the weekly podcast from Britain’s leading governmental think tank, where we analyse the latest events in politics and explain what they mean. Every week on INSIDE BRIEFING, IfG Director Bronwen Maddox welcomes experts, analysts and special guests for a free-ranging conversation on what makes government work – and how to fix it when it doesn’t.
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 Claire Coutinho has become the youngest member of the cabinet. But what does Rishi Sunak’s mini-reshuffle tell us about his priorities for government – and is there a better way to go about appointing government ministers? What should we look out for at the party conference season? How is the economy faring and are tax cuts at all likely? And what stage of the Nando’s spice scale is politics going to hit this autumn? Hannah White presents. With Joe Owen, Cath Haddon and Tom Pope. Produced by Milo Hynes.
There is no job quite like that of a government minister – and no training manual for how to do it. So what happens on the first day in the job? How can ministers manager the demands on their time? Are particular skills needed to get the best out of civil servants? Is there a trick to working with Number 10? What is the best way to handle a multi-billion pound departmental budget? And how can ministers master the art of navigating parliament? In this special six-part series from the Institute for Government, former ministers and civil servants reveal what it is really like to hold ministerial office and how to do the job well. You will hear all about the challenges, confusion, decisions and drama of a job which really is like no other. Presented by Tim Durrant, with Dr Nicola Blacklaws. Produced by Milo Hynes.
There is no job quite like that of a government minister – and no training manual for how to do it. So what happens on the first day in the job? How can ministers manager the demands on their time? Are particular skills needed to get the best out of civil servants? Is there a trick to working with Number 10? What is the best way to handle a multi-billion pound departmental budget? And how can ministers master the art of navigating parliament? In this special six-part series from the Institute for Government, former ministers and civil servants reveal what it is really like to hold ministerial office and how to do the job well. You will hear all about the challenges, confusion, decisions and drama of a job which really is like no other. Presented by Tim Durrant, with Dr Nicola Blacklaws. Produced by Milo Hynes.
There is no job quite like that of a government minister – and no training manual for how to do it. So what happens on the first day in the job? How can ministers manager the demands on their time? Are particular skills needed to get the best out of civil servants? Is there a trick to working with Number 10? W hat is the best way to handle a multi-billion pound departmental budget? And how can ministers master the art of navigating parliament? In this special six-part series from the Institute for Government, former ministers and civil servants reveal what it is really like to hold ministerial office and how to do the job well. You will hear all about the challenges, confusion, decisions and drama of a job which really is like no other. Presented by Tim Durrant, with Beatrice Barr. Produced by Milo Hynes
There is no job quite like that of a government minister – and no training manual for how to do it. So what happens on the first day in the job? How can ministers manager the demands on their time? Are particular skills needed to get the best out of civil servants? Is there a trick to working with Number 10? What is the best way to handle a multi-billion pound departmental budget? And how can ministers master the art of navigating parliament? In this special six-part series from the Institute for Government, former ministers and civil servants reveal what it is really like to hold ministerial office and how to do the job well. You will hear all about the challenges, confusion, decisions and drama of a job which really is like no other. Presented by Tim Durrant, with Beatrice Barr. Produced by Milo Hynes.
Some MPs are rarely seen in the Commons. Others can’t seem to stay away from the chamber. So what happens in those 45 days when the Palace of Westminster shuts up shop? This week on the podcast, former Attorney General Dominic Grieve and Labour peer Baroness Armstrong join Cath Haddon and Alice Lilly of the IFG to reveal just how switched off parliamentarians can be on their summer break. Stay tuned to the Inside Briefing feed for more podcasts during the summer recess, including a 6-part series on what it’s like to be a government minister. Produced by Alex Rees at Podmasters for the Institute of Government
After two years of ethical scandals, the government finally published its plans to clean up standards just before parliament went into recess. We’ll dive into the detail to find out what Sunak will be changing and how the rules around ministers, civil servants and other government employees are upheld – and what isn’t going to change after all. We’ll be joined by Fleur Anderson MP, John Penrose MP and Dr Susan Hawley from Spotlight on Corruption to look at the government’s proposals, how they compare with the various independent reviews into government ethics, find out where the gaps are and ask what else might need to change in the future.
By-elections are rarely like buses, but this time three have arrived at once. The Conservatives lost Somerset and Frome and Selby, but held on to Boris Johnson’s old seat in Uxbridge… by a hair’s breadth.
As parliament prepares to shut up for summer, the podcast team discuss a night that produced plenty of food for thought in government and the opposition - and not forgetting the by-election experts, the Lib Dems.
Will Jennings, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of Southampton also joins us after a busy night of polling.
With Alex Thomas, Giles Wilkes and Cath Haddon.
Produced by Podmasters.
Rishi Sunak pledged to lead a government of integrity after the high-profile scandals of the Boris Johnson era, but Angela Rayner says only a Labour government would restore trust in politics. The podcast team, with guest Rachel Wearmouth of the New Statesman, review the Labour deputy leader’s big speech at the IfG – and examine whether she has come up with a workable plan. Plus: Simon says what exactly? What did we learn from a rare public appearance by embattled cabinet secretary Simon Case. What follows first past the post? A new IfG report looks at the knock-on implications of changing the UK’s electoral system. Mastering the Art of the Devolution Deal. How Westminster – and local government – can make a success of giving away power. Catherine Haddon presents. With Alex Thomas, Jack Pannell and Peter Hourston. Produced by Podmasters.
It's Evidence Week in the House of Commons and on Inside Briefing, we’re interrogating just how effective Parliament actually is at scrutinising and testing policy. We’re joined by Tracey Brown, director of Sense about Science, the independent charity that promotes the public interest in sound science and evidence.
We’ll also hear from former Chancellor Sajid Javid, whose big idea for a more effective Parliament is half the MPs… on twice the pay.
And, as Rishi Sunak skips out on PMQs once again, we ask if the Prime Minister himself is scrutinised enough.
Alex Thomas presents, with Cath Haddon and Alice Lilley.
Produced by Alex Rees.
Thames Water struggles to stay afloat. But who is to blame, will the taps dry up, and what solutions are there? ConservativeHome’s Henry Hill joins the podcast team to discuss the latest headache for the PM. And are there any good chaps left in politics anymore? Boris Johnson’s new job as a newspaper columnist has caused controversy – so perhaps it is time to overhaul the rules for jobs after government. Plus, does Rishi Sunak actually believe in the Net Zero agenda? A new report by the Climate Change Committee is far from impressed with the government’s efforts to drive down emissions. Tim Durrant presents, with Jill Rutter and Alex Thomas. Produced by Milo Hynes
The prime minister has been trying to fend off a barrage of bad economic news - but what can he actually do about stubbornly high inflation, rising interest rates, and a predicted surge in mortgage payments? The Guardian’s City Editor Anna Isaac joins the podcast team to see what options - if any - Sunak has available. Whatever the cause might be for the UK’s economic woes, don’t mention the ‘B’ word. Ok, whisper it: is Brexit to blame? As the seventh anniversary of the 2016 referendum result passes, the podcast team check in on how leaving the EU has worked out for the UK PLUS: Is there a way out of the political stalemate in Northern Ireland? Hannah White presents. With Jess Sargeant and Giles Wilkes. Produced by Milo Hynes.
The Privileges Committee has delivered its verdict on Boris Johnson, with the former PM lashing out after the committee found he had lied to Parliament. Sam Freedman joins the podcast team to ask what the damning conclusions – and a recommended 90-day suspension from Parliament which Johnson has avoided by quitting as an MP – means for the former prime minister and the Conservative Party. Plus, from an inquiry that is over to one that has just got going. The Covid Inquiry has held its first public hearings, and some big-name witnesses are booked in for next week. And: Is the NHS in a death spiral? A new IfG report examines why more money and extra staff has failed to turn around declining performance levels in hospitals. Hannah White presents, with Emma Norris and Cath Haddon.
As the Covid inquiry gets underway, the Financial Times’ Chris Cook joins the IfG podcast to examine whether public inquiries can actually make any difference – and look ahead to the potential twists and turns – and witnesses – that await inquiry chair Baroness Hallett and her team. Rishi Sunak’s No10 predecessors are notably vocal, and a batch of former Labour leaders still have plenty to say. Should we welcome the contribution of former party leaders or are they just a source of irritation? PLUS: Relocation, relocation! Has the government’s plan to relocate parts of the civil service to Darlington been a success – and is it actually making any difference to its levelling up mission? A new IfG report reveals the answers. Hannah White presents. With Emma Norris and Jordan Urban. Producer by Milo Hynes.
Matt Hancock has come home. Football might be coming home. But Rishi Sunak's problems on the home front are going nowhere. With the Conservative Party threatening rebellion on multiple fronts, what can the prime minister do to make progress on his legislative agenda? The IfG podcast team dissect the PM's parliamentary problems. Sunak also has a ministerial headache to contend with, as accusations about ministerial behaviour - with Dominic Raab still making awkward headlines - find their way into the press. So does the civil service need a new complaints process? Plus - Why is the civil service failing to recruit outside talent, and what does it mean if it lacks enough specialist skills? Emma Norris presents. With Alice Lilly, Alex Thomas, Cath Haddon and Jordan Urban. Produced by Candice McKenzie
Liz Truss put economic growth front and centre of her premiership, but does Rishi Sunak even have a coherent growth policy? The Guardian’s City Editor Anna Isaac joins the IfG team to go in search of the prime minister’s plan. Could Sunak take a new approach towards Brexit? What exactly is a Swiss-style deal? And is the Conservative Party in the mood for compromise? Plus: What does the Supreme Court verdict mean for SNP’s plans to hold a second referendum on Scottish independence? And: Do Labour’s plans for reforming the House of Lords make sense? Hannah White presents. With Jill Rutter and Jess Sargeant
Jeremy Hunt has unveiled the government's economic plans, with the chancellor handing out giveaways now but setting out tax rises - and spending cuts - to come. So now what? The IfG podcast crunch the chancellor's numbers. The Dominic Raab claims are causing problems for the justice secretary, but do multiplying leaks about ministerial behaviour point to a wider breakdown of trust inside government? And a new joint paper for the Institute for Government and Cambridge University’s Bennett Institute explores 25 years of erratic government attempts to update and reform the British constitution. The paper's author, former DEXEU permanent secretary Peter Rycroft, drops into the studio.
Presented by Hannah White, with Gemma Tetlow and Giles Wilkes Produced by Candice McKenzie
We didn't have to wait long for the first ministerial resignation of Rishi Sunak's premiership, and it's Gavin Williamson who is out of government - again. ConservativeHome's Henry Hill joins then podcast team to weigh up what Williamson's exit means for the PM and explore how Rishi Sunak can prove his commitment to integrity is genuine.
The PM decided, in the end, to attend the COP27 summit - but does this government even have a credible net zero plan?
Plus: Next week the government unveils its endlessly rescheduled, rebadged, and rewritten fiscal plan. The podcast team crunch the numbers and look ahead to next Friday's big event.
Hannah White presents, with Cath Haddon and Tom Sasse Produced by Candice McKenzie
While Matt Hancock’s bushtucker trials will be making all the headlines, Westminster is wondering how Rishi Sunak will manage his ongoing Suella Braverman challenges. The IfG podcast team are joined by John Stevens, the Daily Mirror’s new political editor, to reflect on a bruising week for the restored Home Secretary. Also: the rearranged fiscal statement is looming. With the Prime Minister dropping plans to axe 91,000 civil service jobs, a new IfG paper sets out how to cut budgets with care. And is Keir Starmer on course for election success or is Labour in danger of a Sunak bounce? Hannah White presents, with Jill Rutter and Rhys Clyne. Produced by Candice McKenzie
Another podcast, another prime minister. Liz Truss is out after just 50 days in No.10. Rishi Sunak is in, with the former Chancellor avoiding a showdown with Conservative party membership after both Boris Johnson and Penny Mordaunt dropped out of the race. So what next for the UK’s 57th PM? The IfG podcast team, with guest Emilio Casalicchio of Politico, analyse Sunak’s first days in the job – and weigh up the tricky challenges coming down the track. Restoring the economy to rude health, or at least getting it out of intensive care, is top of Sunak’s in-tray. But where can he find the spending cuts needed to balance the books? A new IfG paper warns that a re-run of austerity will be more difficult – and damaging – than the 2010 era. The pod team crunch the numbers. Presented by Gemma Tetlow with Tom Pope and Cath Haddon. Produced by Candice McKenzie
After a feverish week in Westminster and a chaotic 24 hours in government, Liz Truss has called time on her record-breakingly short stay in Number 10. The IfG podcast, with special guest Henry Newman, a former adviser to Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, assemble at the very moment Truss was preparing to announce her departure. The podcast team pick apart Truss’s failures in No10, the economic decisions that face new chancellor Jeremy Hunt, and how the next few weeks and months might play out. Plus: Could Boris Johnson really make a comeback? Alex Thomas presents. With Giles Wilkes and Gemma Tetlow. Produced by Candice McKenzie
As pressure piles up on the prime minister, the IfG podcast team assemble - with guest Aubrey Allegretti of the Guardian - to work out what Liz Truss might do to calm both the markets and Conservative MPs The Halloween fiscal event isn't the only date in the Commons that will be spooking the PM - so join the Inside Briefing team on a walk through the government's autumn parliamentary minefield. And remember Brexit? A new IfG paper says that MPs aren't doing enough to scrutinise the UK's post-Brexit EU relationship. So what's the problem and how can it be fixed? Presented by Hannah White With Jill Rutter and Alice Lilly Produced by Candice McKenzie
Academic, author and former Talking Politics host David Runciman joins the IfG podcast team to take stock of the state of British politics.
As wearing Conservative politicians make their way back from Birmingham, and with Labour MP's having left Liverpool, just how health are Westminster's largest parties right now? Is growth the new dividing line in Westminster and beyond - and is there really an anti-growth coalition? And what on earth is going to happen next in the never-ending, unpredictable rollercoaster ride of British politics?
Hannah White presents
With Alex Thomas and Gemma Tetlow
Produced by Candice McKenzie
The fallout from Kwasi Kwarteng's budget continues, so what can the chancellor do to calm the nerves? Guest Soumaya Keynes of the Economist joins the IfG podcast team to discuss what has gone wrong for Kwarteng and Liz Truss, and the lessons to be learnt from a week of economic turmoil. No drama for Starmer? We take a look back at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool and what Keir Starmer's speech tells us about the direction of travel for His Majesty's Opposition. And as the Conservative Party assembles in Birmingham, we look ahead to what could be a lively few days for Liz Truss - and what awaits at her first party conference since becoming PM. Presented by Hannah White With Giles Wilkes and Tom Pope Produced by Candice McKenzie
The fallout from Kwasi Kwarteng's budget continues, so what can the chancellor do to calm the nerves? Guest Soumaya Keynes of the Economist joins the IfG podcast team to discuss what has gone wrong for Kwarteng and Liz Truss, and the lessons to be learnt from a week of economic turmoil. No drama for Starmer? We take a look back at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool and what Keir Starmer's speech tells us about the direction of travel for His Majesty's Opposition. And as the Conservative Party assembles in Birmingham, we look ahead to what could be a lively few days for Liz Truss - and what awaits at her first party conference since becoming PM. Presented by Hannah White With Giles Wilkes and Tom Pope Produced by Candice McKenzie
With winter fast approaching, politicians across Europe have been taking dramatic steps to address the ongoing energy crisis. The IfG team are joined by Alice Hancock from the FT and Elisabetta Cornago from the Centre for European Reform to assess different countries’ responses. Is Europe ready for the winter ahead? Why is the UK’s support package so expensive? Are the public up for cutting their energy use? And what should countries be doing to tackle the crisis in the longer term? Presented by Tom Sasse with Olly Bartrum Produced by Candice McKenzie https://www.cer.eu/insights/eus-energy-plan-difficult-winter-what-are-options https://www.bruegel.org/dataset/national-policies-shield-consumers-rising-energy-prices https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/tackling-energy-efficiency-problem.pdf https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/Addressing-rising-energy-bills_0.pdf
With winter fast approaching, politicians across Europe have been taking dramatic steps to address the ongoing energy crisis. The IfG team are joined by Alice Hancock from the FT and Elisabetta Cornago from the Centre for European Reform to assess different countries’ responses. Is Europe ready for the winter ahead? Why is the UK’s support package so expensive? Are the public up for cutting their energy use? And what should countries be doing to tackle the crisis in the longer term? Presented by Tom Sasse with Olly Bartrum Produced by Candice McKenzie https://www.cer.eu/insights/eus-energy-plan-difficult-winter-what-are-options https://www.bruegel.org/dataset/national-policies-shield-consumers-rising-energy-prices https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/tackling-energy-efficiency-problem.pdf https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/Addressing-rising-energy-bills_0.pdf
Liz Truss has been to New York, Keir Starmer is on his way to Liverpool, and the IfG podcast team assemble in the studio to discuss a week where politics began to return to normal – albeit against the unpleasant backdrop of Vladimir Putin’s threat of nuclear war. Guest Ayesha Hazarika dials in to discuss the new prime minister’s first steps on the world stage, some big government policy announcements at home, and what to look out for at Labour’s annual party conference. Plus: If Liz Truss is all about delivery, then how can she make government departments deliver? The team discuss a new IfG report which recommends the step she should – and shouldn’t – take. Hannah White presents. With Alex Thomas and Rhys Clyne. Produced by Candice McKenzie
Liz Truss has been to New York, Keir Starmer is on his way to Liverpool, and the IfG podcast team assemble in the studio to discuss a week where politics began to return to normal – albeit against the unpleasant backdrop of Vladimir Putin’s threat of nuclear war. Guest Ayesha Hazarika dials in to discuss the new prime minister’s first steps on the world stage, some big government policy announcements at home, and what to look out for at Labour’s annual party conference. Plus: If Liz Truss is all about delivery, then how can she make government departments deliver? The team discuss a new IfG report which recommends the step she should – and shouldn’t – take. Hannah White presents. With Alex Thomas and Rhys Clyne. Produced by Candice McKenzie
The FT’s Stephen Bush joins the IfG team in the podcast studio, just a few hundred metres away from Buckingham Palace, to make sense of an extraordinary moment in British history. What does the death of Queen Elizabeth II, after a record-breaking 70-year reign, mean for the Royal Family? How will King Charles III approach the role of monarch? And what questions will now be asked about the role of the monarch in the constitution, how the King interacts with politics and how ministers engage with the King? Presented by Hannah White with Catherine Haddon and Maddy Thimont-Jack. Produced by Candice McKenzie
The FT’s Stephen Bush joins the IfG team in the podcast studio, just a few hundred metres away from Buckingham Palace, to make sense of an extraordinary moment in British history. What does the death of Queen Elizabeth II, after a record-breaking 70-year reign, mean for the Royal Family? How will King Charles III approach the role of monarch? And what questions will now be asked about the role of the monarch in the constitution, how the King interacts with politics and how ministers engage with the King? Presented by Hannah White with Catherine Haddon and Maddy Thimont-Jack. Produced by Candice McKenzie
The epic Conservative Party leadership contest is finally over, and Liz Truss is the new prime minister. After a flight to Balmoral to meet the Queen, and a drive through London in lashing rain, Truss stepped straight from the prime ministerial car to the podium outside No10 and set out her vision for the country So, what happens next and what should we expect from this country’s 56th prime minister? Former special adviser Salma Shah joins the podcast team to weigh up Truss’s Downing Street speech, her Cabinet appointments, and how she might handle a daunting in-tray. Hannah White presents. With Giles Wilkes and Catherine Haddon. Produced by Candice McKenzie
The epic Conservative Party leadership contest is finally over, and Liz Truss is the new prime minister. After a flight to Balmoral to meet the Queen, and a drive through London in lashing rain, Truss stepped straight from the prime ministerial car to the podium outside No10 and set out her vision for the country So, what happens next and what should we expect from this country’s 56th prime minister? Former special adviser Salma Shah joins the podcast team to weigh up Truss’s Downing Street speech, her Cabinet appointments, and how she might handle a daunting in-tray. Hannah White presents. With Giles Wilkes and Catherine Haddon. Produced by Candice McKenzie
The long, hot summer of endless Conservative leadership contest hustings is over, and next week the winner will be announced. The FT’s Seb Payne joins the podcast crew to discuss the battle to become Prime Minister. Will Liz Truss emerge victorious as all the polls predict? Can Rishi Sunak spring a surprise? And just how daunting is the next prime minister’s in-tray? And as Boris Johnson’s premiership comes to an end, how should we look back on a dramatic - and sometimes controversial - stint in No10? With Hannah White, Jill Rutter and Alex Thomas Produced by Candice McKenzie
Every autumn the UK’s political parties decamp from Westminster for the annual party conference season. From Brighton to Blackpool, Manchester to Birmingham, Liverpool to Glasgow, Britain’s cities take turns to host politicians, activists, party members, journalists, and lobbyists for long days (and nights) of keynote speeches, breakfast fringe meetings, endless schmoozing, too much warm white wine and endless political intrigue. Is this where key decisions are taken and political history is made? Or i it just a gossip-soaked get together which serves no value? Michael Crick, a veteran of decades of conferences, joins political journalist Marie Le Conte, former special adviser Peter Cardwell, and the IfG’s Jill Rutter to reminisce about conferences past and weigh up whether party conferences deserve a future. Presented by Alex Thomas Produced by Candice McKenzie
Centuries of British political history has played out across Whitehall, with key decisions taken in the many government buildings that line the streets around the Palace of Westminster. But what secrets are contained within their walls and behind their doors? How have the buildings changed over the years? And what secret tunnels lie beneath the basements of Whitehall? Special guest Gus O'Donnell joins the IfG’s Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas to reveal the secret map of Whitehall. Presented by Hannah White Produced by Candice McKenzie
From being appointed to the job to that first overwhelming day’s work, from taking key decisions to ultimately being reshuffled back to the backbenches, and with a whole load of unexpected moments along the way, the lifetime of a government minister is a whirlwind of new experiences. From a grip on the levers of power to inevitable disappointment, it is a career like no other. With special guests – and former ministers – Jim Murphy and David Gauke, and featuring original audio from the IfG’s unique Ministers Reflect series, this Inside Briefing summer special goes behind the scenes to explore the twists and turns of serving in government.
Boris Johnson’s Number 10 veered between the anarchic and the chaotic, marked by resignations, sackings, resets, cake ambushes and work events. So, what can the next prime minister do to make No10 work in a way that can deliver their priorities? What are the key decisions they must take on their first day in the job? What appointments do they need to get right? Does it matter where people sit? And is 10 Downing Street really the right building from which to run a government? Sally Morgan, Kate Fall and Giles Wilkes, three veterans of No10, share their experiences of working at the centre of government for three different prime ministers, and give their advice on how to reshape No10 in the post-Johnson era. Presented by Emma Norris. With Cath Haddon. Produced by Candice McKenzie
After six years, three prime ministers and 178 episodes of Inside Briefing, outgoing Institute for Government Director Bronwen Maddox chairs her final episode looking at the big themes that have dominated U.K. government during her time at IFG. Where have Brexit and covid left the UK's economy and where does Johnson's departure leave the prospect of levelling up the country? Why does government fail and what do we need to do about it? And how far should we go in reforming our constitution after the seismic events of the last six years? Hosted by Bronwen Maddox. Featuring Hannah White, Giles Wilkes, Jill Rutter, Alex Thomas, Matthew Gill, Maddy Thimont-Jack and Cath Haddon. Produced by Candice McKenzie
With the Conservative leadership contest now down to battle between Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, the podcast crew assemble to assess the pitches, pledges and promises on offer - and weigh up who might become the next prime minister. And what about the man they will replace? As Boris Johnson clocks up there years as PM, who should we judge his premiership - and is a comeback really on the cards? Mo Hussein, a former No10 chief press officer, joins Bronwen Maddox, Cath Haddon and Giles Wilkes. Produced by Candice McKenzie
The Conservative leadership contest is gathering speed, but what are the candidates offering their fellow MPs, what does the party membership think, and have the front runners caught the attention of the public? BBC Newsnight’s Lewis Goodall joins the IfG podcast team to weigh up the men and women battling to become the next prime minister. Most of them are offering tax cuts. Smart long-term policy or crude short-term politics? And what exactly could, or should, the caretaker government do if the cost-of-living crisis gets even worse in the coming weeks and months? Presented by Bronwen Maddox. With Giles Wilkes, Jill Rutter and Olly Bartrum. Produced by Candice McKenzie
After an extraordinary day in Westminster, and a record-breaking number of resignations, the Prime Minister finally quit Downing Street. But Boris Johnson will stay on in No.10 until his successor his chosen. The IfG podcast team assemble to ask what this period of caretaker government will look like, how the next Prime Minister will be chosen, and what Boris Johnson’s record in office looks like. And at the very moment Johnson announced his resignation, his predecessor Theresa May was giving a speech at the IfG on how to restore trust in politics. And as the resignations began to pile up on Wednesday, the IfG was hosting a one day conference on how to reform government. Big themes, big questions, and, it turned out, taking place at a very big moment in politics. Presented by Bronwen Maddox. With Alex Thomas, Cath Haddon and Tim Durrant. Produced by Candice McKenzie
Three big international summits have kept Boris Johnson thousands of miles away from by-election defeats, a Cabinet resignation and growing disquiet at home, but what did the prime minister actually achieve on his foreign adventures? The Telegraph’s Camilla Turner, who travelled with the PM to Rwanda, joins the podcast team to reflect on Johnson’s travels. While the prime minister was away the cabinet secretary endured a gruelling questioning by a parliamentary select committee, but the IfG team were unimpressed with Simon Case’s performance. And from transactional to transformational, how do ministers approach the art of leadership in different ways? That’s the subject of new IfG report. We take a closer look on the podcast. Bronwen Maddox presents. With Alex Thomas and Jill Rutter Produced by Candice McKenzie
After two bruising by-election defeats and a Cabinet resignation, is Boris Johnson fighting to hold on to his job? Pollster James Johnson joins the podcast team to crunch the numbers and work out how the tectonic plates of British politics might shift in the weeks and months ahead. And should more powers be given to England’s mayors? That’s what a new IfG report argues, and its author – fresh from a visit to Manchester to interview Andy Burnham – drops in to explain why. Bronwen Maddox presents. With Hannah White, Giles Wilkes, Akash Paun. Produced by Candice McKenzie.
The Inside Briefing team assemble minutes after Lord Geidt’s explosive resignation letter was published. So just how careless is it of the Prime Minister to lose his second independent adviser on ministerial interests? In a week where government policy has collided with legal opinions and rulings, Jonathan Jones, the former head of the Government Legal Department, joins the podcast to discuss the problems with the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill and Priti Patel’s plan to fly migrants to Rwanda. And what exactly can the Government do to intervene in next week’s planned rail strikes? Bronwen Maddox presents, with Alex Thomas, Jess Sargeant, Matthew Gill and guest Jonathan Jones. Produced by Candice McKenzie
Technically, Boris Johnson is safe for another year. But is he really? Deputy Political Editor of the Spectator Katy Balls joins the IFG to discuss the policy challenges ahead for the Prime Minister, as he attempts to unite his party following a devastating confidence vote. Plus, IFG senior researcher Jess Sargeant has the rundown on the government's proposed changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol.
“Boris Johnson has been very clear that he’d have to be dragged kicking and screaming from Downing Street.” - Katy Balls
“In Wakefield, Labour are 20 points ahead of the Tories. Hammering that result home will be the most important moment of Keir Starmer’s leadership so far.” - Emma Norris
“We’ve seen already the EU warning quite strongly about changing the Northern Ireland protocol. The UK’s been hoping that they may get some sympathy from countries like Poland - but that doesn’t look to be happening.” - Jess Sargeant
“Hunt has had a fairly good pandemic. He’s kept his profile high while getting hard work done. But it’s hard to see someone like him coming out the other side of this as leader.” - Tim Durrant
“What does ‘Benefits to Bricks’ really mean? It sounds like another grand, ill-defined vision that doesn’t end up amounting to much.” - Emma Norris
“The Tories won’t change the rules of the 1922 Committee just because they don’t like the by-election results. If they really want rid of them, they’ll find a way to oust him.” - Katy Balls
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Jess Sargeant, Emma Norris and Tim Durrant. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.
With 148 votes against him, was Boris Johnson’s vote of confidence victory a Pyrrhic one? The IfG team convene to look at the unfolding civil war in the Conservative Party and Big Dog’s prospects for survival. Does Johnson’s fate really rest in the hands of just 30 waverers? Can his more controversial policies such as privatising Channel 4 survive in a new, “listening” No.10? And what can we expect from the by-elections in Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton?
“What pulled Margaret Thatcher was her Cabinet telling her the game was up. For now it looks like Johnson’s Cabinet is sticking by him.” – Cath Haddon
“They know there are 148 rebels. They just don’t know who they are yet.” – Alice Lilly
“Whenever Johnson has come out as humble and contrite, things have tended to go wrong for him.” – Alex Thomas
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alice Lilly, Alex Thomas and Cath Haddon. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
New Zealand is often seen as a poster child for government reform. In this special edition of Inside Briefing Professor Rodney Scott, the chief policy advisor to the New Zealand Public Service Commission, joins Alex Thomas, Emma Norris and Rhys Clyne to discuss the history of government reform in New Zealand, explore similarities and differences with the UK and explain what difference reform has made in New Zealand. From the new public management of the 1980s to the 2020 public service reforms, this conversation covers a range of topics including: cross-government co-ordination, long-term policy making and ‘stewardship’, and accountability in government. Produced by Candice McKenzie
The long wait is over, and the Sue Gray report is out. So, what does it tell us about Boris Johnson’s No10? What have we learnt about the culture in Downing Street during the pandemic? And what questions need to be asked about how the prime minister attempted to handle allegations of rule-breaking under his watch? ITN’s UK news editor Paul Brand, whose run of scoops have led the way in the reporting of partygate, joins the IfG podcast team to talk through another extraordinary week in Westminster. Hannah White presents, with Alex Thomas and Jill Rutter. Produced by Candice McKenzie
Breaking news special! The podcast team assembled in the studio as the Met confirmed it had finished its partygate inquiry - and would not issue any more Fines to Boris Johnson. So what does this mean and what happens next? Why is everyone so angry about the Northern Ireland Protocol? The UK government and the EU are arguing over its future, and Northern Ireland's political parties are unable to come up with a power-sharing deal. The BBC's John Campbell dials in from Belfast to discuss the latest - and just how bad things might get. Back in Westminster, the government is under increasing pressure to respond to the cost of living crisis. Is a windfall tax on the cards? The team weigh up the government's options. With Bronwen Maddox, Jill Rutter and Jess Sargeant. Produced by Candice McKenzie
A Queen’s Speech without a Queen, but was it a Queen’s Speech without a theme? The Guardian’s Rafael Behr joins the podcast team to dissect Prince Charles’ big day – and make sense of the whopping list of 38 bills unveiled by the government. And just what could Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson have been talking about as they strolled awkwardly together through Parliament to hear the Speech? As the partygate and beergate sagas continue to unfold, which leader is in the most difficulty and what happens next? Presented by Bronwen Maddox, with Alice Lilly and Alex Thomas. Produced by Candice McKenzie
Election results were landing by the time the IfG podcast team - with guest Anoosh Chakelian of the New Statesman - assembled in the studio. What do the votes all mean for Boris Johnson and who emerged as the night’s big winner? The latest twist in the beergate story broke while the pod was recording - so what will Keir Starmer do next? And with Northern Ireland on the cusp of a historic election result, what happens next (or doesn't) at Stormont? Hannah White is joined by Cath Haddon, Alex Nice and Jess Sargeant. Produced by Candice McKenzie
With less than a week to go until a series of elections across the UK, the FT's Jim Pickard joins the podcast team to discuss what's at stake - and what the results could mean. The cost of living crisis will no doubt be featuring on the doorstep, so is there more the government could be doing to help? And as Emmanuel Macron secures a second term as French President, the Institut Montaigne's Georgina Wright dials in from Paris to talk through an eventful - and crucial - election. Presented by Hannah White, with Akash Paun and Olly Bartrum Produced by Candice McKenzie
The prime minister avoided another explosive day in Westminster by heading to India, but is the home front becoming ever-more precarious for Boris Johnson? The i paper’s Paul Waugh joins the Inside Briefing team to make sense of the seemingly never-ending partygate row. And as ministers do their best to knock stories about parties and police fines off the front pages, the podcast crew pick apart the government’s much-criticized plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda and dissect the latest briefings against civil servants who are choosing to work from home. Emma Norris presents with Catherine Haddon, Jill Rutter and Rhys Clyne. Produced by Candice McKenzie
Boris Johnson’s Fixed Penalty Notice for breaking COVID rules makes him the first sitting Prime Minister who, as far as anyone can remember, has been found to have broken the law while in office. Is this the beginning of the end of the Partygate saga? Or merely the end of the beginning? We discuss what it means for Boris Johnson, his party, the public and for the UK’s system of standards that is supposed to hold our politicians to account. And it has been a tough week for the Chancellor. Even before being fined for walking in on a birthday party, Rishi Sunak was facing a difficult time with revelations over his wife’s tax arrangements and criticism of his department’s response to the cost of living crisis. As Sunak’s popularity plumets, the podcast team weigh up his performance – and what he does next. Senior UK correspondent at Politico Europe Esther Webber joins presenter Hannah White, Tim Durrant, and Jill Rutter. Produced by Candice McKenzie.
Propaganda in warfare is an ancient concept, but has Russia’s information campaign since it invaded Ukraine taken things to a new level? Are Russia’s state-controlled media and troll factories all about domestic support or an attempt to win international support? And how does the West counter fake news and help ensure that people can trust the information they see? In this special edition of Inside Briefing, Bronwen Maddox is joined by Marianna Spring, the BBC’s specialist disinformation and social media reporter, Full Fact director Will Moy, and Ian Garner, historian and translator of Russian war propaganda and author of the forthcoming Stalingrad Lives: Stories of Combat & Survival. Produced by Candice McKenzie.
Boris Johnson reckons he is now more popular in parts of Kyiv than parts of Kensington, so how worried should the prime minister be as Partygate returns to the frontpages? With the UK at the heart of the West’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the podcast team weigh up Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin’s comments at the IfG on UK defence priorities. And if it wasn’t for crises – of very different natures – we might be talking more about policy, so was the government’s new education white paper worth the wait? Former Department for Education adviser Sam Freedman joins the podcast to discuss another eventful week in British politics. Bronwen Maddox presents, with Alex Thomas and Tim Durrant. Produced by Candice McKenzie.
After Rishi Sunak's spring statement was met with a barrage of bruising headlines, we crunch the numbers and assess what the chancellor announced - and what he didn't say - with guest John Rentoul, the Independent's chief political commentator. Who authorised an airlift of animals in the midst of the UK's chaotic evacuation from Kabul? That was the subject of an excruciating select committee session this week, but what does it say about how well the Foreign Office is functioning? And what's up with WhatsApp? Westminster's favourite way to communicate may not be great for good government - and a new IfG paper sets out the problems, and what could be done to fix them. Bronwen Maddox presents. With Jill Rutter, Tim Durrant, Tom Pope and guest John Rentoul. Produced by Candice McKenzie
Britain’s economy survived omicron relatively unscathed, but soaring inflation and energy price rises exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine mean Rishi Sunak has a tough job on his hands to ease the worst cost of living crisis in decades.
Ahead of Wednesday’s spring statement, we discuss what options the chancellor has available to him to ease the squeeze. Former Treasury advisor Tim Pitt and National Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses Martin McTague are our special guests.
“Unless wage growth can match inflation, the cost of living squeeze is going to be much worse than expected.” - Tom Pope “Ukraine produces a lot of the world’s grain, so food prices are rising because of the conflict.” - Tom Pope “The Chancellor can only take the edge of the pain for people, it will be a difficult period for millions.” - Tim Pitt “Helping the vulnerable has to be the priority, but swathes of middle England are also about to be slapped.”- Tim Pitt “I’ll be very interested to see if the Chancellor mentions the phrase net-zero.” - Jill Rutter “Small businesses are having to compete for a shrinking pool of labour, so there will be pay rises.” - Martin McTague
This budget preview edition is supported by the Federation of Small Businesses. Find out more at www.fsb.org.uk Presented by Gemma Tetlow with Tom Pope and Jill Rutter. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.
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Russia faces a raft of sanctions amid global disgust at the invasion of Ukraine. We discuss nations severing ties with Vladimir Putin’s regime, and what long term ramifications there might be. Plus, as oligarchs hit the headlines, we discuss Russian money in Britain. Financial Times correspondent Polina Ivanova, King’s Russia Institute director Samuel Greene, and Butler to the World author Oliver Bullough join Bronwen Maddox to unpack these issues. “These are speeches and addresses [from Putin] that are meant to make Russian’s angry.” — Samuel Greene “As long as they’re his [Putin’s] friends, he doesn’t really see them as oligarchs.” — Oliver Bullough “This is about punishment and about changing the power structure in Russia.” — Samuel Greene “Russian oligarchs don’t really trust the Russian legal system any more than anyone else does.” — Oliver Bullough Presented by Bronwen Maddox with . Audio production by Jade Bailey. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Despite peace talks taking place, Russia’s assault on Ukraine shows no sign of slowing down. With Boris Johnson jetting to the Gulf in an effort to ease the energy crisis, we discuss the latest from the conflict. Also, in light of Partygate plans to streamline the prime minister’s team have emerged. Will they work? And we take a look at a new IFG report on how Brexit is affecting agricultural support. Former Sky News editor Adam Boulton is this week’s special guest.
“We’re in a different time, Russia is aggressive in a way that it wasn’t for much of the Cold War.” - Adam Boulton “The Government have changed their relationship with Russian donors, but Johnson has gone to another dictator looking for oil.” - Cath Haddon “British foreign policy is all over the place… Brexit means we’re not identifying with a common European effort.” - Adam Boulton “The Cabinet Office has grown to over 8,000 people as it has taken on the operational aspects of Government.” - Alex Thomas
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Alex Thomas and Jill Rutter. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.
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The war in Ukraine shows no sign of easing, and its impact is being felt across UK government. What will it mean for bills if Russian energy imports are cut off? And why is the Home Office making such a mess of the Ukraine refugee crisis? Robert Colvile, director of the Centre for Policy Studies and Sunday Times columnist, joins the pod team to discuss. And a new IfG report looks back at the last crisis, which saw a lack of accountability and blame-gaming mark central government’s relationship with public bodies during the pandemic. So what went wrong and what needs to be done to get it right next time? We speak to the report author. Presented by Catherine Haddon, with Giles Wilkes, Jill Rutter and Matthew Gill. Produced by Candice McKenzie. “The problem with energy is that you can’t conjure it into being” – Robert Colvile “Net zero commitments are just going to be parked in a lot of countries while we deal with this crisis” – Robert Colvile “Lord knows how the internal economy of Russia works right now” – Giles Wilkes “I’m still recovering my morale … I might own a little bit of Chelsea” – Giles Wilkes “The Home Office is fundamentally a department of control – it’s lagging very badly” – Jill Rutter “It’s not an accident that the phrase ‘not fit for purpose’ was coined about the Home Office” – Robert Colvile
The awful scenes of war and violence in Ukraine show no sign of ending. Will an unprecedented barrage of sanctions be enough to shift Vladimir Putin’s strategy? If not, what other options are available to the West? The IfG team are joined by Georgina Wright of Institut Montaigne to discuss where the crisis might go next, assess a notably coordinated EU response, and make sense of a stunning shift in German policy. We then switch attention to the UK, where questions at the heart of the IfG’s mission – how good governments function, how to strengthen institutions, and how to ensure politicians follow the rules and are held to account – look more relevant than ever. Two new IfG reports set out what can be done to reform and strengthen the civil service. “Other than some kind of major event in Russia, it is hard to see a route of this that isn’t incredibly depressing” - Catherine Haddon “The threat that Putin could put his missiles on an even higher standing of readiness is hanging over this” – Bronwen Maddox “It is absolutely incredible what we are seeing happen in Germany. You have a government that is giving way completely to radical new policy” – Georgina Wright “We saw how difficult it was to leave the EU. It’s just as difficult to join. Can the EU realistically grant Ukraine, a country at war, candidate status?” – Georgina Wright “Confused accountability undermines the civil service’s confidence. Bolstering its legitimacy will help bolster its confidence and authority inside government” – Alex Thomas Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas, Cath Haddon, and guest Georgina Wright. Produced by Candice McKenzie for the Institute for Government in association with Podmasters.
Russia invades Ukraine and shocks the world, with casualties already reported and citizens fleeing Kyiv. What does Putin want? And can a raft of sanctions introduced by Western governments force him to change his mind? Former chair of the Intelligence and Security committee DOMINIC GRIEVE joins us to discuss the crisis and its ramifications for Europe.
“Ukraine’s status as an independent state on Russia’s borders has become intolerable to Putin.” - Alex Nice “The signs have been clear for a long time that Putin will use any means if it furthers his agenda.” - Dominic Grieve “This crisis could extend to the Baltic states. If Putin thinks there is a weakness, then he will exploit it.” - Dominic Grieve “BBC Russia does an excellent job, and removing RT might result in a ‘tit-for-tat’ response from Russia.” “This refugee crisis will primarily focus on Poland, but other states including the UK should be involved in this.” - Alex Nice “Three decades of German foreign policy has been washed away by this crisis.” - Cath Haddon
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Alex Nice. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.
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The Ukraine Crisis is still unresolved. What exactly does Putin want, is he determined to use force to achieve it – and can Britain do anything about it? Plus, Boris Johnson plans to create a new ‘Office of the Prime Minister’. But what exactly is the Cabinet Office, how does this “odds and sods department” work – and is the idea of creating a whole new department wise, Prime Minister?
Ex-Cabinet Office minister and Justice Secretary David Lidington and former (founding) head of the National Cyber Security Centre Ciaran Martin are our special guests.
“Any Ukrainian will tell you they’ve been at war with Russia since 2014… They’ve been under severe cyber-harassment from Russia ever since.” – Ciaran Martin
“If Ukraine makes a success of democracy and a Euro-Atlantic way of looking at the world, that’s a mortal threat to Putin and his regime.” – David Lidington
“When you’re doing civil service reform, don’t hide behind jargon because that might be the thing that sinks it.” – Cath Haddon
“Ukraine is Russia’s cyber playground… The Russians constantly use it to undermine Ukrainians’ faith in their society and their government.” – Ciaran Martin
Presented by Alex Thomas and Cath Haddon. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.
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Bronwen Maddox gives the Institute for Government’s annual Director’s Lecture, followed by a response from New Statesman political editor Stephen Bush and a discussion chaired by Sir David Lidington, the former Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Minister for the Cabinet Office, and Justice Secretary. In her speech, Bronwen reflects on the Government’s handling of the pandemic, expectations of government now, and the reforms that are needed. Audio production by Candice McKenzie for IfG
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Will Boris Johnson’s panic reshuffle provide the hard reset he needs? Can reorganising the No.10 backroom dispel the shadows of the Gray Report and the Met investigation into parties at Downing Street? Plus Sir John Major launches stinging criticism of the PM at an IfG event this week. Will it tip the scales for Boris Johnson? And the big question… what’s wrong with British government? Political commentator Steve Richards – host of the Rock’n’Roll Politics podcast – is our special guest this week.
“This is the most blistering attack from a former occupant of No.10 to a current occupant that I can recall.” – Steve Richards
“This was John Major battling for the heart and soul of the Conservative Party… He was calling out the entire Cabinet for tolerating this Prime Minister.” – Jill Rutter
“Blair told me one of his reshuffles was a two-year project. This one took place over a weekend. It’s shallow.” – Steve Richards
“You can have the most tightly organised government in the world but unless Johnson becomes more serious and focused, it won’t matter.” – Emma Norris
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Emma Norris and Jill Rutter. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.
The Institute for Government is delighted to welcome Sir John Major KG CH to give a keynote speech on the issue of trust and standards in British democracy. The event is chaired by Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government. Watch the keynote here. Sir John Major was Prime Minister from 1990 to 1997. He served as MP for Huntingdon from 1979 to 2001. Audio production by Candice McKenzie for IfG
Sue Gray has finally published her report into Downing Street parties, and despite it being a diminished version, it was damning about the culture and structure of No. 10. What does it mean for Boris Johnson - and what happens next? The Met Police’s decision to launch their own investigation stymied Gray’s report, and reports of misogyny within the Met has put chief commissioner Cressida Dick under huge pressure. And the long-awaited levelling up white paper has been released. Was it worth the wait? - “The party in the Downing Street flat on 13th November is most dangerous for Johnson.” - Emma Norris - “Most people do think the rules were broken in Downing Street, it doesn’t really matter what the Prime Minister says.” - Tim Durrant - “No matter how independent Civil Servants are, they are not the right person to investigate the Prime Minister, who is also their boss.” - Emma Norris - “When Sue Gray announced she was going to slim down her report, the odds of Johnson staying past June went up 20%.” - Giles Wilkes Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Emma Norris. Tim Durrant and Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
As tensions rise on the Ukrainian border, are we at risk of Europe’s first ground war since 1945? Sir Lawrence Freedman joins the panel to discuss the situation, and to lay out the role the UK will play in the crisis. Back in Britain we still await the Sue Gray report, but now the Met are involved. What does the police investigation mean for Number 10? And in some good news it’s the end of Plan B COVID restrictions in England, but is our battle against the pandemic really over? “It would be really stupid for the Russians to invade a country of 40 million people, many of whom don’t like them.” - Lawrence Freedman “Nobody expects Western powers to fight in Ukraine, if the war takes place it’ll be between Ukraine and Russia.” - Lawrence Freedman “If Boris Johnson is spending so much time meeting MPs, is he giving the Ukraine crisis all the time it needs?” - Cath Haddon “It may be that many Conservative MPs have made their minds up, they’re just waiting for the Sue Gray report.” - Cath Haddon “The question now is, does the Conservative Party do more damage to themselves while they try to resolve this?” - Cath Haddon “As plan B ends there might be a temptation to declare ‘freedom day’, I don’t think that would be wise.” - Alex Thomas
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
A Red Wall MP has defected to Labour, and David David has publicly called for the PM to go. But we’re still waiting for Sue Gray’s report, and Boris Johnson is still Prime Minister. LBC’s IAIN DALE joins us to discuss the past few days in Parliament, and the bigger questions about what could come next.
“The way that Boris Johnson has diminished the office, if he left in the next few months he would go down in the bottom quartile of PMs.” - IAIN DALE “Calling it operation ‘save big dog’ also invites other names like ‘Dead Dog’ or ‘Dog’s Dinner’.” - IAIN DALE “Number 10 in particular, the tone is really set by the Prime Minister.” - ALEX THOMAS “It is going to come down to Conservative MPs holding their leader to account. Parliament can’t do that.” - CATH HADDON “A lot of people in 2019 voted Conservative for the first time because of Boris Johnson. He’s lost their trust.” - IAIN DALE
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.
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Boris Johnson makes an uncharacteristic apology to the House for No.10’s lockdown garden party – but is the PM reaching for a narrow legalistic self-justification when the court of public opinion has already passed its verdict? What can the Sue Grey Report uncover about the culture of Downing Street? And will anyone carry the can for this apparent breach of the COVID rules? Our special guest in a seismic week in Westminster is the Evening Standard’s political editor David Bond.
“The mood in PMQs was absolutely extraordinary… We saw a very different Boris Johnson from the one we’ve become use to. He looked broken.” – DAVID BOND
“It’s not just legal jeopardy that Johnson is in. Has he lied to the House?” – HANNAH WHITE
“Compared to the massive support you usually see for the Prime Minister at PMQs this was a very, very different spectacle.” – DAVID BOND
“There’s a wide expectation that Sue Grey will be able to pass judgment on the Prime Minister – but that’s not actually her job.” – TIM DURRANT
“There is nothing in Boris Johnson’s past which suggests he is going to be a crusader for tougher rules…” – DAVID BOND
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Tim Durrant and Hannah White. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
As 2022 kicks off with rising inflation, soaring energy bills and taxes set to increase, what sort of state is Britain’s economy in - and how bad are things for the Government? Another issue is levelling up, is it the answer to the Number 10’s problems? And as Liz Truss takes over the Brexit reigns, how will she be different to Lord Frost? The FT’s Economics Editor CHRIS GILES joins us this week.
“Inflation means a lot of things for this Government, none of them good.” - GILES WILKES “Inflation is every bit as dangerous for Governments as unemployment because it’s so broad-based.” - GILES WILKES “The promise of higher wages is going to look a little thin.” - CHRIS GILES “This government has demonstrated a desire to loosen the purse-strings when it comes to public services, that means higher taxes.” - GEMMA TETLOW “Departments do seem to have an incentive in delivering levelling-up, but it’s not entirely clear what it is.” - GEMMA TETLOW “The most immediate issue in Liz Truss’s in-tray is the Northern Ireland protocol.” - JOE MARSHALL
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Gemma Tetlow, Giles Wilkes and Joe Marshall. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.
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We look back on a tumultuous year in politics, from the Owen Paterson debacle to the endless Christmas party scandals, from the shame of Afghanistan to Lord Frost melting away. Has Boris Johnson’s approach of muddling through at the last minute run out of road? And will he try to reassert control by amping up conflict with the EU? Plus what’s coming in 2022, from the Levelling Up White Paper, to elections across the UK and especially Northern Ireland, to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
“In a matter of weeks Boris Johnson went from looking like nothing could stop him to a journalist asking if everything was OK.” – CATH HADDON
“I wonder if the Christmas party stories would have been so big if the narrative hadn’t already started to move against Johnson.” – ALEX THOMAS
“Johnson has clearly alienated a huge tranche of his backbenchers… Johnson looks like a prisoner of his own party.” – JILL RUTTER
“This is the end for the moment of the Johnson playbook of ‘never apologise, never explain’.” – ALEX THOMAS
“We’ve seen repeated questioning of No.10’s ability to handle crises – or just escalated them and make them worse than they ever were.” – CATH HADDON
“If Johnson keeps asking his backbenchers to vote for things he himself then fails to support, that creates real focused anger on the backbenches.” – ALEX THOMAS
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Jill Rutter and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG
We’ve all had quite enough reality for another year. So the IfG podcast team escape back into the worlds of fiction and fantasy to discover what they can teach us about governing. Which power struggle at the heart of Succession has echoes of the government’s attitude to Parliament? Does the idyllic world of Peppa Pig offer a template for modern government? And when does James Bond find the time to do all his necessary paperwork and deal with HR? Patrick Kidd, the Times’ diary writer, joins Inside Briefing for this special Christmas episode. Presented by Cath Haddon with Gavin Freeguard, Alice Lilly and Patrick Kidd. Audio production by Candice McKenzie
A seismic North Shropshire by-election result rocks the Johnson government, handing a seat that’s been almost exclusively Conservative for 200 years to the Lib Dems. Can the Prime Minister put an end to his scandals and self-inflicted troubles – or are we looking at the beginning of the end for Boris Johnson? Plus, scientific advice from Chris Whitty and SAGE falls out of sync with No.10’s messaging. Is the Government really at war with its scientists? And if Plan B was so hard to get through, what are the chances for Plan C? Our special guest is JACK BLANCHARD of Politico.
“There’s no two ways about it. Boris Johnson took a hell of a kicking last night.” – JACK BLANCHARD
“What’s most worrying for the Tories is the ghost of the mid-90s when voters got a taste for finding ways to vote them out.” – GILES WILKES
“The party story has cut through like nothing since Barnard Castle.” – JACK BLANCHARD
“It doesn’t feel like Boris Johnson can get through the next few months without putting his foot in it… and getting into a Gordon Brown Death Spiral.” – JACK BLANCHARD Presented by Hannah White with Cath Haddon and Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.
After a week of denying that any party took place at Downing Street last Christmas, Boris Johnson has asked Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to investigate. We discuss the row, the response, and what comes next. In the midst of all of this, the PM announced Plan B Covid measures for England. What do they mean in practice? And in other developments, a Foreign Office whistleblower testified about the ‘chaotic’ Afghanistan withdrawal this summer. We look at the fall-out. Laura Hughes, Diplomatic and Political correspondent for The Financial Times, is our guest this week. “The constant denials of this party encouraged journalists to keep digging. Now it’s completely out of control for the PM.” - LAURA HUGHES “The attempted cover-up is as bad as the crime. This suggestion by Labour that the public have been take for fools does stand.” - LAURA HUGHES “It beggars belief that Johnson didn’t have a conversation in the last week where he asked ‘Was there a party? What’s my line?’.” - CATH HADDON “Allegra Stratton’s resignation has evoked quite a lot of sympathy for her from the public, but her position was untenable.” - JILL RUTTER “If I was a cynical journalist, announcing a huge raft of new COVID measures might be a diversion tactic from rumours of parties in Number 10.” - LAURA HUGHES “This line of ‘don’t go to work but have a Christmas party’ doesn’t make sense.” - CATH HADDON Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Jill Rutter. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
When Angela Rayner stood up to set out her vision for restoring trust in public life, news broke that Keir Starmer had started to reshuffle his team. Was it a conspiracy, a cock-up, or something in-between? ELENI COUREA, political reporter at The Times who broke the reshuffle story, joins to discuss Labour’s internal politics, and the new-look Shadow Cabinet. And, the new strain of COVID is here. Will Omicron result in another cancelled Christmas, or will the measures brought in be enough to save the festive season? “Angela Rayner’s team were convinced Starmer wanted to overshadow her speech, but the leader’s office have denied this.” - ELENI COUREA “Many Labour MPs do have close links with Blair and Brown, so referring to the factions isn’t inaccurate.” - ELENI COUREA “The Government are suffering because they don’t have a clear decision making framework.” - ALEX THOMAS “The Conservative Party is united in not wanting to impose any domestic restrictions.” - ELENI COUREA “The common sense message has become lost because different people are saying different things.” - ALEX THOMAS Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
The Prime Minister’s speech to the CBI, in which he enthused about Peppa Pig and lost his place for 20 excruciating seconds, has caused concern in Government. Is all ok inside Number 10, or was this just the PM being himself?
It’s not all plain sailing in the Commons either, as the Government suffered a big rebellion over plans to reform social care, and the row over standards in public life continues. Our special guest ROBERT SHRIMSLEY, Chief Political Commentator at the FT, joins us to discuss.
“The problem is, this is the Prime Minister. He thrives on this chaotic approach and he has always relied on it.” - ROBERT SHRIMSLEY “The vaccine task force did well, but when you have money and momentum behind you that task becomes easier.” - ALEX THOMAS “Those who will benefit the most from social care plan are those with the most expensive houses, inevitably in the South.” - ROBERT SHRIMSLEY “The whips need to get a handle on this because the more MPs get a taste of rebellion, the more likely it is to happen.” - HANNAH WHITE “Johnson was elected as good-time premier, but COVID has wrecked the finances.” - ROBERT SHRIMSLEY
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Hannah White, Alex Thomas and Graham Atkins. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.
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As Boris Johnson struggles to shake off questions about standards and MPs’ second jobs, what’s the latest in the never-ending row gripping Westminster? Also how did the Government scramble supplies of PPE during the pandemic peak? The data has been released so we take a closer look. And John Swinney, Deputy First Minister of Scotland gave a talk at the IFG, and he didn’t hold back.
Our special guest is HENRY DYER, politics reporter for Business Insider, specialising in political financing, appointments and data-driven investigations.
“We all lose when people don’t have faith in Parliament as an institution” - ALICE LILLEY “The UK’s stockpile of PPE was much too small, we hadn’t prepared for this” - TOM SASSE “According to John Swinney, the Government is undermining devolution” - AKASH PAUN “A lot of MPs currently in jobs are thinking ‘am I going to be able continuing doing these jobs or not?’” - HANNAH WHITE
Presented by Tim Durrant with Hannah White, Alice Lilley, Tom Sasse and Akash Paun. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.
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As the Owen Paterson mess unspools to expose Geoffrey Cox’s novel approach to working from home and much more, has the Government set off a multi-polar controversy it can’t control? Did Boris Johnson do himself any favours by refusing to face the Commons in contrition? And how does it play outside Westminster when someone on £80,000 a year claims they needs a second or third job?
Our special guest is ROB HUTTON, veteran lobby journalist and now sketchwriter at The Critic.
• “What did I make of last week in Parliament? It was objectively hilarious.” – ROB HUTTON • “Rees-Mogg and Mark Spencer had to sit silently on the benches and take their punishment – and that was quite the sight.” – CATH HADDON • “It’s not important to say you’re not a corrupt country. It’s important not to HAVE to say you’re not a corrupt country…” – ROB HUTTON • “If MPs like Geoffrey Cox have time to do all this extra work, why don’t they spend it trying to improve Parliament?” – CATH HADDON • “The fact that Geoffrey Cox had massive outside jobs was known ten days ago and it wasn’t news back then. It is now.” – ROB HUTTON
Presented by Hannah White with Cath Haddon and Tim Durrant. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
In a series of unforced errors, the Government first whips its MPs to rescind the suspension of OWEN PATERSON MP for lobbying and rethink the entire Commons standards process… then suffers a rebellion and a roasting in the press… and then reverses their decision entirely. How damaging is this episode? And is there a case for reforming the system? Plus, we hear the latest on COP26 from RICHARD BLACK, senior associate of climate change non-profit the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, who’s on the spot in Glasgow.
• “Yes, there is a case to be made for reforming the standards process, but not when you’re investigating a former Cabinet Minister.” – JILL RUTTER • “If you have a PM who is willing to use his political capital to protect someone who has broken the rules, there is no recourse in our system” – TIM DURRANT • “Upending a whole system to protect one of your own laid the Government open to charges that it would just protect its friends.”– JILL RUTTER • “If the country is going to become carbon neutral then the countryside is going to have to become carbon negative” – RICHARD BLACK
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Tom Sasse, Jill Rutter and Tim Durrant. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
On 27 October, Rishi Sunak presented his third budget and the first multiyear spending review since 2015. Now the dust has settled, what did we learn? Why was the fiscal windfall so large? How did the chancellor choose to spend it? Was there evidence of a Brexit dividend? Did the spending review settlements meet the needs of public services? Can government become more productive to achieve much more with only a bit more money? Our special guest for this special edition was Chris Francis, government affairs director for SAP. This special Budget edition comes with welcome support from SAP. Find out more at www.sap.com/uk Audio Production by Candice McKenzie
Fuelled by a Twix and a can of Sprite, Chancellor Rishi Sunak finally set out his budget and multi-year spending review on Wednesday, we take a look at his plans will mean for Britain’s economy. Also, COVID hasn’t gone away, but what would the introduction of plan B look like? Is the public ready for it?
And COP26 begins at the weekend. MO HUSSEIN, former advisor to Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd joins to tell us what these conferences are really like, and what needs to happen to make the event a success for both Britain and the world.
- “The rhetoric of the budget speech didn’t match up to the forecasts.” - GEMMA TETLOW
- “When Sunak receives bad news, he raises taxes. When he gets good news, he raises spending.” - GEMMA TETLOW
- “It was noticeable how little ‘net-zero’ was mentioned in the budget, especially with COP26 next week.” - ROSA HODGKIN
- “The Conservatives are matching, even outdoing Labour on spending in some areas.” - MO HUSSEIN
- “Lots of geopolitics happens at COP summits, countries need to cut through that.” - MO HUSSEIN
- “Failure would look like coming out COP26 with the same climate targets as we have now.” - ROSA HODGKIN
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Gemma Tetlow and Rosa Hodgkin of the IfG. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
This week’s Budget is Rishi Sunak’s third – but the first he’s undertaken outside of firefighting mode. What can we expect? Will Sunak be able to finally put some meat on the bare bones of levelling up? How much room to manoeuvre does he have in the midst of crises on the cost of living, staffing and productivity? And what should he do for small business?
Our special guests for this special edition are SONIA KHAN, former special advisor to Sajid Javid; and CRAIG BEAUMONT from the Federation of Small Businesses.
This budget preview edition is supported by the Federation of Small Businesses. Find out more at www.fsb.org.uk
- “Even if we get back to a pre-pandemic economy, that wasn’t so rosy… Unless we get a step change in productivity it’s not going to feel like the Roaring Twenties.” – TOM POPE
- “When Chancellors deliver growth or investment, it’s often the Chancellor after them that reaps the credit.” – SONIA KHAN
- “Small businesses have had a torrid 18 months and they’re expecting a torrid autumn-winter… We’ve lost over 400,000 small businesses.” – CRAIG BEAUMONT
- “We’re seeing Sunak shake off his Mr Nice Guy image… We’re seeing the start of the definition of what he’s about.” – SONIA KHAN
- “The economy is smaller than it was for small businesses and the recovery looks like it’s running out of steam.” – GRAHAM ATKINS
Presented by Gemma Tetlow with Tom Pope of the IfG. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
The murder of Sir David Amess MP has shocked the political world deeply. With the threat level to MPs now assessed as “significant”, how will this terrible event affect the face-to-face contact with parliamentarians that British democracy depends upon? Plus, are the Government’s voluminous climate change plans in shape for Boris Johnson’s big moment at COP26? As energy prices soar, has the Government got its Net Zero tax sums rights? Tim Ross, executive editor (politics) of the New Statesman, is our special guest.
“The mood in Westminster is incredibly sad… David Amess and also James Brokenshire were two of the nicest and kindest MPs.” – Tim Ross
“If leaders want the public to treat MPs with respect, it needs to start from the top. We can’t have Prime Ministers bashing Parliamentarians.” – Jill Rutter
“What is driving this aggressive culture? There is a profound cynicism about Parliament – but most parliamentarians are decent people who are trying to help.” – Alice Lilly
“I question whether the country cares enough about its democracy. Do we care enough to protect our MPs?" – Tim Ross
“You can’t spin shortages on the shelves as a brilliant idea.” – Giles Wilkes
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alice Lilly, Jill Rutter and Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
As the EU produces sweeping new proposals on previous red-line issues, can the Government really rewrite the Northern Ireland Protocol to everyone’s satisfaction? If Britain always intended to sign now and ditch it later, what will that do future relations with the EU? Plus, we read every page of the Coronavirus: Lessons Learned report to tease out what really matters. Adam Payne of politicshome.com is our guest.
“Will Johnson ever be able to say that Brexit is done? It’s more a case of, will he ever WANT to say that Brexit is done?” – Jill Rutter
“Any future COVID inquiry will inevitably be hugely damaging to the Conservative brand – but this report is not going to damage this particular government.” – Adam Payne
“It’s amazing that a report covering perhaps the biggest public health failure ever is a one-day news story.” – Jill Rutter
“From the COVID report there’s perhaps too much emphasis on the advice and not enough on the political decision-making.” – Tom Sasse
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Joe Marshall, Jill Rutter and Tom Sasse. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
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Boris Johnson used his conference speech to promise higher wages, productivity and economic growth. But against a backdrop of petrol shortages, empty shelves and a mass cull of healthy pigs, is he really leading an economic revolution akin to Thatcher’s? And the fallout from Germany’s federal election continues. Berlin-based author and commentator John Kampfner joins us to discuss who will form the next government, and the issues that could define Europe’s biggest power in the years ahead.
“Johnson’s speech did the job for the party, but it felt incongruent with events happening elsewhere.” - Alex Thomas
“If you look at the state of Britain, Labour should be on a roll, but Johnson carries the floor with unbridled optimism.” - John Kampfner
“It wasn’t an anti-business conference, but there was a different attitude towards the state from previous years.” - Gemma Tetlow
“Germany shows us that levelling-up is a vast, national project” - Alex Thomas
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas and Gemma Tetlow. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
After a bruising Brighton conference, has Keir Starmer strengthened his position as Labour leader? And did Rachel Reeves do enough to convince Britain that Labour can be trusted on the economy, green issues and value for public money? Our special guest, the Daily Mirror’s senior political correspondent Rachel Wearmouth, helps us to rate Starmer’s relaunch. Plus, what can we learn from a good old-fashioned fuel crisis?
“The key job at a Labour conference is to look like you’re in control of the madness that is the world of Labour.” – Rachel Wearmouth
“Troops on the street isn’t a good look – but the impression of things being done urgently in a crisis IS a good look.” – Alex Thomas
“Conservative MPs have told me that if they lose the motorists, they lose the next election.” – Rachel Wearmouth
“40,000 HGV drivers have left the UK in the last year - and most of them haven’t come back.” – Gemma Tetlow
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Gemma Tetlow and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
“Levelling-up” was one of the key Conservative manifesto pledges at the last election, and now it even has its own government department and minister, but what exactly does it mean? A new IFG paper takes a look what the Government has been saying on the subject, and the spending promises made so far. Plus, next week sees the expiration of the £20 Universal Credit uplift, but how much pressure is chancellor Rishi Sunak under? And what should we expect from Keir Starmer’s first conference as Labour leader? The I’s deputy political editor Arj Singh joins us on today’s show.
“Experts compare levelling-up to the difference between East and West Germany, which took decades” - Arj Singh
“The Government are gearing up for the next election to be fought on levelling-up” - Cath Haddon
“A big question is how much are we going to level-up politically with local government and city mayors?” - Cath Haddon
“The problem for the Government is that they made a big increase in benefits, they now look like they’re trying to make a big cut” - Nick Timmins
“This Universal Credit cut hits the areas the Government wants to level-up hardest” - Arj Singh
“Keir Starmer does need to put some meat on the bones of his offer or the public will stop listening to him” - Arj Singh
“Angela Rayner is positioning herself to take advantage of any slip ups from Starmer” - Arj Singh
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Eleanor Shearer and Nick Timmins. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
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As Boris Johnson’s long awaited cabinet reshuffle finally took place, who were the winners and losers from a day of drama in Whitehall? The Daily Telegraph’s Political Editor Ben Riley-Smith joins to take a look at the ministerial movements, and what effect they will have on government and policymaking. And in another prime-ministerial pick, William Shawcross looks set to become Commissioner of Public Appointments. We take a look at the role, and the person who the PM wants to fill it.
“Downing Street sees this period as a pivot point, away from COVID and towards delivering on their manifesto” - Ben Riley-Smith
“This was about Johnson reshuffling the team that were loyal to him, rather than promoting rising stars” - Cath Haddon
“Michael Gove has been the PM’s problem solver in the cabinet, taking on issues like the Union and Brexit planning” - Ben Riley-Smith
“Deputy Prime Minister is a great title for Dominic Raab, but whether or not Johnson deputises to him is another matter” - Cath Haddon
“Liz Truss has held Cabinet posts under three different Prime Ministers, it’s been a remarkable rise” - Ben Riley-Smith
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Tom Pope and Matthew Gill. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
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Parliament only returned on Monday, but is Boris Johnson already in trouble after his rise in National Insurance threatens to hit the working age young hardest? Conservative commentator Tim Montgomerie joins us to look at the Prime Minister’s internal party problems, and ask if his social care plans add up. Plus, the Autumn Budget takes place next month, but with Government spending rising, does Rishi Sunak face a difficult few weeks of saying “no”? And has COVID provided a cover for the Government to evade scrutiny? Alice Lilley explains a new IFG report.
“It’s been a very bad week to be a Conservative. There will be a political backlash” - Tim Montgomerie
“The Government has lost control of spending, and I don’t see a strategy from them to be fiscally responsible” - Tim Montgomerie
“The promise not to raise taxes was always going to be hard to keep. Coronavirus has made that even more difficult” - Gemma Tetlow
“The Government might have the votes in the Commons, but it’s losing the support of the Parliamentary party” - Tim Montgomerie
“The Conservative party is going through an identity crisis. It’s becoming the party for the older voter” - Tim Montgomerie
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alice Lilley, Gemma Tetlow and Graham Atkins. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Western intervention in Afghanistan has petered out in ignominy. Who will carry the can for Britain’s biggest foreign policy disaster in half a century? As the Foreign Office and MoD squabble, is Dominic Raab telling the truth when he blames military intelligence for this fiasco? And what does an introverted America mean for NATO and the security of the West? We look at the fallout with special guests Dan Sabbagh, The Guardian’s Defence and Security Editor, and Lucy Fisher, Deputy Political Editor at the Daily Telegraph and former Defence Editor at the Times.
“The West is completely shellshocked by America’s decision to withdraw on its own timetable… This has huge repercussions for NATO which is already hanging by a thread.” – Lucy Fisher
“If Britain had decided to commit more troops as America leaves, would the British people really have gone for it?” – Dan Sabbagh
“The raw intelligence was absolutely correct, that the Taliban would be fast and ruthless But as it went up the food chain it went wildly wrong.” – Lucy Fisher
“There are two ways the intelligence could have got diluted. One is overt politicisation, the other is treating it as TOO authoritative.” – Alex Thomas
“My jaw was on the floor when I read that Raab and his senior team had not made a single call to the Afghan or Pakistani foreign ministries in six months.” – Lucy Fisher
“There’s a clear winner here – Ben Wallace and the MoD – and a clear loser, Dominic Raab and the Foreign Office.” – Dan Sabbagh
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
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This edition recorded before the emergency of Afghanistan. What is it like running the country over the Summer recess in normal times? Should certain Foreign Secretaries take account of the idea that a wise Minister never, ever goes on holiday? What happens when Foot And Mouth, floods, a sudden General Election or a pandemic blows up? What did our poor political reporters do for material? And did Blair and Cameron really share a Single Transferable Shirt for the obligatory holiday photo op? The IfG’s Alex Thomas explores the sandpits and riptides of summer governing with former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, David Cameron’s former Chief of Staff Kate Fall, Sam Coates of Sky News, and Steve Richards, host of the Rock’n’Roll Politics podcast and author of The Prime Ministers: Reflections on Leadership from Wilson to May.
“Is it nice when the boss is away? Depends on the boss…” – Jacqui Smith
“Quite a lot of the time ministers are miserable and neurotic… August gives them presentiments of the tense September ahead.” – Steve Richards
“During the summer the media team is cut in half, but you’re still expected to fill an entire newspaper…” – Sam Coates
“If you’ve got any sense as a shadow minister, you save a few choice questions to hit ministers with when the news agenda is empty.” – Jacqui Smith
“Decision-making requires a hyperactive Prime Minister… You need their physical presence more than a Zoom from their holiday hideaway.” – Steve Richards
Presented by Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The recall of Parliament in the wake of Afghanistan’s catastrophic collapse produced one of the most passionate days the Commons has seen in many years – and a punishing experience for Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab. What will this week mean for Britain in the world and especially the Integrated Defence Review? We look at the fallout in Westminster from an historic week, with special guest Peter Ricketts, the UK’s first National Security Adviser, former Permanent Secretary at the Foreign Office and ex-Permanent Representative to NATO.
“The raw passion and power was back in the Commons… It showed that the mood of the House can sway with just a few powerful speeches.” – Peter Ricketts
“There’s a pretty unedifying spat breaking out between the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence – and that is doing nobody any good.” – Alex Thomas
“This was a very sharp reminder that we are a middling power and when the big decisions are made in Washington, we have to go along with it.” – Peter Ricketts
“Global Britain was always a slogan without a strategy. And now it’s caught up with the Government.” – Peter Ricketts
Presented by Tim Durrant with Alice Lilley and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Prime Ministerial careers tend to end abruptly and in tears. So what does an ex-PM do next? Are today’s Prime Ministers too young to fade away gracefully? Should they avoid lobbying jobs? And when it comes to backbench politics, should they stay or should they go? The IfG’s Tim Durrant discusses the mystery of the Prime Ministerial afterlife (and the lure of the comeback) with ex-Justice Secretary David Gauke, Politico’s senior political correspondent Esther Webber, Engage Britain’s Director of Advocacy and former Times political editor Francis Elliot, and the IfG’s Catherine Haddon.
“The end of your Prime Ministership can come suddenly and unexpectedly… It’s quite hard to see what you’re going to do.” – David Gauke
“PMs tend to be younger now and they’re less likely to want to fade into obscurity – which going to the Lords would achieve quite easily.” – Esther Webber
“Moments of maximum crisis like COVID are exactly when ex-PMs miss the office most.” – Francis Elliott
“It’s an absorbing job, it consumes all your waking hours and it’s utterly fascinating. You’ve got status and international connections. For that to end is a wrench.” – David Gauke
Presented by Tim Durrant. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
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As Boris Johnson notches up two years in No.10, are we any closer to understanding what drives him? Is there such thing as an ideology in Boris’s world – a Johnsonism? Do Prime Ministers even need a guiding philosophy? To plumb the Johnson mystery, we assemble a star panel of Times columnist Matthew Parris, The Spectator’s Isabel Hardman and Tim Bale, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University.
“We’ve already seen the real Boris Johnson. He’ll do and say anything to maintain his position.” – Matthew Parris
“Johnson is a chameleon. He doesn’t like sitting in a tribe and he doesn’t have friends.” – Isabel Hardman
“The lack of censoriousness is where Johnson connects with traditional Toryism, and you can take it all the way back to Cavaliers and Roundheads.” – Tim Bale
“Leaders don’t need ideology, they just need power. Thatcherism was a bit of a mirage…” – Matthew Parris
Presented by Catherine Haddon. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
As Parliament breaks up, how will the Government look back on this unique and turbulent term? As Boris Johnson tries to reset his leadership after some missteps and missed opportunities, what are the post-pandemic problems he needs to fix? Two years in, his policy platform has still to take shape, so how long has the Prime Minister got? An IfG panel gets out its red pen to give marks to Johnson: Year Two.
“Looking back, it’s quite hard to remember how grim January and February were.” – Joe Marshall
“The excuse that ‘we just need to get on and deal with the virus’ just isn’t there anymore.” – Hannah White
“Politics is going to unfreeze in the autumn, and a lot of difficult debates are going to re-emerge.” – Alex Thomas
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Hannah White, Alex Thomas, Tom Pope and Joe Marshall. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.
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Freedom Week, a Pingdemic Party, or just a temporary holiday from restrictions that will inevitably come back in autumn? Does the Government really know what it’s doing on unlocking? Plus, who did Dominic Cummings’s latest drive-by really damage: Boris Johnson or Cummings himself? And as the rise of NEDs or Non-Executive Directors is made public by the unfortunate Gina Coladangelo, do they really add value to Government, or just more cronyism?
“People watching Cummings just think, We elected the Prime Minister, not you, mate.” – Jill Rutter
“Being cautious at the same time as celebrating Freedom Day just doesn’t stack up.” – Alex Thomas
“There's a huge difference between what you're advised to do, and what you're required to do.” – Jill Rutter
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Jill Rutter, Alex Thomas. Matthew Gill and Tom Sasse. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
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Boris Johnson finally tells us what “levelling up” means – or does he? Is it about fixing up towns, enhancing job prospects or just more Boris boosterism? We look inside the PM’s big Levelling Up launch with special guest Ben Chu, Economics Editor of BBC Newsnight. Plus the Government narrowly wins its widely-denounced bid to cut the International Aid Budget. Will voters care that Johnson has broken a key manifesto promise? And a new report the Commission For Smart Government says government must reform urgently or fail. Is it right?
“Even after this speech we’re still not quite clear what levelling up means.” – Gemma Tetlow
“If your levelling up has a redistributive element then it’s got to be paid for. Whatever Johnson says, that means the more prosperous parts of the country.” – Ben Chu
“Johnson did seem to address his appeal for ideas from local leaders only to Conservative authorities, not Labour areas…” – Alex Thomas
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas and Gemma Tetlow. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Government’s rationale for unlocking aggressively is that the vaccine has broken the link between COVID infections and deaths. Is it a gamble, a sensible move or just a victory for the Cabinet’s Economic hawks? We ask special guest John Rentoul, chief political commentator of the Independent. Plus, how much substance is there to the Government’s ‘Green Recovery’ programme? And with England in the Euro 2020 final, does sporting success really give Governments a bounce?
“The ‘irreversible’ aspect doesn’t matter. People are quite used to Boris Johnson reversing on anything and everything.” – John Rentoul
“We’re now experiencing a major outbreak of infections. The question is how is the Government going to ride the exit wave?” – Tom Sasse
“Footballers used to be of interest only for their wives and girlfriends. Now they’re sympathetic tribunes of the people. It’s extraordinary.” – John Rentoul
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas, Tom Sasse and Rosa Hodgkin. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
What have we learned from the Hancock Affair and the messy defenestration of the former Health Secretary? In a murky world of ‘non-executive directors like Gina Coladangelo, what on earth is “NED-washing”? And the much-battered Ministerial Code is back in focus. We hear from special guest Paul Harrison, former No.10 spokesman and former Health Dept advisor. Plus, what’s in new Health Sec Sajid Javid’s in-tray?
“If you’re appointing your mates then you’re probably not bringing in the best people.” – Alex Thomas
“The system of regulation ministerial conduct is kind of mad and medieval… The PM decides if you’ve broken the Code, and that’s often subjective.” – Paul Harrison
“It sounds like Gina Coladangelo’s role was to advise Matt Hancock personally – which is not what a non-executive director is supposed to do.” – Cath Haddon
“The extent of the outcry on Hancock is actually quite encouraging, because it shows how little corruption actually happens.” – Paul Harrison
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Alex Thomas and Graham Atkins. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Britain signs its first entirely new post-Brexit trade deal, with Australia. What does it mean for British farmers? Will shoppers notice the savings of 70p per person per year? And will Brits really want to p-p-pick up a Tim-Tam? Will Grant Shapps’ new “Great British Railways” fix the mess of Britain’s trains? Plus, how does Michael Gove plan to transform government – and what is “accountability fudge”? • “In Australia there’s a sense that the deal rights the historic wrong of the UK ‘abandoning’ Australia when it joined the EU.” – Sarah Nickson • “People will be relieved that the Australian deal is done – but it’s not earth-shattering.” – Matthew Gill • “The acid test of Great British Railways is, does it mean we’ll never have a timetabling fiasco again?” – Jill Rutter Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Jill Rutter, Matthew Gill, Sarah Nickson and James Kane. Audio production by Robin Leeburm. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
As the G7 in Cornwall marks the first major summit of the post-COVID era, can Boris Johnson steer conversation away from the worsening Northern Ireland Protocol situation towards his preferred theme of Global Britain? We hear from Tom Newton Dunn, chief political commentator at Times Radio and political columnist at the Evening Standard. Plus, inside UK Government’s woeful record on ethics. ‘Freedom Day’ on June 21 in jeopardy. And your guide to the upcoming Sausage War with the EU. • “The fact that this G7 is even happening is in itself an achievement.” – Tom Newton Dunn • “What does Boris Johnson want from the G7? He wants to be at the centre of global attention for vaccination and climate change.” – Alex Thomas • “Politics is a contact sport… the drought of social interaction will lend extra weight to this G7.” – Hannah White Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Hannah White and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Covid-19 will top the agenda at this month's G7 summit in Cornwall. As some countries lift restrictions and near the completion of vaccine rollouts, others face severe outbreaks or progress being derailed by new variants. No country will escape from the Covid crisis alone – a coordinated global plan which covers vaccination, surveillance and health infrastructure is essential. To discuss how world leaders can meet these challenges and put in place long-term plans for handling the threat of Covid-19, this Institute for Government event saw an expert panel draw on a series of roundtables organised by the IfG and Wellcome Trust. Our panel included:
Tom Whipple, Science Editor, The Times
Sir Suma Chakrabarti, former Permanent Secretary, DfID and the Ministry of Justice, and incoming chair of the Overseas Development Institute. President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development from 2012–20
Dame Una O’Brien, former Permanent Secretary, UK Department of Health; Member of Council, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Professor Gagandeep Kang, Professor in the Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, India and Fellow of the Royal Society.
The event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.
IfGG7
We would like to thank Wellcome Trust for kindly supporting this event. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
What divides the great Prime Ministers from the mediocre and the just plain bad? And how does Boris Johnson measure up in those stakes? Author of The Impossible Office: The History of the British Prime Minister Sir Anthony Seldon and former Government advisor Salma Shah take us on a deep dive into the harsh realities of the country’s most powerful office. Is Boris Johnson really as bad a PM as Dominic Cummings says he is? And is unfitness for office just a myth? • “Unfitness for office has never disqualified people as Prime Ministers. The question with Johnson is, was he unfit enough?” – Anthony Seldon • “One of Prime Ministers’ strengths is a complete lack of self-awareness… Otherwise every day would be a duvet day.” – Salma Shah • “Every PM who’s been less successful has lacked that clear, ruthless vision. You must either have it – or history must throw it on your plate.” – Anthony Seldon • “Sajid Javid had a knack of making your believe any decision was yours and not his.” – Salma Shah • “So much of being a Prime Minister is a confidence trick. If confidence collapses, as it did for Theresa May, it’s all over.” – Anthony Seldon Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
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What should we take from Dominic Cummings’ volcanic testimony before the Commons Heath, and Science and Technology committees, and his excoriation of Matt Hancock? Is Boris Johnson’s No.10 really so chaotic? And if the PM is “unfit for office”, how could Cummings work with him for so long? Special guest Sam Freedman, a former adviser at the Department for Education who has worked with Cummings, helps us sift the rubble from one of Westminster’s most cataclysmic days.
“This wasn’t so much a machine-gunning as a bombardment with shells.” – Bronwen Maddox
“When you’re spending your time in No.10 managing the PM away from big issues then you have a serious problem.” – Jill Rutter
“Johnson behaves like a toddler. All he does is make stupid jokes and try to get attention for himself. You can see how he would be a hindrance in COBRA.” – Sam Freedman
“Cummings gave a picture of an incredibly centralised government, very focused on whiteboards in Downing Street and not the outside world.” – Alex Thomas
“I’ve never seen Cummings as having any intellectual respect for Johnson. He saw Boris as a vehicle for his ideas.” – Sam Freedman
“When you have a Prime Minister who thinks rules are for mugs, you don’t get good government.” – Jill Rutter
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Jill Rutter, Alex Thomas and Sam Freedman. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Will the Indian Variant push back the Great Unlocking of June 21 that Boris Johnson has pinned so many hopes on? Are we looking at the return to tiers or even national lockdowns, and will Conservative COVID hawks wear it? Meanwhile the Government’s advice on international travel continues to baffle. Is “go but don’t go” really good enough? And what can we expect from the COVID Inquiry, just confirmed by government?
“It’s sobering that, if we accept the worst case scenarios, we could be back at the levels of cases that we saw in January and February.” – Giles Wilkes
“Any chair who accepted these terms for the COVID enquiry would not be fit for the job.” – Marcus Shepheard
“Did the Government delay ending travel from India because it wanted a deal with the Indian Government? Absolutely. I’ll be amazed if not.” – Giles Wilkes
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Giles Wilkes, Matthew Gill, Rosa Hodgkin and Marcus Shepheard. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
What do the thirty bills in that very brief Queen’s Speech tell us about No.10’s true priorities, and whatever happened to social care? How is this delivery-obsessed Government doing against its 2019 manifesto commitments? Plus LATIKA BOURKE, a London-based journalist for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, joins us to look at Australia’s draconian but hugely popular COVID response – and its strangely slothful vaccination effort. What can Britain learn from the way Australia tackled Coronavirus? • “Economically this Queen’s Speech was disappointing… It’s as if nothing has changed since January 2020.” – Giles Wilkes • “I’m always amused by this ‘manifesto commitment’ idea you have in the UK, and the idea that governments might keep their promises…” – Latika Bourke • “I’d like to see what Conservative Party this is. Are they going to deregulate, or invest… or have they found some Third Way?” – Giles Wilkes • “In Australia, this pandemic feels like something that’s happening to other people somewhere else.” – Sarah Nickson • “Australia’s isolationist COVID response will damage Australia’s soft power around the world. It’s as if we’ve shirked our responsibilities to the world.” – Latika Bourke Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Giles Wilkes and Sarah Nickson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.
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Was the seismic shock of the Conservative victory in Hartlepool down to Brexit, vaccines, pork barrel politics or something more fundamental? What does this shock by-election mean for the endless battle between Starmer and the Corbynites? In the local elections, are the so-called Green and Lib Dem surges real? And what we know so far about the Scottish and Welsh national elections – all in a Friday afternoon interim election special. • “Journalists will be thumbing over this for days – but political scientists will be looking at the causes for years to come.” – Cath Haddon • “The trend towards this has been decades in the making.” – Jess Sargeant Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Akash Paun and Jess Sargeant. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The bill for renovating Boris Johnson’s Downing Street flat, what he might have said about “bodies piling high” and Dominic Cummings’ blog revelations have added up to a nightmare week for the Prime Minister. Special guest Stephen Daisley of The Spectator and Scottish Daily Mail joins us to ask if Johnson can weather it and if new ministerial standards advisor Christopher Geidt has the powers he needs. Plus, could the fall of Arlene Foster lead to a harder-line DUP leadership and even another breakdown of government in Northern Ireland? And we take a deep dive into the realities of Scotland’s potential independent future.
“The question is, Has the PM done anything that would put him on the wrong side of Ted Hastings from Line Of Duty?” – Stephen Daisley
“The Gove and Henry Newman faction is much in the ascendant and we’re seeing a clear-out of the Vote Leave people.” – Stephen Daisley
“For the French, the scandal is that Boris Johnson hasn’t spent ENOUGH on his wallpaper…” – Stephen Daisley
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Gemma Tetlow, Jill Rutter, Cath Haddon and Graham Atkins. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.
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This week’s revelations about James Dyson’s text messages to Boris Johnson have worsened the fog of sleaze and added to accusations that this Government is an opaque chumocracy. Is it possible to keep government “permeable” to valuable outside talent without opening it to backroom favours? Special guest Adrian Masters, Political Editor of ITV Cymru Wales, joins us to explain what could be Wales's closest Parliamentary election of the Devolution era. And how well did the Government play the football Super League fiasco?
“The Government might see direct messages as a way of getting quick solutions in a crisis. But if you’ve got the PM’s mobile number, do you get better access than anyone else?” – Cath Haddon
“Politicians are the least trusted people in the country, so it’s entirely possible that voters will dismiss this as ‘just what politicians do’.” – Tim Durrant
“There’s a danger that we overreact and we don’t get those valuable outside skills because we’re trying to prevent unfair financial advantage.” – Cath Haddon
“It feels like this steady flow of revelations is building into a public moment.” – Tim Durrant
Presented by Bronwen with Cath Haddon, Tim Durrant and Akash Paun. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The relationship between a failing business and a former prime minister, lobbying in British politics, the rules that guide both ministers and civil servants, and the wider state of standards in public life. Along with former prime minister David Cameron, the Greensill saga has now dragged a growing list of former and current government ministers and officials into its orbit. And it shows no sign of calming down. So what are the latest developments, what rules have been broken, what rules aren’t good enough and will the various inquiries now launched actually fix anything? A special INSIDE BRIEFING EXTRA brings together IfG’s experts on ministers, civil servants and standards in public life to make sense of it all – and look at the current rules and what now needs to change. With
Hannah White, IfG deputy director and a former secretary of the committee on Standards in Public Life
Tim Durrant, IfG associate director, former civil servant and lead for IfG work on ministers
Alex Thomas, IfG programme director and a former civil servant at the heart of government
Presented by Catherine Haddon, IfG senior fellow Audio production by Candice McKenzie See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From runways at Heathrow to leaving the EU, the Government dislikes its decisions being challenged in court. Now it’s putting Judicial Review itself under the spotlight. A new IfG report asks if that’s a wise course of action. Plus, are COVID passports really our Get Out Of Corona Jail card? Will they even work? And will they be using them in Parliament? This week’s special guest is Sir Jonathan Jones, head of the government legal service from 2014 to 2020.
“Good policymaking and lawful policymaking ought to be two sides of the same coin.” – Jonathan Jones
“Brexit has heightened the temperature around judicial review against the Government.” - Cath Haddon
“Boris Johnson himself is a big fan of COVID passports… and that means a lot.” – Raphael Hogarth
“If policy on vaccine passports is flaky then that’s going to risk a serious challenge.” – Jonathan Jones
Presented by Hannah White with Cath Haddon, Raphael Hogarth and Tom Sasse. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
As street violence convulses Northern Ireland, is the border in the Irish Sea producing exactly the crisis the Government were warned of? And will the expiry of the Grace Period make things worse? Special guest Ailbhe Rea, the New Statesman’s political correspondent and host of its podcast, explains what’s behind the tensions. Plus, will elections in Scotland and Wales push the UK closer to break-up? And No.10’s growing vaccine confidence problem.
“The Union is under the biggest threat it’s seen since the crisis in Ireland that created it.” – Jill Rutter
“Paramilitary makes them sound more glamorous than they are. They’re just criminal gangs and drug dealers.” – Ailbhe Rea
“Unionists have been forced to accept something that waters down their sense of being part of the UK.” – Jill Rutter
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Jill Rutter, Jess Sergeant and Akash Paun. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
As new details emerge about Boris Johnson’s alleged affair with Jennifer Arcuri, the country seems strangely unmoved. Does personal morality really matter in leaders? And should we be thinking about the money not the sex? Plus, what does the unravelling Greensill saga tell us about backdoor access to government? Has David Cameron actually broken any rules? And we look at the trade realities that an independent Scotland would have to face. The Sunday Times's Whitehall Correspondent Gabriel Pogrund is our special guest for this one hundredth edition.
“It’s not for journalists to moralise about Johnson’s private life. What matters is that Jennifer Arcuri received public money.” – Gabriel Pogrund
“The British public are gloriously indifferent as to whether their leaders have poor personal morality.” – Giles Wilkes
“How was it that this guy who had just left a bank was able to inveigle himself into the heart of Government?” – Gabriel Pogrund
“Greensill is not just about the rules, it’s about ethical principles. And there’s a risk to public perception over what Cameron chose to do.” – Hannah White
“The SNP are taking a leaf out of Vote Leave’s book. It doesn’t help to be too candid.” – Gabriel Pogrund
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Hannah White, Giles Wilkes, Jess Sergeant and Akash Paun. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
A year on from Lockdown One, what have we learned – if anything – from the response to the once-in-a-century crisis of COVID? A new IfG paper identifies ten urgent lessons that government needs to learn. And if there is to be a Public Inquiry, what should it seek to discover? Plus, as the post-EU Transition Period ends, does the real Brexit start here? And what problems has the Government’s approach stored up? The Guardian’s Rafael Behr is our special guest.
“Boris Johnson wanted to play the role of the happy-go-lucky leader and it just did not equip him for delivering the bad news and hard decisions that the crisis demanded.” – Rafael Behr
“There’s a clichéd Yes Minister view that the Civil Service elite know better than operational systems on the ground… But the pandemic turned that on its head.” – Alex Thomas
“I fear that the current Prime Minister will quickly seal off the disaster site, bulldoze the black boxes and claim it’s time to move on.” – Rafael Behr
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Maddy Thimont-Jack, Rhys Clyne and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
What’s in the mammoth 114-page Integrated Review of Britain’s defence and foreign policy? Should we really be putting aircraft carriers in the South China Sea and lifting the caps on nuclear warheads? And can the Government really re-tilt Britain from Europe to the “Indo-Pacific”? Plus, what will be the fallout from the murder of Sarah Everard and the Met’s disastrous mishandling of a subsequent vigil for policing and women’s safety? Our special guests are Sophia Gaston, Director of the British Foreign Policy group, and former senior advisor to Tony Blair John McTernan.
“This review is a totally clean break from the polarised rhetoric of the Brexit era… This is not a pieces of boosterish British exceptionalism. ” – Sophia Gaston
“Nuclear decisions are never just about the deterrent. They’re about how you’re perceived at the top table.” – Cath Haddon
“Britain wants to be the leading European presence in the Indo-Pacific region… And that means some negotiation with the EU to say the least.” – Sophia Gaston
“This doesn’t feel like a properly authored policy. It’s cut and paste. It’s gesture.” – John McTernan
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Will the reverberations from Harry and Meghan’s interview with Oprah Winfrey change the Monarchy? Is this a passing PR crisis or an existential moment for the Monarchy? And how do you carry out an inquiry into an institution as impenetrable as “the Firm”? Plus, as schools return en masse, can we rely on the £37bn Test and Trace system when inquiries have shown it to have made little to no contribution to the fight against COVID? And is the much-derided 1% pay proposal for NHS staff just Boris Johnson’s next U-Turn in waiting? This week’s special guest is CNN’s Luke McGee.
“It’s an institution in crisis but it’s also a family in crisis.” – Cath Haddon
“If you look at polling around Meghan and Harry’s generation, they do think it’s absurd to bow and curtsey to your grandmother.” – Luke McGee
“If the Government thinks a 1% rise is sufficient for the NHS, it will have to work hard to explain how that’s going to help NHS recruitment.” – Graham Atkins
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Alex Thomas and Graham Atkins. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The highest level of public debt and highest tax burden since the late 1960s, the first increase in corporation tax since 1974, the largest net tax rise since 1993… In this special edition of Inside Briefing, IfG chief economist, Gemma Tetlow, is joined by IfG senior economist Tom Pope, and IfG senior fellows Jill Rutter and Giles Wilkes to trawl through the details of Rishi Sunak’s second budget. Did he do enough to support businesses and households as the lockdown lifts? Will the plans for large future tax rises and cuts to benefit payments stick? What did the budget reveal about the government’s strategy for UK growth? Audio production by Candice McKenzie
IfGBudget2021
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Business was taken aback when Rishi Sunak raised its tax bill in this week’s Budget – but the sums Sunak is dealing with are eyewatering. Is there enough in his plans for tapered support and delayed tax to stimulate a post-COVID recovery? Will a country that’s been sold on “levelling up” accept higher taxes by stealth and lowered living standards? Plus: what on earth is going on with Sturgeon vs Salmond – and how could it affect Scotland’s political future? This week’s special guests are Torcuil Crichton, political editor of the Daily Record, and IfG Fellow and former advisor to Tony Blair John McTernan.
“It’s very clear that the Government are going to use the pork barrel. You can see the lineaments of Populist government” – John McTernan
“That was the emptiest budget box to come to Parliament in a long time, and Starmer was quite good at laying out what wasn’t there.” – Torcuil Crichton
“The Government seems to believe the economy has been suppressed and will come roaring back of its own accord” – John McTernan
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Gemma Tetlow and Akash Paun. Audio production by Alex Rees
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On 3 March, Rishi Sunak will deliver his second Budget – almost a year on from the moment the government took the unprecedented step last spring to lockdown the country. With a third lockdown still in place, how will the chancellor deliver on Boris Johnson’s promise that the government will “continue to do whatever it takes to protect jobs and livelihoods across the UK”? What will the Budget do to support economic recovery once the lockdown is lifted? And will this Budget tell us anything about Sunak’s longer term ambitions for tax, spending, borrowing and debt? In this edition of Inside Briefing Extra, IfG Chief Economist Gemma Tetlow is joined by former special advisor Will de Peyer, IfG senior economist Tom Pope, and IfG senior fellow Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Candice McKenzie
IfGBudget2021
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As we pass a year since the first case of Covid-19 was reported in the UK, the Institute for Government is delighted to welcome Tony Blair, Executive Chairman of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to reflect on the last 12 months – and look ahead to the lasting impact of the pandemic and the challenges this poses for politicians and policy makers.
What lessons have we learned over the last 12 months?
How can countries adapt to the continuing existence of Covid-19?
What does ‘returning to normal’ really mean in the year ahead?
How will the pandemic change the UK?
How will it change the world?
Tony Blair is in conversation with Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Is new-look, cautious Boris Johnson’s step-by-step plan for unlocking too timid, or is it over-optimistic? Are vaccine passports workable, let alone defensible from a civil rights perspective? And if Rishi Sunak will do “whatever it takes” to get the economy back on its feet, what can we expect from next week’s COVID Budget? Plus: just how many czars do we need? This week’s special guest is Ben Riley-Smith, the Daily Telegraph’s newly-appointed political editor, fresh from returning from Washington.
“No.10 will be pretty pleased with the reaction to the unlocking plans so far. Polls say only a tiny proportion of people think he’s going too quickly.” – Ben Riley-Smith
“The Government is keen to do this slowly to ensure that it’s irreversible.” – Ben Riley-Smith
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Tim Durrant, Gemma Tetlow and Tom Sasse. Audio production by Robin Leeburn
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Ahead of the Prime Minister producing his new ‘roadmap’, we discuss the plans, priorities and politics for lifting the lockdown. Does the government know what its objectives are? What does ‘data, not dates’ mean in practice? What still needs to be done and what should we look out for when the plan lands? In this edition of Inside Briefing Extra, IfG Senior Fellow Dr Catherine Haddon is joined by Conservative MP and Covid Recovery Group chairman Mark Harper, the New Statesman’s political editor Stephen Bush, Christina Pagel, Director of the Clinical Operational Research Unit at UCL and Tom Sasse, Associate Director at IfG. Audio production by Candice McKenzie See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
As the Government prepares for the huge leap of unlocking, can it manage expectations from both a weary public and its own restive MPs? Rishi Sunak is about to announce potentially the most painful budget in a decade. Can he pull the Tories’ pre-COVID policy aims out of deep freeze? And how will Conservative MPs feel about “building back better” with more social housing in their own constituencies? This week’s special guests are Mo Hussein, former special advisor to Amber Rudd and chief press officer in No.10, and IfG fellow John McTernan, former senior advisor to Tony Blair.
“The government’s line is often ‘we’d love to do this but our scientists won’t let us.’” – Cath Haddon
“The idea that absolutely everyone in Whitehall is knuckling down to work on COVID is just fanciful.” – John McTernan
“The big question is, is fiscal conservatism dead or just hibernating?” – Gemma Tetlow
“Sajid Javid resigned over independence, but Sunak has been the most independent Chancellor we’ve had for a long time. He’s even got his own branding and infographics” .” – John McTernan
Presented by Hannah White with Cath Haddon, Maddy Thimont-Jack and Gemma Tetlow. Audio production by Alex Rees
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The government has published its plans for reform of the NHS, with the first health service white paper in a decade setting out a series of major reforms. So what is the government trying to achieve and what would it mean for the NHS? Is this really the moment, with the NHS still reeling from the demands of the coronavirus crisis, to introduce major reform? What has the pandemic revealed about how the NHS is run? And does this white paper finally provide an answer to the question of how to reform social care? For answers to these questions, and more, don’t miss the special edition of Inside Briefing. The IfG’s Nick Davies is joined by IfG senior fellows Nick Timmins and John McTernan, and guest Sally Warren of the King’s Fund. Audio production by Candice McKenzie
IfGpublicservices
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Will the Government’s draconian plans for quarantine for travellers really work? How can ten years in prison and £10,000 fines be proportionate to the offence? And why can’t the Government get its line right on whether we can or can’t go on holiday this year? Plus, what are we learning from the unfolding story of vaccine success in the UK and comparative failure in the EU? Is Global Britain going to prove to be rather insular and nationalistic? And is Priti Patel going to carry the can for the Home Office’s data disaster?
“The Government’s quarantine plans have so many holes you could drive a truck through them.” – Sarah Nickson
“We criticise this Government for not learning. Well these quarantine plans are evidence of them learning – and maybe overreacting.” – Giles Wilkes
“One thing the Government has done well is to be honest and upfront about the risks of experimenting with the vaccine.” – Alex Thomas
“If the Government pursues quarantine at the expense of containing the virus at home, it looks like a policy designed to seem decisive rather than being effective.” – Sarah Nickson
“A company suddenly being British doesn’t make it any easier to tell them what to do with their R&D.” – Giles Wilkes
“Gordon Brown’s fall from Stalin to Mr. Bean was partially due to his government’s data problems.” – Alex Thomas
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Jill Rutter, Alex Thomas, Giles Wilkes and Sarah Nickson. Audio production by Alex Rees
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Borders is borders? Impact from the EU’s aborted triggering of Article 16 of the NI Protocol continues to reverberate. Could the UK government really use this episode to tear up their own border agreement? Special guest Tony Connelly, RTE’s Europe Editor and co-presenter of the Brexit Republic Podcast, joins us to explain the Byzantine nature of the Border Protocol. Plus: ahead of COP26 and the IfG’s net zero conference, can carbon mitigation really make Britain a world leader?
“It feels like the Internal Market Bill all over again. It’s a gun to the head from the British Government. It’s an ultimatum.” – Tony Connelly
“If we don’t make the border protocol work then we will have rolling crises every four years.” – Tony Connelly
“The politics of vaccines have become toxic… It’s heat every day for the Commission.” – Tony Connell
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Maddy Thimont-Jack, Jess Sargeant, Tom Sasse and Jill Rutter. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
If now is not the time to learn lessons from the COVID crisis, when is? We’re joined by writer, broadcaster and host of the Rock’n’Roll Politics podcast Steve Richards to discuss No.10’s painful learning curve and ask if Boris Johnson’s promised public inquiry ever actually happen. Plus, what have the extraordinary 12 months we’ve just lived through meant for the efficacy of government? The latest edition of the IfG’s annual Whitehall Monitor has all the answers.
“The lessons, frankly, are obvious even if Boris Johnson repeatedly refuses to learn them.” – Steve Richards
“This is a government that finds it hard to admit mistakes… They say ‘we’ll do the right thing at the right time’ without ever admitting when the right time is.” – Tom Sasse
“Boris Johnson doesn’t do context or consequences. He didn’t do consequences as a journalist and it’s a really serious flaw.” – Steve Richards
“Even if you can’t start an inquiry in the middle of a crisis, there’s merit in getting the ball rolling fast – because these things take a vast amount of time.” – Emma Norris
“The Prime Minister seems incapable of learning lessons. The same mistakes are repeated over and over.” – Steve Richards
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Emma Norris, Sarah Nickson, Tim Durrant and Tom Sasse. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event The Institute for Government hosted the annual lecture by Bronwen Maddox, its director. In her speech, Bronwen looked at the government’s performance in the extraordinary circumstances of 2020 and what 2021 might bring. Her discussion was followed by a response from Professor David Runciman and the event was chaired by Sir Richard Lambert.
IfGDirector
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What’s the reality of No.10’s control over government? Is our supposedly superpowered centre really strong enough to command all the organs of state? Do we have too many generalists and too few specialists, and do we even need Special Advisors? Nick Timothy, Theresa May’s former Chief of Staff, joins us to look at the dismal science of “deliverology”. Plus, what will Joe Biden’s arrival mean for Britain? And what was it like dealing with Donald Trump from within No.10?
“I mainly spend my time thinking ‘Thank God I’m not advising a Prime Minister right now’…” – Nick Timothy
“For a highly centralised state, we have a surprisingly weak centre of government.” – Alex Thomas
“Downing Street was a bit like a sleeping drunk at a party. You’d be going about your life but periodically Downing Street would wake up and start shouting. Then you’ve have to put all your energies into getting them back to sleep.” – Nick Timothy
“It’s a real problem that Cabinet doesn’t sit down and set out collective objectives… If you’ve got 570 priorities then you don’t have any.” – Jill Rutter
“Special Advisors can be all-powerful or nothing at all. They can practically run a department or be a bag-carrier – or try to run a department with the abilities of a bag-carrier. I’d scrap them altogether.” – Nick Timothy
“Donald Trump was a terrible President to deal with but even he didn’t manage to ruin the UK-US relationship.” – Nick Timothy
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas and Jill Rutter. Audio production by Alex Rees
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COVID is on the verge of overwhelming the NHS but Britain is at least vaccinating faster than almost any other country. Almost a year since the first lockdown, is the Government’s pandemic response gaining any traction yet? And how did the Government come to OK the “abysmal” food parcels distributed to families in need? Plus, will local, national and mayoral elections actually go ahead this year? And the science of “deliverology”. Kate Proctor, political editor at PoliticsHome.com, is this week’s special guest.
“The new year is showing all the signs of being every bit as chaotic as 2020.” – Kate Proctor
“Local elections are a verdict on how people feel about a government. So only year after a General Election, Boris Johnson will probably be very happy to avoid them.” – Kate Proctor
“Nicola Sturgeon believes that elections in Scotland will help her mandate for another independence referendum – so she’ll be pushing hard for them to go ahead.” – Kate Proctor
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas, Tim Durrant, Akash Pau and Nick Davies. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The insurrectionary riot in Washington DC has shocked the world. What does it tell us about the fragility of democracies who come up against leaders who reject the rules, fire up popular anger, and trash the institutions that hold up the system? Plus, with the Government still on the back foot over COVID, will the vaccine roll-out lead to some semblance of normality for Britain? And what might 2021 hold for the UK (because everyone’s predictions for 2020 were so accurate, weren’t they)? Paul Goodman, editor of Conservative Home, is our special guest.
“Johnson has pulled off the trick of harnessing the popular anger that’s sweeping the world to a tried and tested political agenda.” – Paul Goodman
“The Government seems to be continually taken by surprise by events that seem inevitable to others” – Jill Rutter
“There are only two or three ministers who have real experience of running departments. And those who do, Boris Johnson has consigned to the backbenches.” – Paul Goodman
“Boris Johnson’s approach comes down to who spoke to him last and how they spoke to him.” – Cath Haddon
“Boris Johnson’s government very much had to mind its Ps and Qs with regard to Trump. But now Trump’s going they’ve got no reason to give him a fond farewell.” – Paul Goodman
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Tom Sasse. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
A special cross-post from our IFG LIVE feed. The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement was published on Christmas Eve, just a week before the transition period was due to end. So what does the deal mean for the UK – and for its relationship with the EU? What will change for businesses? How will data be shared? Will the EU and the UK continue to work closely on security issues? How was the contentious issue of fishing finally sorted? And what does ‘taking back control’ really mean in practice? The Institute for Government Brexit team assembles for a special Brexit deal podcast to make sense of what has been agreed and what will happen on January 1. Hear Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government, in conversation with Maddy Thimont Jack (Associate Director), James Kane (Associate), Georgina Wright (Associate), and Joe Marshall (Senior Researcher). Audio production by Candice McKenzie. #IfGBrexit See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We’ve all had quite enough reality for one year. In an IfG Christmas special, we ask what fictional and fantasy worlds can teach us about governing. What does the collapse of the Republic in Star Wars tell us about Brexit? Does the Harry Potter universe need drastic democratic reform? In the real world, who nails life in government better: Borgen or The West Wing? And where’s the Public Inquiry into the murder epidemic in Midsomer? James Graham – our greatest political playwright and the pen behind This House, Quiz and Brexit: The Uncivil War – is our guest for this special holiday edition.
“Dramas like The West Wing let you take an institution like the Presidency and stress-test it in a fictional environment… You get to enjoy the absurdities in a safe place.” – James Graham
“What does Obi-Wan Kenobi tell Anakin? ‘Only the Sith deal in extremes’. Star Wars is a love letter to social democracy and George Lucas is the ultimate centrist dad.” – James Graham
“Midsomer badly needs a place-based approach to crime prevention.” – Alice Lilly
“The Death Star? That’s no moon, that’s a failed Government mega-project.” – Gavin Freeguard
“The Thick Of It essentially predicted the Big Society with its ‘Fourth Sector Pathfinders’.” – Emma Norris
Presented by Cath Haddon with Alice Lilly, Emma Norris and Gavin Freeguard. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From Barnard Castle to Brussels, from Wuhan to the White House, it has been a year of unprecedented challenges, impossible choices, huge governmental gambles and astonishing mis-steps. Will 2020 prove to be a wild aberration or a turning point for the business of British government? Our crack team of analysts returns from the (virtual) IfG Christmas Party to discuss the successes and failures of a year of crisis, from the pandemic emergency measures to the reform of the Civil service to, yes, Brexit.
“We’ve seen a Prime Minister who struggles to rise to the enormity of what he’s faced with.” – Jill Rutter
“The Government’s communications have been so poor that they obscured many of their own successes.” – Alex Thomas
“There is a growing narrative about Keir Starmer sitting on the fence. Labour need to address that next year” – Maddy Thimont-Jack
“A hard rain fell on a lot of civil servants before it fell on Dominic Cummings himself.” – Bronwen Maddox
“Boris Johnson’s optimism has led him into a cycle of overpromising and under-delivering.” – Jill Rutter
“To say the peak has passed and you can go out, and then see ANOTHER peak… that could be a blow that a government might not recover from.” – Alex Thomas
Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Jill Rutter, Alex Thomas and Maddy Thimont-Jack. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Can Boris Johnson get the country to stick to his plans for a Compact Christmas – or has he already blown the comms challenge? What has a year of lockdown and surveillance done to Britain’s liberal instincts? Plus, with the Brexit saga at least reaching the end of the beginning, how can Britain build a robust industrial strategy for the future without just throwing money about? Ed Conway, economics editor at Sky News and Times columnist, is this week’s special guest.
“Whatever happens with Brexit, we’re really going to need our Christmas to deal with what’s coming up next year.” – Ed Conway
“The mixed messages are too much for the public to take. You can’t say ‘go outside’ one day and ‘stay inside’ the next.” – Giles Wilkes
“Everyone wants everyone else to be restricted, but not themselves…” – Cath Haddon
“If these industrial tools for government weren’t a good idea last time, why would they be a good idea this time?” – Giles Wilkes
“Trying to impose policies that nobody is going to follow is a question of realpolitik and I don’t envy anyone making that decision.” – Ed Conway
“Politicians like to point at things and say ‘We should be better at that!’ But they seldom answer the question of how.” – Giles Wilkes
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Alex Rees
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This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event. Joe Biden is set to become the 46th US president. How will he deal with Coronavirus and the economy? What are his priorities internationally, and will he restore the US’s role in alliances? And what about the trade deal the UK wants so much, and relations with Boris Johnson, dubbed “Britain Trump” by the current occupant of the White House? On our panel to discuss these questions are:
Dan Balz, Chief Correspondent for the Washington Post
Elizabeth Dibble, Chief Operating Officer at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and former Deputy Chief of Mission at the US embassy in London
Emily Tamkin, US Editor for the New Statesman
Sir Paul Tucker, Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England
The event is chaired by Sir Richard Lambert, Board member of the Institute for Government and former Editor of the Financial Times. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
As EU trade talks go down to the wire of Transition’s end on Dec 31, was Boris Johnson and Ursula van der Leyen’s dinner a deux really the failed last chance to avoid No Deal? Does the EU Parliament have enough time to pass a new trade arrangements anyway? Does everything really depend on what Boris Johnson himself wants? And what happens if you want to take a ferret into the EU in 2021? Special guest Tom McTague, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins the IfG Brexit Team over an Eleventh Hour meal deal.
“On Europe, you could argue that Johnson is the most powerful Prime Minister we’ve seen since Thatcher.” – Tom McTague
“We voted to take back control. The big question for next year is, what are we taking back control of?” – Maddy Thimont-Jack
“Labour has to strike a balance between saying ‘I told you so’ and not looking like they want Britain to fail.” – Tom McTague
“This is a defining moment for the EU too. They’ve shown almost national solidarity towards Ireland and French fishermen.” – Tom McTague
Presented by Hannah White with Maddy Thimont-Jack, Joe Marshall, Jess Sergeant and Joe Marshall. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The world’s first green light for a COVID vaccine is a clear boost of the Government. But how can they ensure the right people take it without falling back on strong-arm tactics? Also, who’s rebelling against the Government’s COVID restrictions and why? Special guest Iain Dale – Conservative columnist and LBC presenter – explains how his new book The Prime Ministers names Britain’s good, bad and ugly Premiers. Will the end of the Fixed Term Parliaments Act open a Pandora’s Box of constitutional wrangling? And Brexit. It’s still not sorted.
“If there isn’t a Deal with the EU, it will be the biggest failure of statecraft in modern times.” – Iain Dale
“When a government is upsetting its mainstream, moderate MPs it’s in trouble.” – Iain Dale
“If the Government gets the vaccine rollout right, that’s a genuine reset. If they get it wrong, that’s a disaster.” – Alex Thomas
“The worst kind of Prime Minister is an indecisive one.” – Iain Dale
“It seems ridiculous that a Prime Minister can choose an election at a time they think they’re going to win… Except often, they choose the time and still lose.” – Iain Dale
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas and Maddy Thimont-Jack. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In January, the government will be doing battle on two fronts: dealing with a likely disruptive end to the Brexit transition period as the UK faces a new trading relationship with the EU while the covid crisis is still raging. Even if the UK government is able to deploy and manage its resources effectively, local authorities and businesses may still be overwhelmed. In this podcast, we will consider how the government should prepare for a difficult January including what the government can learn from its initial pandemic response and previous iterations of no-deal planning. Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government is in conversation with Dame Clare Moriarty, former Permanent Secretary at the Department for Exiting the European Union and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Professor Jonathan Portes, Professor of Economics and Public Policy, Kings College London, Tom Riordan, Chief Executive of Leeds City Council, Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. Audio production by Candice McKenzie
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With eyewatering sums spent on the COVID crisis and Britain facing the lowest growth since the 1700s, will Rishi Sunak’s spending review do enough to keep the public finances from meltdown? Will the public sector pay freeze really make a difference? And are the health risks of saving Christmas worth the potential political gain?
“This is a good year to have bad figures… If there was ever a year to do a lot of borrowing, it’s this year.” – Giles Wilkes
“It’s strange when Sunak has spent billions this year and we’re debating whether he’s a generous or a tough chancellor.” – Tom Pope
“Sunak seems to have got the politics right. Whether it’s the right thing for the country remains to be seen.” – Giles Wilkes
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Gemma Tetlow, Tom Pope and Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Alex Rees
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Can Boris Johnson make his reset stick? Will changing his advisors change his problems? Is No.10 getting nervous as the Brexit endgame looms? And what does the departure of Dominic Cummings mean for the use of digital data to revolutionise government? John McTernan, political strategist and former Director of Political Operations to Prime Minister Tony Blair, joins us to hack through the thickets of government.
“This is Theresa May all over again. It wasn’t the advisors that were the problem. The Prime Minister is the problem.” – John McTernan
“If you can’t reset your character, you can’t reset your government.” – John McTernan
“Gordon Brown was right. The UK may not be breaking up but governance is definitely breaking down.” – John McTernan
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas, Jill Rutter and Gavin Freeguard. Audio production by Alex Rees
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What does the defenestration of Lee Cain from No.10 mean for the Vote Leave faction that got Johnson into power? Who are the Conservatives’ restive ‘Covid Recovery Group’ and what do they want? As the end of Brexit transition looms, does the PM have to choose between the economic damage of No Deal and the political damage of caving to the EU? And will government ever get out of London? This week’s special guest is Peter Foster, public policy editor at the FT.
“People should be really clear: we’re going back to 1992. The big political calculation is, does Johnson want to own this deal?” – Peter Foster
“Seeing through the fog, this is all about the Prime Minister’s authority… and he’s failed to make clear what his decision is.” – Peter Foster
“If No Deal happens it’s a lot easier to blame disruption on the EU.” - Maddy Thimont Jack
“If we’re heading towards No Deal, the Government will put extraordinary pressure on the Lords to let the clauses through” – Alex Thomas
“Westminster still treats the regions like distant colonies” – Peter Foster
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas, Maddy Thimont-Jack and Sarah Nickson. Audio production by Alex Rees
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After an incredible week, and even with votes still being counted, we now know that Joe Biden has won the US presidential election. But Donald Trump is refusing to concede that he last lost, and is instead mounting a series of legal challenges. So what happens now? How does a smooth transition of power work in this scenario? What will Donald Trump do next – and what next for Trumpism? How will Joe Biden lead – and reset – the US? What does his election mean for the special relationship? And how will President Biden work with Boris Johnson? In this special edition of the Institute for Government podcast, Bronwen Maddox is joined by Henry Zeffman, Washington correspondent for the Times, the New York Times’ London bureau chief Mark Landler, and IfG senior researcher Alice Lilly. Audio production by Candice McKenzie. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event The announcement of a second England lockdown came following repeated warnings from the UK government’s scientific advisers about the spread of coronavirus. Throughout the Covid-19 crisis, scientific advice to the government has been highly visible, with Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, repeatedly sharing a platform with Boris Johnson. Members of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) continue to feature prominently across broadcast outlets and in coverage of the government’s handling of the crisis. Other forms of advice, including economic advice from the Treasury, have been far less transparent, often creating the impression that SAGE is the government’s main and most influential advisory body. And yet economic arguments have also featured prominently in the debate about whether and when to lockdown again. How should science advice be combined with other kinds of evidence and presented to ministers? Does there need to be more transparency about the type of advice government is receiving and how it is using it? Does the prominence of SAGE undermine public understanding of other forms of evidence? To discuss these questions, the IfG was delighted to welcome:
Professor John Edmunds, Professor of Infectious Disease Modelling at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and participant in SAGE
Professor Susan Michie, Professor of Health Psychology at UCL and participant in SAGE and Independent SAGE
Lord Macpherson of Earl’s Court, former Treasury Permanent Secretary (2005–16)
Nancy Hey, Executive Director of What Works Wellbeing
This event was chaired by Dr Catherine Haddon, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government.
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As counting continues in the US election, and with both candidates claiming they’ve won, we take a look at the contest so far, and what the result will mean for America, Britain and the world. Meanwhile back in the UK, MPs have voted for a second national lockdown, but with Boris Johnson facing opposition from all sides, what can he do to ease the pressure on himself and the Government? YASMEEN SERHAN, staff writer at The Atlantic, is our special guest.
“Those wanting a repudiation of the last four years found it hasn’t happened” - Yasmeen Serhan
“I can imagine a world where there is a Biden presidency narrated by Trump’s tweets” - Yasmeen Serhan
“Trump has been laying the groundwork for his claim that this would be a dodgy election for some time” - Jill Rutter
“For a new President coming in, sitting on the sidelines for 10 weeks is going to be very difficult” - Cath Haddon
“The Government isn’t explaining where the risky transmission centres are” - Jill Rutter
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Jill Rutter and Georgina Wright. Audio production by Alex Rees.
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There’s no escaping COVID19, and with calls for a ‘circuit-breaker’ lockdown growing by the day, how is the Government coping as the pressure mounts? And with Number 10 sidelining the devolved administrations, Jess Sargeant joins to discuss the impact of the Britain’s varied coronavirus response. Plus, with the US Presidential election less than a week away, what will the result mean for the UK?
“Boris Johnson hasn’t found a way to navigate between the scientists and his backbenchers” - Mark Landler
“Whether or not the Government acts now affects if people can see their families at Christmas” - Cath Haddon
“Angela Merkel has political capital to spend on a lockdown that Boris Johnson does not” - Alex Thomas
“Closing borders is not a sustainable solution, practically or politically” - Jess Sargeant
“Biden would not view a UK-US trade deal as a priority” - Mark Landler
Presented by Hannah White with Cath Haddon, Alex Thomas, Jess Sargeant and Mark Landler. Audio production by Alex Rees.
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Who came off worse in the stand-off between Manchester’s Andy Burnham and London, and what does the confrontation say about Westminster’s real attitude to the regions? With Rishi Sunak launching yet more economic support packages, is the Government’s economic strategy in disarray? A new IfG report reveals exactly what Dominic Cummings’ reforms of Special Advisors is meaning for day-to-day government. Oh, and the Brexit talks. Yes, they’re still going.
“The Treasury and No.10 are paying a price for not treating Manchester strategically.” – Jill Rutter
“Yes, the Brexit talks are about brinkmanship – but it’s also about making any failure look like the other side’s fault.” – Cath Haddon
“Many PMs have complained that No.10 is underpowered compared to departments – and that’s why SpAds have become so important.” – Tim Durrant
“A lot of business leaders didn’t see the sunlit uplands that Michael Gove was seeing” - Jill Rutter
“None of the SPADs we spoke to had anything positive to say about the management of the civil service” – Tim Durrant
Presented by Emma Norris with Jill Rutter, Alex Thomas, Tim Durrant and Cath Haddon. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
First birthday edition! Is Boris Johnson’s tiers-based compromise on fighting COVID worse than simply biting the bullet of a national lockdown? Is Westminster command-and-control creating an irreparable breach between London, Scotland, Wales and the North of England? And does that road end in full devolution? JACK BLANCHARD, UK politics editor at politico.com, is our special guest.
“It’s very hard to find anyone who thinks the tiers approach is really going to work.” – Jack Blanchard
“We assume that the Government has good reasons for its approach, not just ‘We’re frightened of the lockdown sceptics’.” – Jill Rutter
“There is no worse way to win hearts and minds than to have scenes of angry disagreement like we saw this week.” – Jack Blanchard
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Jill Rutter and Cath Haddon. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event The UK and EU have agreed to continue the Brexit negotiations in an effort to resolve outstanding issues such as fishing rights, state aid and governance. Although both sides say they want an agreement, a no-deal Brexit is still possible. Even if there is a deal, there will be significant changes to how businesses trade between the UK and EU – but this message has failed to cut through. Selling a deal back home – and the compromises it might involve – could also be politically difficult. In the week of the Prime Minister’s initial deadline for negotiations and a critical meeting of the European Council, our panel takes stock of the Brexit talks and look ahead to what we can expect before the end of the year. Panellists
Tony Connelly, Europe Editor at RTE News
Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
James Forsyth, Political Editor at The Spectator
Sam Lowe, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for European Reform
The event is chaired by Georgina Wright, Senior Researcher, Institute for Government
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Is the smorgasbord of Big Ideas that Boris Johnson announced to the virtual Conservative Conference actually deliverable? Do plans for the Saudi Arabia of wind, expanded social care and a New Jerusalem all at once contradict one another? And as the Corona bills come in, is crunch time on the way for former distributor of good news and sunshine Rishi Sunak? Special guest SALMA SHAH, former advisor to Sajid Javid, joins us for the IfG’s own autumn statement.
“Nobody doubts that the Government can make big announcements. The question is whether they can deliver it.” – Jill Rutter
“This wasn’t a traditionally Conservative speech and this isn’t a traditional Conservative government.” – Salma Shah
“When we hear about 30 year mortgages or social care or offshore wind, it’s fair to wonder why nobody’s delivered them so far. And the answer is, it’s hard.” - Giles Wilkes
“We’ve had two consecutive governments that are, for Conservatives, amazingly uninterested in what business has to say.” – Jill Rutter
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Jill Rutter and Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Alex Rees
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As the EU gives notice of legal action against Britain, are the trade talks about to enter the Tunnel, the Submarine or total meltdown? Is Lindsay Hoyle right to accuse the Government of holding Parliament in contempt with its overreach on Corona powers? Is a Tory backbench rebellion brewing already – and could some internecine warfare be a good look for embattled Boris Johnson? And can Dominic Cummings just snap his fingers and bring a billion-dollar tech giant to life just like that? “This looks like an increasing war between backbenchers and Boris Johnson and his advisors.” – Jill Rutter “The Government thinks that under these circumstances, Parliament should be a rubber stamp. But MPs think you make better policy by debating it.” – Hannah White “It’s not always a bad look for a PM to be fighting a lone battle, as long as it’s for the right thing.” – Giles Wilkes “The Government seems in tune with public opinion but not with the libertarian wing of its own party.” – Jill Rutter Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Hannah White, Jill Rutter and Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
As the COVID outlook worsens dramatically, can Boris Johnson make another six months of restrictions stick? Is Rishi Sunak’s new Job Support Scheme just the old furlough in disguise, and will it hold back a tide of autumn job losses? And how prepared are public services for an extended crisis? Special guest Sir David Lidington, former de facto Deputy Prime Minister, explains the consequences of a new near-lockdown for consumer confidence, public health and the Government’s stability. “If you don’t get the tax receipts coming in from the economy then you’ll have some very difficult decisions about public spending.” – David Lidington “The Government needs to be seen to reach out… Metro mayors and local authorities need to be partners not adversaries.” – David Lidington “MPs who brief the papers about how unhappy they are generally do not speak for the majority of the Parliamentary party” – David Lidington
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Nick Davies and Gemma Tetlow. Audio production by Alex Rees
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What has gone so wrong with the Government’s “world-beating” COVID response? After a summer of confusion, can the “moonshot” get the Government’s pandemic policy back on course, or is it just more spin? And can its audacious Internal Market Bill make it through the Commons and Lords without being amended out of all recognition? Special guest Anoosh Chakelian of the New Statesman joins us to discuss Boris Johnson’s two biggest headaches.
“From the start this Government has been putting spin and rhetoric before levelling with the public.” – Anoosh Chakelian
“If Boris Johnson is having deep conversations with MPs in the tea room, you know they’re spooked.” – Anoosh Chakelian
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Jess Sargeant, Tom Pope and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
As Boris Johnson attempts to feed the Withdrawal Bill into a shredder marked “Internal Market Bill”, what does it mean for the rule of law, civil servants and the devolved nations when a government tries to abrogate international law? And as a new IfG report shows the Government’s plans to reach zero carbon by 2050 are way off track, what does it need to do to meet this ambitious target – and what will it cost? “I can’t see any way this gets through the Lords in its current form.” – Alex Thomas “The nature of the law is, you don’t get to choose when to follow it – because it’s the law.” – Raphael Hogarth “Some of the rationale for this is reasonable and some of it is Mad Max chaos and destruction.” – Alex Thomas Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Maddy Thimont-Jack, Alex Thomas and Raphael Hogarth. Audio production by Alex Rees
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It’s all change at the top of the Civil Service as the youngest Cabinet Secretary in over a century begins his job next week. But who is Simon Case? Why has he got the job? And what are the big tasks lining his in-tray? Plus - despite everyone around him taking the fall, Gavin Williamson still remains in post at the Department for Education, but what does this say about the accountability of ministers? And as schools reopen and people are urged to return to the office, we’ll look back at Government decision making in the first phase of the pandemic.
“The key is having the Prime Minister’s confidence in your own authority” - Cath Haddon
“The real issue in terms of ministerial responsibility is that other people have gone” - Cath Haddon
“The Dept for Education made grade inflation their issue, which is why we ended up where we did” - Chris Wilkins
“At DfE you fix the last battle and another one comes onto the horizon” - Alex Thomas
“How much sympathy do you give the Government for a lack of information?” - Cath Haddon
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Alex Thomas and Sarah Nickson. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Brexit may be Done but it’s about to rise from the grave as we get closer to Dec 31. The IfG’s Brexit Team convene to look ahead to a tumultuous autumn. Are the EU:UK negotiations really going as badly as it seems? What’s the very last moment when a deal could be struck? Are cash-strapped, COVID-battered businesses in any shape to deal with a new customs regime, let alone No Deal? And what’s actually going to change for UK citizens on Jan 1, 2021?
“Businesses are faced with one big difficulty which is, what exactly are the preparing for?” – Joe Marshall
“The EU always wanted a deal with the UK but they were never prepared to offer Britain a better deal than, say, South Korea.” – Georgina Wright
Presented by Hannah White with Georgina Wright, Joe Marshall and Maddy Thimont-Jack. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The A-Levels fiasco could damage more than pupils’ futures and the career of Gavin Williamson. What will it mean for any potentially beneficial future use of algorithms in welfare, criminal justice, tax and social care? Does abolishing Public Health England make any sense except as a headline – and do panic reorganisations ever work? And can our political classes survive September without warm white wine at an in-person party conference? Special guest Sonia Sodha, chief leader writer at The Observer, joins us to explore the least silly Silly Season on record.
“The algorithm gave us workable average results, but children are not averages. They are individuals.” – Nick Timmins
“The most selective institutions are now oversubscribed while middle and lower-tier universities are threatened with empty places and financial disaster.” – Sonia Sodha
“Replacing Public Health England is extraordinary. It’s rebuilding the plane in mid-flight.” – Nick Timmins
Presented by Hannah White with Gavin Freeguard and Nick Timmins. Audio production by Robin Leeburn See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
As pupils and parents fume over the A Levels mess, how and why did the Government inflict this fiasco on itself? As cheese drives a wedge between Britain and Japan, is this a taster of a smorgasbord of problems facing our post-EU trade talks? Can Rishi Sunak maintain his popularity when the bills for buying the nation dinner and more come in? And what happens to governments when Prime Ministers go on holiday? Special guest Rafael Behr of The Guardian joins us for the Inside Briefing Seaside Special.
“Hardworking pupils from deprived areas are being dragged down and slackers from rich areas are being dragged up.” – Rafael Behr
“Japan is a very long way away and economic geography wasn’t abolished this year… I’m not sure Liz Truss is wise to draw attention to £102,000 worth of cheese.” – Giles Wilkes
“In 2025 will the terribly inflated A Level grades of the COVID Cohort really be such a big thing?” – Rafael Behr
“We’re learning how great it was to NOT have an independent trade policy…” – Giles Wilkes
“Either chlorinated chicken is coming into this country or it isn’t… The Government needs to start a real conversation about the trade-offs in trade.” – James Kane
“The economic figures are so bad that you need a whole new graph to show them.” – Giles Wilkes
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Giles Wilkes, Alex Thomas and James Kane. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Government’s emergency lockdown of Greater Manchester took the public by surprise and left them confused and resentful. Special guest Jennifer Williams of the Manchester Evening News describes the disarray and what Government needs to fix, fast. Plus: How fit were public services for coronavirus? Not very, says a new IfG report. What needs to happen, and why didn’t the Government act on the learnings from Operation Cygnus? And as Boris Johnson loads up on Lords, is the Upper Chamber becoming the Crony Express?
“People can’t follow the logic. If you can’t sit in a friend’s garden but you can meet them in a beer garden, it’s little wonder people are confused.” – Jennifer Williams
“Boris Johnson’s honours list touches all the bases of cronyism.” – Hannah White
“The Government went for private contracts because they could scale up fast – but whether that leads to effective track and trace is another matter.” – Jennifer Williams
“Lords reform needs something a bit more fundamental than moving some Lords to York.” – Jennifer Williams
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with the IfG’s Hannah White and Nick Davies. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Government’s emergency Spanish quarantine: decisive action, poor planning or a failure to understand what working life is really like? With the inevitable Public Inquiry into Coronavirus now confirmed, special guest Sir Lawrence Freedman – emeritus professor of War Studies at Kings College London and a former member of the Iraq War inquiry – tells us how to run an effective inquiry. And is No.10’s proposed US-style spokesperson designed to help Boris Johnson dodge real scrutiny?
“The Government is desperate to be seen to react quickly to combat the perception that in the early days of COVID they were slow off the mark.” – Alex Thomas
“Any inquiry shouldn’t just ask why we reacted slowly but why we had outbreaks across the country, not just in one epicentre.” – Lawrence Freedman
“We won’t get conclusions from a COVID inquiry in time for a second wave. The learning has to happen right now.” – Emma Norris
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with the IfG’s Alex Thomas, Jill Rutter and Emma Norris. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Reforming the Civil Service is the biggest of Big Asks. Can Dominic Cummings pull off his radical plans in the middle of a once-in-a-century health crisis? And do we need fewer “fixers” who change jobs a lot, and more long-term experts? Plus, the Russia Report: what went wrong in protecting the integrity of our elections? Who should feel most embarrassed: Government, security services or civil servants? And what should be done next?
“Framing Civil Service reform as ‘us against them’ is not going to encourage civil servants to give their best advice.” – Alex Thomas
“Civil Service reform is quite nerdy so it’s unusual for politicians to give it such attention.” – Cath Haddon
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with the IfG’s Alex Thomas, Cath Haddon and Emma Norris. Audio production by Alex Rees
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Britain’s decision to rip out Huawei kit from our mobile network by 2027 has set the Government on a collision course with China. Who forced this decision: Washington, the security establishment or the Government’s own backbenchers? And what does this change of posture towards a powerful trading nation mean for Brexit? The BBC’s Security Correspondent Gordon Corera joins us to discuss the tension between London and Beijing plus the detail Britain’s Integrated Security and Defence Review. And how does Russia fit in to a new Tech Cold War?
“You can have the best decision-making architecture in the world – but it doesn’t mean you’ll make good decisions.” – Alex Thomas
“Putin sees the end of the Soviet Union as a humiliation and he sees weakening the West as a goal.” – Gordon Corera
“We’re in a world where the UK is being forced to choose between geopolitical alliances.” – Alex Thomas
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with the IfG’s Alex Thomas, Cath Haddon and Alex Nice. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Is Rishi Sunak’s colossal £30bn package of jobs stimulus, training subsidy, VAT cuts and stamp duty changes be enough to stave off a COVID crash? And will his Mega Meal Deal make a difference to the comatose cafe and restaurant industry? Special guest Rupert Harrison, a portfolio manager at Blackrock and previously Chief of Staff to former chancellor George Osborne, joins us to unpick the Chancellor’s summer statement.
“Sunak has given notice that he’s turning off the spraygun of business support.” – Rupert Harrison
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Gemma Tetlow and Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Sir Bernard Jenkin, chairman of the Commons Liaison Committee, discusses a turbulent week for the Civil Service, Mark Sedwill’s departure as cabinet secretary, and the government's plans for reforming the way that government works, with Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Is Build Build Build just Talk Talk Talk? With its £5bn shopping list of infrastructure spending, is Boris Johnson’s so-called New Deal really as big and Rooseveltian as he’d like the world to believe? Does the sudden departure of Sir Mark Sedwill indicate that the Government is just building another brand of groupthink? And as Leicester locks down again, does a ‘whack-a-mole’ COVID strategy make sense if you can’t see the mole? Special guest Robert Shrimsley, chief political commentator and editor at large at the Financial Times, joins us to examine the economics beneath the announcements.
“Someone described Johnson as ‘Brexity Hezza’… This is a Prime Minister who will intervene before breakfast, lunch and dinner.” – Robert Shrimsley
“This is not a free trade government… and there’s a tension between that and its post-Brexit free trade rhetoric.” – Robert Shrimsley
“We’re going to spend the next 15 years negotiating and renegotiating its trade agreements with the EU.” – Robert Shrimsley
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Gemma Tetlow and Raphael Hogarth. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Sir Mark Sedwill’s departure as Cabinet Secretary after weeks of sniping has startled Westminster, with many fingers pointing at Dominic Cummings. No Cabinet Secretary has ever been forced out of office like this before, least of all in the middle of a national crisis. What does Sedwill’s resignation mean for reform of the Civil Service? Is the centre of government facing evolution or revolution? And are we seeing the politicisation of the Civil Service?
“It’s extraordinary for civil servants to be talking about reform in the middle of a national crisis.” – Cath Haddon
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
There’s a new three-word slogan in town: “Build, build, build.” As the Government unlocks more sectors of public life, Boris Johnson is keen to finally put COVID-19 behind him and get on with governing. But will questions of competence and Cummings continue to cast a pall over the Government’s agenda? Plus: Will the Robert Jenrick affair blow up into an old-fashioned scandal? And is the Brexit extension deadline the real deadline?
“The Government still has some extraordinarily difficult questions on the economy coming up.” – Joe Owen
“The idea that ‘If we announce it, it will happen’ has been a big failing of Government in this crisis.” – Jill Rutter
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Joe Owen, Jill Rutter and Raphael Hogarth. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
How did the Government end up completely wrong-footed by a footballer in the issue of extending free school meals? Are ministers getting broad enough – and sufficiently independent – scientific advice when it comes to quarantine and the 2m Rule? Will the folding of the “world-beating development agency” DFiD into the Foreign Office mean damage British soft power? And will insourcing probation reverse the “total disaster” of outsourcing?
“The Marcus Rashford episode shows a lack of political antenna in Downing Street.” – Jill Rutter
“A government with an 80-strong majority is now being pulled around by its backbenchers.” – Cath Haddon
“What we’re seeing now is that the attitude that the private sector is ALWAYS best was wrong.” – Tom Sasse
“The Government says it has diversity of thought. But they don’t have a lot of diversity of experience.” – Jill Rutter
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Jill Rutter, Tim Durrant and Tom Sasse. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Is the Government running scared of a full public inquiry into the Coronavirus crisis? When and how should it happen and what questions should it ask? And how do you stop a fact-finding investigation from turning into a blame game? Also veteran politics commentator, host of the Rock’n’Roll Politics podcast and author of The Prime Ministers: Lessons of Leadership Steve Richards joins us to discuss the state of the Government’s implementation game. And how should Keir Starmer develop his Parliamentary repertoire to keep Boris Johnson on his toes?
“An inexperienced Cabinet chosen largely for its loyalty to Brexit has found itself faced with the biggest crisis since 1945.” – Steve Richards
“You’ve got to start learning those lessons now in case we get a second wave in the autumn.” – Cath Haddon
“The Government are already paranoid, neurotic about a possible inquiry… I think they’ll try to avoid it.” – Steve Richards
“If you’re legally obliged to hand over your emails it changes your calculus as a civil servant.” – Alex Thomas
“Governing is wholly different from getting a strong headline in tomorrow’s papers.” – Steve Richards
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Emma Norris and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Trump, Facebook, the economy, the Presidential election and the unprecedented tumult in the US following the killing of George Floyd. The New York Times’ London bureau chief MARK LANDLER talks to Bronwen Maddox of the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The return of Parliament-in-person was met with dismay as disgruntled MPs were forced to conga through Palace of Westminster, and distanced or shielded Members were sidelined. Will remote voting have to return, and are Wales and Scotland doing digital democracy better than England? Rowland Manthorpe, Tech Correspondent from Sky News, joins us to explain. Plus: Is the Government’s slipshod use of data in the COVID fight storing up trouble for the future? And what do the tumultuous events in America mean for democracy in the USA? Mark Landler of the New York Times sets out the enormity of these historic events.
“Not everyone likes technology til they try it… but perhaps we shouldn’t throw it away in a reactionary way.” – Hannah White
“The conga of MPs was as long as 89 London buses. That’s hardly social distancing.” – Gavin Freeguard
“Compared to the Commons the Lords looks like a go-ahead organisation right now.” – Hannah White
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Hannah White and Gavin Freeguard. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Could the Government ever have controlled the fallout from Dominic Cummings’ breach of COVID travel rules, and is it too late now? Why is Boris Johnson so bound to his key advisor? And with SPADs more centrally vetted than ever, do a majority of No.10 staff owe more personal loyalty to Dominic Cummings than to the Prime Minister? Special guest Tim Montgomerie joins us to discuss a defining week for the Johnson government. Plus: might the UK change its mind on an extension with the EU after all?
“Dominic Cummings is a genius – but nobody’s perfect.” – Tim Montgomerie
“One surefire way to shut down debate inside government was to say ‘Dom doesn’t like that’. I’ve always feared that the Reign of Terror would lead to a Reign of Error.” – Tim Montgomerie
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Hanna White, Jill Rutter and Georgina Wright. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Bonus extended interview: The Trump administration’s response to the COVID emergency has been widely decried as inconsistent and unequal to the enormity of the task. DAN BALZ of the Washington Post tells the IfG’s Bronwen Maddox how decades of “hollowing out” government were compounded by the President’s suspicion of a “Deep State” to produce a crisis in state effectiveness. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
As the COVID lockdown eases, will the blame land on ministers, scientists, advisers, Public Health England or Number Ten? What can the drama of the Brexit Parliament teach us about running the Palace of Westminster when it reconvenes – physically – for the post-COVID era? A new IfG report digs into the detail. And is America’s chaotic responsive to Coronavirus a result of the hollowing-out of US government institutions? Special guest Dan Balz of the Washington Post explains.
“When there are major communications moments that affect people’s lives, the ‘dipping your toe in the water’ approach doesn’t really work.” – Alex Thomas
“The Brexit Parliament really exposed the system’s weakness in dealing with major political problems.” – Joe Marshal
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas and Joe Marshal. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Has the Government lost control of the unlocking narrative? Boris Johnson’s new advice confused much of the country, but how will it translate into real-world rules and regulations? Plus we discuss the new IfG report into the torrid relationship between Government and Civil Service during run-up to Brexit. Did tussles over Brexit damage the relationship between the Executive and and those who put its policies into action? Iain Martin, Times columnist and editor of Reaction, is this week’s special guest.
“Boris is a journalist. He should have remembered a golden rule: Don’t do anything complicated on a Sunday for Monday’s papers…” – Iain Martin
“When you have 27 million tuning into to a Prime Ministerial statement on TV, that’s a new level of engagement for Government.” – Joe Owen
Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Gemma Tetlow, Joe Owen and Maddy Thimont-Jack. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Boris Johnson’s finger is hovering over the Unlock button. How can the Government reopen the economy without allowing the virus a second wind? What if the different Nations of the UK want very different approaches? Why Nicola Sturgeon is the most experienced leader on pandemics in Britain… and maybe Britain’s most experienced leader full stop. Guests Torcuil Crichton, Westminster Editor of the Daily Record, and IfG Fellow Nicholas Timmins of the King’s Fund join Bronwen Maddox, Jill Rutter and Akash Paun to discuss a women of truth for Britain’s health and economy.
“Parliament has gone from Plague Ship to Ghost Ship… And of course SNP MPs would be happy not to be in Westminster at all.” – Torcuil Crichton
“For decades the Scots have defined their health service as ‘Not England’.” – Nick Timmins
“Fear rules everything. Nobody wants to be the politician who gets this wrong.” – Torcuil Crichton
Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
How do you weigh human wellbeing against Coronavirus deaths? How do we get “R”, the rate of Corona transmission, to a manageable level? As the government wrestles with lifting the lockdown, has “relying on the science” given it too narrow a focus regarding the serious trade-offs that are coming? And how will the criminal justice system deal with the massive backlog created by COVID? Cabinet secretary of the Blair and Brown years GUS O’DONNELL joins us to discuss the enormity of the Government’s challenges. “We’ve effectively got huge experiments going on all over the world to try to find out how we get out of this.” – Gus O’Donnell “To say the peak has passed and you can go out, and then see ANOTHER peak… that could be a blow that a government might not recover from.” – Giles Wilkes Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Giles Wilkes and Nick Davies. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Is the future made for virtual democracy? In this bonus interview, Leader of the House Jacob Rees-Mogg talks to Bronwen Maddox about organising a new dispersed Commons, the pros and cons of remote voting, and why a living Parliament requires more than simply occupying benches. Do MPs gain in independent-mindedness what the Whips maybe lose in influence? And can we look forward to virtual party conferences too…? “Before the Easter Recess there was serious debate about whether ANYTHING would be technically possible…” Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Government is under fire over COVID as seldom before. Was it wise to aggressively rebut the Sunday Times report on their preparations for the pandemic? Is the idea of a risk-free exit strategy from lockdown a myth? Do we need bipartisan agreement on the COVID strategy for the sake of national cohesion… or perhaps radical openness? And is there really such thing as being “led by the science”? Special guests Lord Danny Finkelstein and former Blair/Brown advisor John McTernan join the IfG’s Bronwen Maddox and Jill Rutter for this week’s podcast. “In life, risk can’t be abolished. It can only be mitigated. You have to draw people into the choices you have to make.” – John McTernan “We need to level with people that we’re not creating an exit strategy, we’re making a big exit moral choice.” – Danny Finkelstein Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
To unlock or not to unlock? The government faces a momentous choice of easing the lockdown to resurrect the economy, or keeping it in place to preserve human lives. How can they find the right balance? Are today’s politicians able to cope with a return of mass unemployment after almost 40 years? The Guardian’s health editor Sarah Boseley joins us to explore the background to one of the gravest decisions in modern British history. “This might well mean austerity for certain high-rate taxpayers who perhaps got off more easily last time.” – Giles Wilkes Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas and Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Corona is straining Government as never before outside peacetime – and Boris Johnson is still mostly incapacitated. David Lidington, Theresa May’s former deputy, explains exactly what happens when the understudy must step up. How much power does Dominic Raab actually have right now? And do we need a US-style formal succession programme? Plus: When should the lockdown be eased? Does virtual government work? And what is Parliament doing during this strange recess? “The Whitehall machine had already been working with the dial in the red because of Brexit when this crisis hit.” – David Liddington Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon with Hannah White. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Who takes over when the PM is incapacitated? Can Boris Johnson lead the country from his bedroom? Has COVID given the Civil Service a reprieve from the swingeing reforms that would otherwise be coming its way? Plus the Guardian’s Washington Bureau chief David Smith joins us to explain how both the White House and the United States’ Trump-besieged institutions are coping with a once-in-century crisis. “The value of the President’s press conferences are questionable… We are watching the first President elected with no political experience, facing the first real crisis of his life and by all accounts failing it miserably.” – David Smith Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and special guests David Smith and Jill Rutter. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
That “draconian” Corona Bill: exactly how swingeing are the powers it bestows? And will the Government give them up as fast as they assumed them? Special guest Paul Waugh of Huffington Post on what it’s like to be present in one of Johnson’s emergency press conferences. Jeremy Corbyn’s last stand. And has the BBC’s temporary reprieve from Government attention bought it a whole new set of headaches for the future? “Labour are now thinking that if Johnson is going be Churchill in this crisis, can their next leader be Attlee?” – Paul Waugh “It was pretty extraordinary that Johnson made that announcement to 27 million people, and the next day he didn’t put himself forward for questions… Johnson likes the cut and thrust of questions. But those around him aren’t so keen.” – Paul Waugh Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Hannah White and Joe Marshall. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
“Change your life. Do everything differently.” Is Government rising to the Corona crisis? How can it ensure that state aid helps employees and businesses and doesn’t go straight into owners’ pockets? Have we fallen for a dangerous form of British exceptionalism in our approach? Will some form of Universal Basic Income prove to be inevitable to get us through this? And does Boris Johnson need to do a bit more than just listen to the experts? Special guests Matthew Parris of The Times and IfG fellow Jill Rutter join Bronwen Maddox and Cath Haddon to discuss the economic and legal backdrop to the most serious crisis in modern British history. “Governments have made an enormous moral choice in sacrificing the economic well-being of younger people simply to keep the older generation alive. I’m not sure they’ve made the right choice.” - Matthew Parris “Even though I was in government for a long time, I never encountered an emergency like this.” – Jill Rutter “It’s all very well saying this is temporary, but tell that to your bank manager.” – Matthew Parris Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and special guests Matthew Parris and Jill Rutter. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
COVID-19 is developing into the biggest threat to public health in a generation. How does government move through the gears when a crisis of this magnitude strikes? What is it like to sit in COBRA? How crucial is clear motivational communication? Three experienced firefighters – former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, advisor to Gordon Brown Lord Stewart Wood and ex-DEFRA communications director Steve Morris – join the IfG’s Bronwen Maddox and Cath Haddon for a riveting explanation what it’s like to handle a true crisis up close. “If you announce a bail-out at 6pm it’s panic. If you announce it at 7am it’s strategy.” – Steve Morris “It’s extraordinary how few leaders, Macron excepted maybe, have made international coordination part of the Corona response. The ‘your country first’ approach is being replicated and that’s really regrettable.” – Stewart Wood “Late one Friday Gordon Brown grabbed me and said ‘There’s a serious chance the police will be on the streets on Monday to stop people taking money out of the banks. Oh and probably the army as well. Have a nice weekend.’” – Steve Morris Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
For International Women’s Day on 8 March, Australia’s first – and so far only – female Prime Minister JULIA GILLARD sat down with the IfG’s Director Bronwen Maddox to discuss the long march to female political power. How can female leaders navigate male networks of power? Has #MeToo really made a difference to women in politics and beyond? And why are Australians at the cutting edge of modern political strategy? “A lot of young women look at the experience of women politicians and ask ‘Is it all worth it?’ I always answer yes, it’s definitely worth it. But I don’t insult anyone’s intelligence by saying there won’t be gendered moments.” – Julia Gillard See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Hey, big spender: was this the Corona budget or the End of Austerity budget? Is Rishi Sunak doing the right thing for businesses that can’t handle the unprecedented pressures of the Coronavirus? Has he bottled Net Zero on carbon? The perils of badly-drawn business interventions. Why this government is now running on Labour’s fiscal rules from 2010 — the ones they said would bankrupt the country. And can you regenerate a whole country from a highly controlling centre? “This kind of support can be addictive to businesses. When the next crisis arrives, will the chancellor be able to tell them ‘no’?” – Giles Wilkes Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Gemma Tetlow, Alex Thomas and Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In the latest of our occasional interviews, former Conservative MP and Treasury Secretary DAVID GAUKE talks to the IfG’s Cath Haddon about what the last Parliament can teach us about the future of this one. How is Boris Johnson faring so far? Are the trade talks with the EU likely to collapse? Will Dominic Cummings see the end of this Parliament? And what is it really like to write a budget? “Number Ten will be very effective in blaming EU intransigence for any collapse in the talk, regardless of how reasonable those talks might have been.” – David Gauke See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Beyond Brexit, the government begins the colossal task of sorting out UK-EU commerce, a US-UK trade deal… and maybe trade within the UK itself. Former DExEU permanent secretary Philip Rycroft sets out the scale of the job. Universal Credit: is it too late to stop now? Senior IfG Fellow and author of The Five Giants: A Biography Of The Welfare State Nicholas Timmins spells out what’s needed to save Iain Duncan Smith’s unloved legacy policy, including the brutal business of recovering £10bn social security debt from people who don’t know they owe it. And the Lib Dems’ Norman Lamb gives us some lessons learned during the party’s bruising experience into coalition. “Talking about a free trade deal is a bit of a misnomer. It’s about having less free trade than we have and mitigating the effects” – Philip Rycroft Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Joe Owen and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The seismic, very public resignation of Home Secretary Priti Patel’s permanent secretary Sir Philip Rutnam has blown the state of relations between the Government and its Civil Service wide open. What does it mean? Will Rutnam’s constructive dismissal case make it to court? Do we need a formal process for civil servants to blow the whistle on ministers? And will this extraordinary stand-off permanently reset the relationship between senior civil servants and the politicians they work for? This special edition of INSIDE BRIEFING is hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
This week on the podcast that dispels the mysteries of government: Backroom squabbles, bullying and powergrabs — is the Johnson administration already tearing itself apart from within? We discover why Government should learn to love its Perm Secs and Spads. Plus Tony Blair’s former political secretary turned strategy guru JOHN McTERNAN reveals untold tales of how to grease the wheels of government … and explains why Bernie Saunders will be the next US President. Ex-Business Secretary GREG CLARK on the future of British science and the government’s Coronavirus plans. And what’s in the newly-discovered Commons catacombs? “You can’t make hundreds of thousands of people march in one direction by shouting at one of them.” JOHN Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Tim Durrant and Gavin Freeguard. Audio production by Alex Rees.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
This week on the podcast that ventures into the engine room of government, the Treasury vs Number Ten. War without end or grudging partnership of equals? Special guest TIM PITT was a SPAD at the Cabinet Office and senior Treasury advisor. As the Javid fallout settles, Tim tells us where the power really lies. Plus the Bank of England’s Chief Economist ANDY HALDANE on why our economy needs new metrics of success. And this year’s COP26 conference: Why remedying climate change is the ultimate 4-dimensional chess challenge for government. Will fixing the summit’s wobbles win Britain its first global leadership moment? And how to ace a job interview with Liz Truss.
“Net Zero by 2050 is an easy commitment to make. The politicians making it are highly unlikely to be around by then. The challenge is to do those things now that will make net zero achievable then.” – Tim Pitt Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Emma Norris, Gemma Tetlow and Gavin Freeguard. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
When Sajid Javid quit as Chancellor it served up an unexpected vintage Reshuffle Day. But do big ministerial resignations really come as a surprise to the people moving the chesspieces? Special guest GAVIN BARWELL, former Chief of Staff to Theresa May, tells us how tense it gets in Westminster when Cabinet job are reassigned, and offers some insider advice for new ministers. Plus we talk to SARAH WOLLASTON about her time as a select committee chair – and her concerns about this government’s attempt to dodge scrutiny. And there’s one last chance to hear the expertise and mellifluous tones of outgoing Attorney General GEOFFREY COX before he rides into the sunset. “If you want fresh blood you’ve got to be prepared to wield the axe sometimes.” – Gavin Barwell Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Raphael Hogarth. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
An extended version of our interview with high-profile Remainer turned constitution campaigner GINA MILLER. She explains how she’s staying in the constitutional fight, why she thinks “Remain and Rejoin” are done for now, why she’s encouraged by how backbenchers have handled HS2 and Huawei, and why the hardest part of Brexit is yet to come. “Some of the government’s language would not be out of place in Orbán’s government,” she says. “Both of the cases we brought were about the fundamentals of democracy. The parliamentary slogans you heard during the referendum were exactly what we were defending.” Interview by Sam Macrory. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Where has all the scrutiny gone, long time passing…? As the Government wields its apparently unassailable majority, who will be the thorn on the Government’s otherwise impenetrable hide this year? Plus special guest PAUL HARRISON – Theresa May’s former press spokesman – explains what this week’s spat between lobby journalists and government advisors really means. And can the Government pull off its proposed more stringent sentencing guidelines in the wake of the Streatham attacks? GINA MILLER explains why she’s staying in the fight to reform the British constitution. (Watch your feed for the full-length unedited interview). And Paul tells us what it’s like to lose your government job at an hour’s notice. “Most of us went straight to the pub,” he reveals. “Big restrictions on the lobby are a terrible look for the government... most journalists are as public spirited as the politicians they cover.” – PAUL HARRISON “Politicians often agree with the way Tom Stoppard put it: ‘I’m with you on the free press. It’s the newspapers I can’t stand’.” – PAUL HARRISON Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Hannah White. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In an extended version of her interview on this week’s podcast, leading light of Leave GISELA STUART tells Cath Haddon what it was really like inside the campaign to exit the EU. Listen for fascinating detail on the atmosphere inside the Brexit victory, why she “really likes” Dominic Cummings, why the “old, playful Boris Johnson” has disappeared… and why she worries that we could be in for a crisis in the Union between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that nobody wants. “We as politicians had become quite lazy. We hadn’t talked about fisheries, agriculture, workers’ rights… those I felt had to come back to the UK parliament.” Interview by Cath Haddon. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
As Britain finally leaves the EU, the vastness of the Brexit task ahead becomes clearer. Special guest PETER FOSTER, Europe Editor of the Telegraph (and soon Policy Editor at the FT), joins us to talk about our future relationship with the EU and who will hold the Government to account at home. Meanwhile, was Boris Johnson’s first big independent decision – on allowing Huawei into the UK’s 5G plans – a wise one? Old China hand Peter thinks not. Plus we talk to leading light of Leave GISELA STUART on the inside story of the campaign, her thoughts on Remain, and what Dominic Cummings is really like. Watch your feed for the full-length unedited version too. “The Chinese have driven a wedge between the United Kingdom and the United States. From their point of view, job done.” – PETER FOSTER “Membership of the EU has depoliticised a lot of trade issues in the past… It’s going to be striking on how politics intrude on these big decisions. And ministers are going to be exposed.” – ALEX THOMAS “Remaking our relationship with the EU is very much not going to be on the same exasperated but friendly terms of the past.” PETER FOSTER Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Maddy Thimont-Jack and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Blood runs cold in Westminster as the IfG hands down its annual judgment on government efficiency, the Whitehall Monitor. Who gets an A-Star, who has room to improve and who’s on the naughty step? And why does Britain’s idiosyncratic approach to talent management mean that the Civil Service is getting older and younger at the same time? Also, Northern Uproar: Moving the grand old Lords to York – would it it take ten thousand men (and women)? With Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland’s assemblies all symbolically rejecting the Government’s Brexit plans, have we now passed Peak Devolution? And which domestic policies might get trampled in Boris Johnson’s rush for a US trade deal? “Reform of local and regional government has been on the Too Difficult box for far too long” – Alex Thomas “By an elegant solution, you mean a fudge, right?” – Bronwen Maddox Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Gavin Freeguard, Emma Norris and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Who’s really got the whip hand during Britain’s post-Brexit negotiations with the EU? Special guest RACHEL SYLVESTER of The Times joins us to look at whether Boris Johnson can play the brinkmanship game again when it comes to new trade arrangements with our European friends. Plus, we talk to LIAM FOX about starting a government department from scratch, that putative Trump trade deal, and whether he got the Brexit he wanted. Why do ex-ministers heap praise on individual civil servants but rail against the Civil Service in general? The surprise return of self-government in Northern Ireland. And our data guru Gavin Freeguard turns Freedom of Information requests into free jazz. He’s got all the right requests, just not in the right order. “Brexit WILL be done in the narrow sense... but what exactly are we doing with the control we take back?” – Joe Owen “There’s been a Roundheads vs Cavaliers divide in politics and Labour have been the joyless Roundheads. The next Labour leader will need to be someone who can spark some joy in the country.” – Rachel Sylvester Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Joe Owen, Jess Sargeant and Gavin Freeguard. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
“You need to persuade the Civil Service. Attacking them is not the way to do it.” As Tony Blair’s Chief of Staff during the New Labour years, Jonathan Powell trod the path of radical reform that Dominic Cummings now walks. In this extended version of his interview in this week’s INSIDE BRIEFING, he tells Sam Macrory of the hidden pitfalls of rapid government reform, the perils of absentee opposition, and the real possibility of the UK breaking up over Brexit. “I think Boris Johnson will survive this year, politically,” he says. “But I don’t think Dominic Cummings will.” Interview by Sam Macrory. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Dominic Cummings wants to make “seismic” changes to the way government works. Can the PM’s supreme advisor pull off such radical transformations in short order? And are his reforms really all that radical, or just designed to look that way? Special guest James Kirkup of the Social Market Foundation joins us to discuss what levelling up government” really means – and whether proper scrutiny is a thing of the past in an age of massive majorities. Plus, secrets of how new MPs look busy. Can Boris Johnson really ban the word Brexit? The march of the “misfits and weirdos”. And the undiscovered political power of the English-not-British. And we talk to Tony Blair’s former Chief of Staff Jonathan Powell about the limits of power and the bear-traps hidden in the heart of Whitehall. Watch out for a special extended version of the interview in your podcast feed. “These are the beginning of the lean years for lobby journalists who have for three years feasted on huge fatted corpses.” - James Kirkup Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Hannah White. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
It’s the second Queens Speech in two months, with perhaps more changes than we expected. Will Boris Johnson’s huge majority mean he can deliver on his election promises? Or will his radical programme be derailed by governments’ oldest enemies: unforeseen circumstances, hubris, and “events, dear boy”*? On this last INSIDE BRIEFING before Christmas, we also look at whether Johnson can pull off his much-touted NHS reforms and whether Dominic Cummings can remake Whitehall in his own image. Is it a mistake to plunge into government departments into wholesale upheaval, however good your intentions? And we ask prominent Brexiteer Douglas Carswell if his dreams have come true in quite the way he wanted. Plus, should auld acquaintance be forgot, there’s a look at the lessons and legacy of David Cameron’s government – remember them? – with special guest Chris Cook of the innovative “slow news” start-up Tortoise Media. And our statistical savant Gavin Freeguard is on hand with some Speed Data about ministerial turnover. “It’s really hard to get government money spent on things that people can actually see.” – Chris Cook “Ministers have actually said to us, how do we get stuff done?” – Bronwen Maddox * Did Harold McMillan ever actually say this? We may never know… Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Emma Norris plus Chris Cook and Gavin Freeguard. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
PODCAST EXTRA: As the SNP sweeps Scotland in the General Election, can the Union survive? And with Holyrood and Westminster on a collision course, will Nicola Sturgeon’s demands for another referendum be impossible for Boris Johnson to rebuff? The IfG has just released its most detailed report yet into possible roads to IndyRef2 and potential fallout of another vote. On this special podcast its co-authors Akash Paun and Jess Sargeant – plus eminent legal commentator Joshua Rozenberg and Kevin Schofield, editor of PoliticsHome – look into how Scotland might get to vote again, and the unforeseen consequences for the whole UK. What happens if Nicola Sturgeon’s mandate clashes with Boris Johnson’s? If Westminster won’t relent, could we see a Catalonian-style ‘unofficial’ referendum, civil disobedience or even UDI? And even an independent Scottish currency? And a tour of the possible flashpoints: Brexit, the WAB, trade, agriculture, the trial of Alex Salmond, and fish. Listen closely. This could be the big crisis of 2020. “The future of the union is not devolved to Scotland. It’s a matter for the United Kingdom.” – Joshua Rosenberg “Brexit has been a massive recruiting sergeant for the SNP.” – Kevin Schofield “Scotland would wants to rejoin the EU. What we don’t know is, does the EU want Scotland?” – Joshua Rosenberg Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Akash Paun and Jess Sargeant plus guests Joshua Rozenberg and Kevin Schofield. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
It’s the general election result we half-expected – but few thought it would upset politics on such a seismic scale. Aside from the party tumult, will Boris Johnson’s giant majority mean wholesale change for the way Whitehall does business? How can he resolve the tension between what the Conservatives promised and what their tax commitments can deliver? And beneath the surface, the hidden issue of British fish. Does Boris grasp the scale of the problem? Plus the Election result could mean big changes to the very fabric of the United Kingdom. As the SNP’s calls for a second Independence Referendum in Scotland grow louder, the IfG’s Akash Paun explains the constitutional challenges presented by IndyRef2. You can read the IfG’s special report here. All this plus Gavin Freeguard’s statistical box of delights. “Johnson’s now making the weather. So what does he want?” – Joe Owen Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Hannah White, Gemma Tetlow, Joe Owen and – plus Gavin Freeguard and Akash Paun. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
As the General Election goes down to the wire, we’re joined by special guest Sebastian Payne of the Financial Times to look at campaign control freakery and the constitutional uncertainty that surrounds this unpredictable vote. What happens if there’s a hung parliament but the biggest party can’t form a government? Can the PM just stay in place? And what would happen if Boris Johnson lost his seat? Plus, the social care crisis is a pressing issue for government but why are politicians so terrified of touching it? Nick Davies of the IfG tells us why this politically radioactive issue urgently needs cross-party consensus. And with political journalism under the spotlight as seldom before, we speak to Jo Coburn, formidable presenter of the BBC’s Daily Politics show, about the challenges of fake news, unconscious bias and dealing with politicians who simply refuse to turn up to face scrutiny. “When parties attack us, I think they’re losing the argument,” she says. “It’s an easy hit to blame journalists when we bend over backwards to ensure we represent every shade of opinion.” All this plus Seb Payne coining the world “Coalitious”. Remember that one for future use. Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Hannah White plus Gavin Freeguard and Nick Davies. Audio production by Alex Rees.
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This week on the podcast that explains the way that government works (and why it often doesn’t)... The IfG team are joined by New Statesman political editor Stephen Bush to make sense of the party manifestos. Do all the spending pledges add up? And does it matter if they don’t? There’s a bit of Brexit in there too – but what are the EU up to while UK politicians are busy knocking on doors? We also speak to Full Fact boss Will Moy about calling out politicians who don’t tell the truth. Plus: What does Breakfast at Tiffany’s have in common with the Labour manifesto? Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Giles Wilkes plus Stephen Bush, Georgina Wright and Gavin Freeguard. Audio production by Alex Rees.
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This week on the podcast that takes you inside the way that government works and sometimes doesn’t.. The IfG team are joined by David Allen Green to discuss whether the general election will resolve all the constitutional chaos of the last few years? And just how difficult would it be told a second referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU? A new prime minister might be tempted to redesign Whitehall and announce plans for some brand new government departments. But is that a sensible thing to do? A new IfG report has the answers. And we speak to former cabinet secretary Gus O’Donnell about the challenges of forming coalition governments and the for politicians to respect the rules and tell the truth. Plus: Why is 120 the number of the week? Who knows more about the shortest-serving prime minister in British history? Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Maddy Thimont Jack plus David Allen Green, Tim Durrant and Gavin Freeguard. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
This week on the podcast that takes you inside the way that government works (or doesn’t): Labour has massive plans for Britain but what do they need to do to make them happen if they win the Election? We look at how incoming governments routinely underestimate the hurdles of getting big things done. What can the IfG’s biggest-ever report reveal about how public services have fared under austerity? And we speak to former Downing Street Chief of Staff Gavin Barwell about winning elections and governing afterwards. Plus: Should you trust a manifesto? The cautionary tale that is Universal Credit. Is there more to NHS policy than just an arms race to spend the most? And we find out what the statistics on A&E waiting times and social care sound like when played on a theremin. Spoiler: “a bit like the theme from Twin Peaks”. Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Emma Norris and Joe Owen plus Gavin Freeguard and Graham Atkins. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
This week on the podcast that looks at how Government works, and sometimes doesn’t… Both major parties are promising massive public spending if they win the Election, but are there enough projects out there to spend it all on? The right to free access to the government’s own reports becomes a key Election battleground. And there’s a brand new Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle. How will Parliament deal with the unprecedented decisions of now-departed John Bercow? Plus, what happens on “Taking Out The Trash Day”? How Brexit could affect devolution and self-government in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland far beyond any date when we actually leave. Why ‘FORTHWITH’ is the most powerful word in the Parliamentary lexicon. We talk to veteran Lib Dem strategist Olly Grender. And how fast can the IfG’s athletic staffers run from Piccadilly to College Green? It’s a key fitness challenge. “John Bercow increased the powers of Parliament. Is the new Speaker really going to want to give them back to the Government?” – Hannah White Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Alice Lilly, Joe Owen, Hannah White, Gavin Freeguard and Jess Sargeant. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
As the 2017-2019 Parliament ends and Britain girds itself for a General Election, how will this Parliament be viewed by history? Has it perhaps done its job better than some people think? Will future governments need to do things differently now that Parliament has flexed its muscles? “Backbenchers have found that they can get together, form coalitions and do things that Government doesn’t want,” says Hannah White. “That’s a real wake-up call for Government.” Plus: The loneliness of the long-distance Cabinet minister. What do potential ministers need to look out for? Could we really get by without a budget at all? And might No Deal come back from the dead at the end of the General Election? Also, our Chief Economist Gemma Tetlow drop in to explain everything you didn’t know - but need to know - about the strange and precarious future of taxation. If good behaviour from the public is bad for the tax base, how will we pay for the things we need? And we speak to David Lidington, the former de facto Prime Minister who’s now stepping down as a Conservative MP, on the lasting legacy of this Parliament. Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Joe Owen, Hannah White and Gavin Freeguard. Audio production by Robin Leeburn at Fairly Media. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
“It’s a ‘yes, but’. But that ‘yes, but’ is political gold-dust…” This week on the podcast that explains how government works (and often doesn’t)… Boris Johnson moves his Brexit Deal further than Theresa May ever pushed hers, but not quite far enough. What are the legal and constitutional positions that hem him in? How soon would the PM need to dissolve Parliament in order to get an election this side of Christmas? Also: In public services, is outsourcing on the way out and insourcing coming in? If a contract is less a licence to print money than a “Winner’s Curse”, where next for the orthodoxy that has governed public service for decades? Plus we speak to leading Brexiter Graham Brady, chairman of the Conservative Party 1922 Committee, about rebels, backstops and the state of the Tory Party. Re-convening the Stormont Assembly – what does it mean for Northern Ireland and Brexit too? And can the panel get through the podcast without ever mentioning the Fixed Term Parliaments Act? Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Dr Cath Haddon, Joe Owen and Maddy Thimont Jack. Audio production by Robin Leeburn at Fairly Media. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
How can we make government work more effectively? What are Brexit and the current political tumult doing to our institutions? What needs to change in our system of government – and how can we change it? We’ll explore all these things and more on INSIDE BRIEFING, the new podcast from the Institute for Government, Britain’s leading governmental think tank. This week: As the most momentous weekend of the Brexit saga looms, we look at the detail of the Johnson Deal and how it might play out in the Commons. Could we get an accidental No Deal after all? Special guest Giles Wilkes joins us to explain his detailed IfG report on on what No Deal would really mean for business. And we talk to Hilary Benn MP, Chair of the Brexit Select Committee, on the workings of the Act that bears his name (colloquially at least). Will it come into effect and what would the consequences be? Presented by Bronwen Maddox with the IfG’s Hannah White, Cath Haddon and Joe Owen. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Theme music: ‘The Breakbeat’ by TwoCatsGang under licence from audiojungle.net
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