IfG LIVE – Discussions with the Institute for Government

Productivity in public services has never been more important. Most services are struggling to return to pre-pandemic performance levels, and the new Labour government has indicated that spending will remain tight. Improvements in performance will likely come from frontline workers finding new, innovative ways of delivering services.   So what can be done to improve productivity? By highlighting outstanding examples of innovation across public services, Productivity Pitches, a series of events hosted by the IfG, aims to share and support ways to improve performance levels. This event was the eighth in the series and focused on innovation across public services. Each speaker had 10 minutes to present their innovation, followed by 10 minutes of audience questions. The chair and a guest from The Productivity Institute – which kindly supported this event series – brought together the common themes from the pitches and discussed the lessons for improving productivity. The speakers for this edition of Productivity Pitches were: Aoife O'Higgins, Director of Evidence at Foundations, the What Works Centre for children and families explained how their work showing the efficacy of Family Group Conferencing (FGC) has led to the government legislating in the Children, Wellbeing and Schools Bill to mandate that councils offer parents a Family Group Decision Making meeting before referring a child to social services. This substantially expanded the use of FGCs. Rhian Gladman and Gary Hughes on LGA's peer challenge programme and transformation support. For its peer challenge programme, the LGA recruits senior local government officers and political leaders to act as peer reviewers. Following a meeting with the council that will be reviewed, a small team of peer reviewers is sent in to speak to people, assess processes and documents, and use their knowledge to provide peer-led feedback. For transformation support, the LGA matches peers with transformation experience with councils that need that specific advice. The event was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. Joel Hoskins, Research Assistant at The Productivity Institute joined to the discuss common themes. Productivity Pitches was kindly supported by The Productivity Institute. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The IfG team headed to Birmingham to explore how mayors can secure and deliver private investment into their regions in pursuit of growth and regeneration. The IfG DevoLab is a new initiative from the Institute for Government dedicated to exploring the innovations enabled by devolution, learning from the results, and sharing the lessons so that places can take better decisions about how to use devolved powers and budgets.   IfG DevoLab #2 saw speakers from three regions – West Midlands, Greater Manchester, and the North East – set out how the powers and profile of mayors and the convening role of strategic authorities have been used to secure and deliver private investment for key regional strategic projects. ‘Investing in the West Midlands: The Birmingham Sports Quarter', Jonathan Gibson, Interim Director of Strategy at the West Midlands Combined Authority ‘Investing in Greater Manchester: The Sister Innovation District, Robert Edwards, Deputy Director of Investment at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority ‘Investing in the North East', Dr Henry Kippin, Chief Executive of the North East Combined Authority The three presenters were joined on the panel by Julia Goldsworthy, Head of Social Impact Investment at L&G, and former Director of Strategy at West Midlands Combined Authority, for a broader discussion on the benefits of devolution and mayoral leadership, the lessons less mature devolved regions can learn from those further along in the journey, and whether further devolution can accelerate growth.   This event was chaired by Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government, with an introduction by Hannah White, CEO of the Institute for Government.  Insights from this discussion informed a published policy briefing containing the three case studies and a synthesis of key lessons. The Institute for Government would like to thank L&G for its support of this event and its wider support of the IfG DevoLab series.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The government's major restructuring of local government will be a formidable challenge for local officials and political leaders in 164 district councils across 21 English county areas and 19 small neighbouring unitary authorities. For local government reorganisation to truly act as a catalyst for local public service reform, as envisaged by central government, services currently delivered by outgoing district councils – like waste collection and housing – will need to be merged and delivered from day one of the new unitary authorities' existence.   This means harmonising service provision, staff terms and conditions, establishing new management structures and resolving issues such as incompatible ICT systems, culture clashes between teams and overcome incompatible business processes.   What are the challenges and options facing local district council leaders? How long does it take to merge these services? What are the risks and opportunities? What have been the greatest barriers to successful transformation in earlier rounds of local government reorganisation? And what structures and service delivery options are available to the new unitary authorities?   To answer these questions and more, this IfG event brought together an expert panel, including:   Professor John Denham, Research Fellow and Director of the Centre for English Identity and Politics at the University of Southampton Liz Elliott, Deputy Chief Executive – Transformation at Harborough District Council Justin Galliford, Chief Executive at Norse Group Rachel Joyce, Assistant Chief Executive – Local Engagement at North Yorkshire Council   The event was chaired by Dr Matthew Fright, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government.   We would like to thank Norse Group for kindly supporting this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The government's ambitious vision for the health system can only be delivered by changing the behaviour of thousands of different organisations and hundreds of thousands of people working across health and care. To do this, the 10 Year Health Plan proposes some major changes to how funding flows through the system and how providers and individuals are held to account. This includes multi-year budgets, patient feedback linked payments, best practice tariffs, performance related pay for leaders, league tables for providers but fewer overall targets, and earned autonomy for high performers.   How will changes to financial flows help deliver the government's health priorities? What impact will the 10 Year Health Plan have on allocation of resources between different parts of the NHS? And will the new accountability regime incentivise the right behaviours and ways of working?   To discuss these questions and more, we  were joined by an expert panel including: Thomas Cawston, Corporate Affairs Lead at Novartis UK Anita Charlesworth, Senior Economic Adviser at the Health Foundation and acting chair of North-West London NHS Integrated Care Board Sally Gainsbury, Senior Policy Analyst at Nuffield Trust Hardev Virdee, Group Chief Finance Officer at Barts Health NHS Trust This event was chaired by Stuart Hoddinott, Associate Director at the Institute for Government.   We would like to thank Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK for kindly supporting this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speakers: Richard Fuller MP, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Thomas Pope, Deputy Chief Economist at the Institute for Government Ryan Shorthouse, Executive Chair at Bright Blue Trinh Tu, Managing Director, Public Affairs at Ipsos UK   This event was chaired by Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speakers: David Simmonds MP, Shadow Minister for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Dr Tom Arnold, Research Associate at the Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place Cllr Abi Brown OBE, Deputy Leader of the Local Government Association Conservative Group Helen Gbormittah, Regional Director, North West at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)   This event was chaired by Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.   This event was held in partnership with the Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place at the University of Liverpool. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speakers: Rt Hon Jesse Norman MP, Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Caroline Elsom, Head of Reshaping The State at Onward Eve Norridge, Head of Research at Onward Dr Hannah White, Director of the Institute for Government   This event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.   This event was held in partnership with Onward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speakers: Mayor Paul Bristow, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester Cllr Louise McKinlay, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities, Economic Growth and Prosperity at Essex County Council   This event was chaired by Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.   This event was held in partnership with Policy@Manchester - The University of Manchester. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speaker: Baroness Barran MBE, Shadow Minister for Education Dr Kieran Mullan MP, Shadow Minister for Justice Cllr Abi Brown OBE, Deputy Leader of the Local Government Association Conservative Group   This event was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speakers: Rt Hon Lord Willetts, Chair of the Regulatory Innovation Office and former Minister for Universities and Science Helen Bower-Easton CBE, Director of Communications at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Professor Nigel Brandon OBE, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Professor of Sustainable Development in Energy at Imperial College London Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government   This event was chaired by Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government.   This event was held in partnership with Imperial College London. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speakers:    Tim Leunig, Chief Econonist at Nesta Dave Penman, General Secretary at the FDA Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government Paul Whiteman, General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers   This event was chaired by Ben Paxton, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government.   This event was held in partnership with the FDA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speakers:   Maya Ellis MP, Member of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee Mayor Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Professor Lisa Collins, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Research and Innovation at the University of Surrey Dr Rebecca McKee, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government   This event was chaired by Thomas Pope, Deputy Chief Economist at the Institute for Government.   This event was held in partnership with the University of Surrey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speakers:   Rt Hon John Denham, former Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Council & Corporate Portfolio Holder at City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council Katie Johnston, Devolved and Local Government Lead at PwC UK Jessica Studdert, Chief Executive of New Local    This event was chaired by Stuart Hoddinott, Associate Director at the Institute for Government.   This event was held in partnership with PwC UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speakers:   Lisa Bungeroth, Director of Public Affairs at Imperial College London Thomas Cawston, Corporate Affairs Lead at Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Louise Hellem, Chief Economist at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Pranesh Narayanan, Senior Research Fellow at IPPR Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government   This event was chaired by Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government.   This event was held in partnership with Imperial College London. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speakers:   Alex McIntyre MP, Member of the Health and Social Care Select Committee Kevin McKenna MP, Officer of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Health Professor Nicola Ranger, General Secretary and Chief Executive of the Royal College of Nursing Thea Stein, Chief Executive of the Nuffield Trust   This event was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.   This event was held in partnership with the Royal College of Nursing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speakers:    Jake Richards MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Ministry of Justice Deputy Mayor Kate Green, Deputy Mayor for Safer and Stronger Communities, Greater Manchester Clare Moody, Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon & Somerset Cassia Rowland, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government Fiona Rutherford, Chief Executive of JUSTICE   This event was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.   This event was held in partnership with JUSTICE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speakers:    Katherine Fairclough, Chief Executive of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Council & Corporate Portfolio Holder at City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council Sue Jarvis, Co-Director at Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place Dr Henry Kippin, Chief Executive of North East Combined Authority   This event was chaired by Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.   This event was held in partnership with the Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place at the University of Liverpool and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speakers:   Chris Ward MP, Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office Kelly Beaver MBE, Chief Executive of Ipsos, UK and Ireland Conrad Thompson, Public Sector Lead for Innovation at PA Consulting Moira Wallace, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government   This event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.   This event was held in partnership with PA Consulting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speakers:    Alison McGovern MP, Minister of State in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester Bassam Mahfouz AM, Chair of Greater London Authority Oversight Committee Deputy Mayor Nadine Peatfield, Deputy Mayor of East Midlands Combined Authority Cllr Bella Sankey, Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council   This event was chaired by Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.   This event was held in partnership with Policy@Manchester - The University of Manchester. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speakers:    Dan Jarvis MBE MP, Minister for Security at the Home Office and Minister of State at the Cabinet Office Emma Hardy MP, Minister for Water and Flooding Béatrice Butsana-Sita, Chief Executive at British Red Cross Dr Hannah White OBE, Director & CEO, at the Institute for Government   This event was held in partnership with the British Red Cross. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

 Speakers:    Michael Shanks MP, Minister for Energy at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Sam Alvis, Associate Director for Environment, Energy Security and Nature at IPPR Sam Peacock, Managing Director for Corporate Affairs, Regulation and Strategy at SSE Dhara Vyas, Chief Executive Officer of Energy UK This event was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government.   This event was held in partnership with Energy UK and SSE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Liberal Democrat manifesto committed to keeping people out of hospital by investing in public health and early access to community services. Prevention is also central to the government's plans for improving healthcare. But meaningfully shifting care from treatment to prevention is easier said than done.    So how could the UK take a prevention-led approach to healthcare?   We discussed at the 2025 Liberal Democrat Party Conference in Bournemouth with an expert panel featuring:   Andrew George MP, Member of the Health and Social Care Select Committee Jules Payne Chief Executive at HEART UK - The Cholesterol Charity Rob Thomas, Head of Public Affairs, UK and Ireland at Novartis UK   This event was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.   This event was held in partnership with Novartis UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The government's devolution plans are centred on devolving more powers out of Whitehall into the hands of the local leaders, and giving local places control of key policy areas like skills, transport, and housing. But questions remain about how this will work in practice.   At the 2025 Liberal Democrat Party Conference in Bournemouth we explored the key steps that local places need to take to develop an effective economic strategy.   Our speakers included: Baroness Pinnock, Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson on Housing, Communities and Local Government Professor Lisa Collins, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Surrey Councillor Lorna Dupre, Deputy Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council Rebecca McKee Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government   This event was chaired by Thomas Pope, Deputy Chief Economist at the Institute for Government.   This event was held in partnership with the University of Surrey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump's return to the White House has reshaped the world trade order – posing risks, but also offering opportunities, for the UK.   What can be done to make the UK become a more attractive destination for foreign investment? How should the UK deal with the US - and approach its relationship with China? How can the government help UK businesses and will its new industrial and trade strategy help secure the UK's economic future?   We discussed at the Liberal Democrat Conference in Bournemouth with an expert panel, featuring:   Clive Jones MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Trade Helen Bower-Easton CBE, Director of Communications at the Financial Conduct Authority Joanna Cound, Global Head of Public Policy at BlackRock UK Chris Hayward, Policy Chairman at the City of London Corporation Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government   This event was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government.   This event was held in partnership with the City of London Corporation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The former deputy prime minister, in his only fringe event at this year's Liberal Democrat conference, spoke to IfG director Hannah White about Keir Starmer's Donald Trump strategy, Elon Musk's interventions in British politics, the AI challenge, and how centre left parties can fight back against the rise of populism.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With European nations now spending more on defence than America for the first time since the Second World War, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin explored how the end of the peace dividend is creating new dilemmas for the political class and what this means for the Whitehall machine.   In his first speech since stepping down as head of the armed forces, Admiral Sir Tony, who served four successive prime ministers, reflected on the advent of a third nuclear age, the race to artificial super intelligence and the requirement for grand national strategy to meet the demands of a new more dangerous era.   Following his speech, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin was in conversation with Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The industrial strategy has emerged after a long gestation, with June's white paper containing an exhaustive list of policy commitments intended to deliver Labour's promise to “lay the foundation for a decade of growth”, create hundreds of thousands of clean energy jobs, ensure that every region thrives, and put Britain “at the forefront of the technological revolution”.   The strategy identifies 37 different ‘Frontier Industries' within the eight growth sectors already set out in the green paper from October 2024, with these sectors treated as enablers of productivity to other parts of the economy – not just as vehicles of growth in themselves. So how can this ambitious idea be delivered successfully?    What combination of market and regulatory reforms can help to deliver this aim? What will be the role of public sector financial institutions like the National Wealth Fund and British Business Bank? What is the role for private finance? Is the government's push to encourage more pension fund investment in British industry welcome or risky? And with the industrial strategy containing so many goals, industries and policy instruments, has the government taken on more than it can realistically deliver?     To explore these questions and more, we were joined by an expert panel, including:   Sam Lister, Director General for Industrial Strategy at the Department for Business and Trade Paul Nightingale, Professor of Strategy at the University of Sussex Karen Northey, Corporate Affairs Director at the Investment Association Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government This event was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government.   This event was kindly supported by the Investment Association. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At this year's local elections, the Reform Party secured outright majorities in 10 local authorities and won two metro mayor contests.   As its local leaders make the transition from opposition to government, what skills will they need to be successful? What are the trade-offs they will have to make? How should they design and deliver policy? And how should they work with the Labour government in Westminster to deliver for voters locally?   Speakers:    Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government (chair) Cllr Linden Kemkaran, Leader of Kent County Council & County Councillor for Maidstone Southeast Akash Paun, Programme Director (Devolution) at the Institute for Government Gawain Towler, former Head of Press for Reform UK   This event was an IfG fringe event held at the Reform UK Party Conference 2025 in Birmingham. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Freedom of Information (FoI) Act – which was passed 25 years ago and came into force five years later – created a legal right for citizens to request information from public authorities. This was a radical shift in the government's approach to information and a significant step towards a more open culture of government. FoI was designed to generate more transparency and to tackle perceived secrecy in government, and it has been a vital tool for journalists, researchers and private citizens alike. However, some politicians have been critical of the burden that FoI requests create, and there are outstanding questions about how the FoI system can be more effective. With FoI requests more than tripling since it was introduced in 2005, this IfG event assessed the state of FoI on its double anniversary – and explored, through a series of proposals and an expert panel discussion, how the system can be improved.  To pitch their proposals for the future of Freedom of Information, the IfG was joined by Jenna Corderoy, Investigative reporter at Democracy for Sale Dr Louise Crow, Chief Executive of mySociety Dr Ben Worthy, Lecturer at Birkbeck University And to discuss the proposals and the FoI system more broadly: John Edwards, Information Commissioner Lord Charlie Falconer, Secretary for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor (2003–07) Lynn Wyeth, Executive Board Member of the Campaign for Freedom of Information, and Executive Board Member of The National Association of Data Protection and Freedom of Information Officers (NADPO)  The event was chaired by Gavin Freeguard, Associate of the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The prime minister has made some big changes in No10. Darren Jones moves from the Treasury to take on the newly-created job of chief secretary to the prime minister. A new executive director of communications has been recruited. Minouche Shafik has been appointed as the PM's economics adviser. And other eye-catching job changes are taking place.   So what does this all say about how Keir Starmer wants to govern? How will Darren Jones's role dovetail with chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden? Will these changes really equip the centre of government for a “relentless focus on delivery”? And what Institute for Government recommendations should Starmer now adopt as he weighs up further changes to the centre?   Alex Thomas, Hannah Keenan, Gemma Tetlow and Hannah White explain all in this expert Institute for Briefing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The IfG DevoLab is a new Institute for Government initiative dedicated to exploring the innovations enabled by devolution, learning from the results, and sharing the lessons so that places can take better decisions about how to use devolved powers and budgets.     The first ever IfG DevoLab event saw speakers from three regions set out how the powers and profile of mayors are being used to address health inequalities in their regions.   The three case studies being presented at IfG DevoLab #1 were:   ‘Beds for Babies: Safe Space to Sleep', by Andy Gates, Director of Development, Collaboration and Culture at the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority ‘Taking a health in all policies approach', by Vicky Hobart, Director of Public Health at the Greater London Authority Group. ‘Working Well', by Thomas Britton, Principal – Contracted Employment Provision at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. The three speakers were joined by Peter Babudu, Executive Director of Impact on Urban Health, for a broader discussion of how devolution can improve health outcomes, how the government can support innovation and learning, and whether there is a case for further devolution in this area.   This event, which took place in London and could also be joined online, was chaired by Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.   Insights from this event informed a published policy briefing containing the three case studies and the key lessons for mayors and local leaders.   This event was kindly supported by Impact on Urban Health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Special advisers are a vital part of the glue that helps make government work effectively, and since July 2024 more than 100 spads have been appointed by Keir Starmer and his ministers. As well as experiencing the day-to-day challenges that come with one of the most intense jobs in Westminster, the new cohort has also faced ministerial churn, parliamentary rebellion and a change of No.10 chiefs of staff.   So how can special advisers be most effective in government? What are the challenges they face, and how can they deal with them? And how is the current cohort of spads faring in their difficult, and misunderstood, roles?    To discuss how the spads of today (and tomorrow) can do the job well we were joined by:   Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall Editor at the Sunday Times and co-author of Get In: The Inside Story of Labour Under Starmer Salma Shah, Special Adviser to Sajid Javid (2014–19) Sam White, Special Adviser to Alistair Darling (2004–10) and Chief of Staff to Keir Starmer (2021–22); Chair of Foundations: the national what works centre for children and families   The event was chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is driving Donald Trump's America – and what lessons might the rise of the MAGA movement, and the Democrats' defeat in the 2024 US presidential election, hold for Keir Starmer and the Labour Party?   Tim Ryan, a former Democrat nominee for President, served in the US House of Representatives for Ohio for over two decades. He ran for President in 2020 and then the US Senate from Ohio in 2022, an election won by JD Vance – the future US Vice President.   On Monday 14 July, Tim Ryan joined Anushka Asthana, Channel 4's US Editor, at the Institute of Government, to share his experiences of US politics – and what other countries can learn from the rise and return of President Trump. What lies behind the dissatisfaction in US voters that saw Trump return to the White House? How can the Democrats build a vote-winning agenda? And what was it like to face JD Vance – and how influential is the Vice President on Trump's America?   This event was introduced by IfG Director and CEO Dr Hannah White.   Tim Ryan, the former representative for Ohio, was in London with PPI to champion the Campaign for Working Americans – the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) mission to develop ideas and policy proposals to help the US Democratic Party reconnect with working Americans. Ryan represented Ohio in the US Congress from 2003–23, and ran for the Senate in Ohio in 2022, an election JD Vance won and went on to become US Vice President.    Anushka Asthana joined Channel 4 News in June 2025 as US Editor. She previously worked at ITV News, where she had been Deputy Political Editor since 2021 and co-presented Peston since 2018. Prior to joining ITV, Anushka was joint Political Editor of The Guardian, having worked for Sky, The Times, and The Observer. In 2024, her book, Taken As Red, was published as one of the first accounts of Labour's dramatic election win, with the updated paperback published in June 2025 on Labour's first year in government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Labour fought the 2024 general election on a manifesto which promised “a new way of doing government” – one built on the concept of mission-driven government. But how much has this government's decisions, trade-offs and policy priorities really been shaped by its five missions? And how far have they been able to make progress on their priorities in the first year?   To mark the first year of Keir Starmer becoming prime minister, the Institute for Government and the Institute for Fiscal Studies hosted a joint event to explore what progress the government has made and whether Starmer's government is really doing things differently to its predecessors.   Are the government's missions realistic or do they lack ambition? Have Rachel Reeves' tax and spending choices supported or hindered mission delivery? What did the spending review reveal about the government's priorities? How could government be better structured – and decisions made – in a way that is more mission-driven? And one year on since the general election, can the government really say it is governing in a “new way”?   To explore these questions and more, the IfG and IFS brought together an expert panel featuring:   Stephen Bush, Associate Editor and columnist at the Financial Times Helen Miller, Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government   The event was chaired by Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chaired by Emma Norris, Deputy Director of the Institute for Government.   This event was part of the IfG's conference, The Nolan Principles at 30: What does the future hold for standards in public life? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To reflect on the topics raised during the conference, the IfG and CSPL convened small group discussions to talk through more specific questions:    What are the emerging threats and opportunities in the standards landscape?  How do politics and partisanship affect the way standards are perceived? What does ethical public service leadership look like?   Those joining online were able to take part in a webinar discussion on the same topics. A panel of IfG and CSPL staff will report back on the themes raised in the discussions.    This event was part of the IfG's conference, The Nolan Principles at 30: What does the future hold for standards in public life?   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many of the public's interactions with the state are with frontline officials in health and social care, policing and local government. How much do the Nolan principles resonate with those delivering public services? How can frontline officials be supported to make ethical decisions? And how can frontline organisations prevent failures, and rebuild public trust where they occur?   Speakers:   Neil Basu, former Assistant Commissioner, Metropolitan Police Helen Buckingham, Chair of National Voices Amerdeep Somal, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman   This session was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.   This event was part of the IfG's conference, The Nolan Principles at 30: What does the future hold for standards in public life? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.   This event was part of the IfG's conference, The Nolan Principles at 30: What does the future hold for standards in public life? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.   This event was part of the IfG's conference, The Nolan Principles at 30: What does the future hold for standards in public life? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After 30 years of the Nolan Principles, ethical scandals – from partygate to freebiegate – are still a regular feature of UK political life and public trust in politicians remains low. What role do politicians play in leading by example? How should politicians in Westminster, devolved and local governments demonstrate their commitment to the Nolan Principles? How can they show ethical leadership within their organisations? And what does upholding standards look like in different political and governmental contexts?   Speakers:   Paula Barker MP, member of the Commons Select Committee on Standards Roger Gough, former leader of Kent County Council   Dr Melissa McCullough, Commissioner for Standards, NI Assembly Dave Penman, General Secretary, FDA   This session was chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.   This event was part of the IfG's conference, The Nolan Principles at 30: What does the future hold for standards in public life? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To mark the 30th anniversary of the Nolan Principles, and to explore how ethical standards can be upheld in the future, the IfG brought together a series of expert panels and keynote speakers – including former prime minister the Rt Hon Sir John Major KG CH – for a thought-provoking and stimulating one-day conference.   Introduction from Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the IfG, and Doug Chalmers, Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life.   Chaired by Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the IfG.   This event was part of the IfG's conference, The Nolan Principles at 30: What does the future hold for standards in public life?   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rumours of a cabinet reshuffle are never far away in Westminster. So how should Keir Starmer approach the delicate task of choosing his top team? The prime minister has to strike a balance between ministers' performance, party management and the government's policy agenda, while being a minister is a job like no other – there are no regular performance reviews, clear handovers or annual appraisals.   So how can ministers succeed in government and reach the cabinet table? What skills do they need at each rung of the ministerial ladder? How can backbench MPs prepare to become a minister? And how does the prime minister make decisions about who should serve in government?   To explore these questions and more, we were joined by an expert panel, including:   Kitty Donaldson, Chief Political Commentator at the i Paper Rt Hon Lucy Frazer KC, former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rt Hon James Purnell, CEO of Flint Global and former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions   The event was chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a decade of tight funding settlements and the Covid-19 pandemic, Wes Streeting is the latest health secretary trying to improve NHS productivity. But what can the government do to ensure the NHS spends its budget – due to be more than £200bn in 2025/26 – more effectively?   This event, held in partnership with the Health Foundation, explored what the NHS can do to improve productivity – which is vital to improve the quality of services for patients, ensure the NHS is financially sustainable and provide value for money for taxpayers.     What improvements in productivity and health outcomes can technology really deliver? What lessons are there from previous governments' attempts to make efficiency savings? What options does Streeting really have to drive through reforms? What effect – if any – will the abolition of NHS England and cuts to integrated care boards' budgets have on driving productivity to improve performance?   To discuss these questions and more, we were joined by an expert panel including:   Helen Buckingham, Chair of Trustees at National Voices Anita Charlesworth, Senior Economic Advisor at the Health Foundation Caroline Clarke, Regional Director of the NHS in London Rachel Sylvester, Political Editor at the Observer   The event was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.   This event was held in partnership with The Health Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As part of its devolution agenda, the government is deepening and extending the mayoral model across England. Fourteen regional mayors are now in office, holding powers over transport, skills, housing and planning, economic growth and more. The government eventually wants every region of England to be led by a mayor.   But what are the characteristics of effective mayoral leadership? How should existing and new mayors use their powers and their platform to bring benefits to their regions? And what lessons can England's mayors learn from international experience?   We held a discussion of these themes, informed by insights from the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University and its director, Professor Jorrit de Jong, who was in conversation with Emma Norris, Deputy Director of the Institute for Government, and Akash Paun, Programme Director for Devolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Labour's 2024 manifesto set out a number of big changes aimed at strengthening democratic participation, such as improving voter registration, addressing inconsistencies in voter ID rules and extending the franchise to 16 and 17 year olds.   Twenty-five years after the introduction of the UK's political finance regime, and a billion pounds of donations later, the manifesto also committed to “strengthening the rules around donations to political parties” – something that has become more pressing as high-profile actors flirt with introducing significant sums of money into the UK's party funding system.   So what difference would these proposed changes make to the UK electoral system? Can they reignite voter confidence and engagement in the democratic process? What are the lessons learnt from the 2024 general election about turnout, the voter ID requirement, and candidate abuse and intimidation? And what should the government prioritise to ensure the electoral system is ready for the next general election in 2029 and able to address growing threats?   To reflect on last summer's election and to discuss how the government's plans will affect the way elections work, we were joined by an expert panel:   Lewis Baston, Political journalist and author   Matteo Bergamini, Founder and CEO of Shout Out UK   Professor Jane Green, Co-Director of the British Election Study   John Pullinger, Chair of the Electoral Commission   The event was chaired by Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The former deputy prime minister set out what this and future governments can learn from the 2010–15 coalition government.   To mark the 15th anniversary of the creation of the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition in 2010, the IfG was pleased to welcome the Rt Hon Sir Nick Clegg to reflect on the 2010-15 government and the lessons for today's politics.   Following his speech, Sir Nick was in conversation with Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government, and took part in an audience Q&A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This event marked official launch of the second edition of Exploring Parliament, a new book which brings together academic insights with real-world perspectives to bring parliament to life for readers. The book's 73 authors – leading academic experts and parliamentary practitioners – offer an unrivalled insider's guide to the UK parliament, providing an accessible yet in-depth exploration of how parliament works, its key functions, and the realities of law-making and scrutiny in the UK.   Who are the key players in parliament? How is parliament organised and run? How is the government held to account? How are laws made? And what challenges does parliament face in the future? To explore these questions and more, we were joined by the editors of Exploring Parliament – who made opening remarks, reflecting on the book's unique approach, and a panel of the book's authors who discussed their chapters and insights.   This was followed by a Q&A session. Panellists included:   Professor Nicholas Allen, Professor of Politics at Royal Holloway, University of London Dr Sean Haughey, Senior Lecturer at the University of Liverpool Chloe Mawson, Clerk Assistant at the House of Lords Dr Rebecca McKee, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government Margaret McKinnon, Director Member and Members' Staff Services Team at the House of Commons Professor Meg Russell, Director of the Constitution Unit at University College London (UCL) The event was chaired by Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.   Introductory remarks were also delivered by the editors Professor Cristina Leston Bandeira, Dr Louise Thompson and Dr Alexandra Meakin.   We would like to thank the Study of Parliament Group for kindly supporting this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In contrast to the halting approach to reform from the current UK government, Donald Trump and Elon Musk have moved fast to slash staff and programmes. That has led some of those frustrated with the slow pace of government reform in the UK and elsewhere to see DOGE as a model for radical reformers.    But what are the actual benefits – and costs – of the Trump administration approach? Is there anything to be learnt from DOGE, or is the whole approach misconceived? And what is the better, feasible model for reformers who want to deliver change at rapid pace while avoiding the DOGE template?     To explore these questions and more, the IfG was pleased to bring together an expert panel featuring:   Munira Mirza, former Director of the No.10 Policy Unit Don Moynihan, Professor of Public Policy, Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan Jeni Tennison, founder and Executive Director of Connected by Data Alex Thomas, Civil Service Programme Director at the Institute for Government   The event was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This special event considered the recommendations of the Institute's 2024 Commission on the Centre of Government in light of our analysis of the Labour government's first year in office and the prime minister's agenda to reform public services and rewire the state.   The Chair of the Institute, Lord Sainsbury of Turville, spoke on government reform and the civil service – offering his valedictory reflections as he steps down from the role this summer. Lord Sainsbury's speech was followed by a presentation of the Institute's key recommendations on civil service reform, discussion with a panel of senior IfG staff and incoming IfG Chair Sir Ian Cheshire, and audience questions.   This important event highlighted the relevance of the Institute's existing research to the government's vital reform agenda and previewed our future research plans.   Part 1 includes: Welcome and opening remarks Dr Hannah White OBE, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government   Speech Lord Sainsbury of Turville, Chairman of the Board at the Institute for Government   Q&A Lord Sainsbury of Turville, Chairman of the Board at the Institute for Government Sir Ian Cheshire, Deputy Chair of the Board at the Institute for Government   Part 2 includes: Presentation Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government    Panel discussion Sir Jonathan Jones KCB KC (Hon), Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government Alex Thomas, Programme Director for the civil service at the Institute for Government Emma Norris, Deputy Director of the Institute for Government   This panel was chaired by Dr Hannah White OBE, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This special event considered the recommendations of the Institute's 2024 Commission on the Centre of Government in light of our analysis of the Labour government's first year in office and the prime minister's agenda to reform public services and rewire the state.   The Chair of the Institute, Lord Sainsbury of Turville, spoke on government reform and the civil service – offering his valedictory reflections as he steps down from the role this summer. Lord Sainsbury's speech was followed by a presentation of the Institute's key recommendations on civil service reform, discussion with a panel of senior IfG staff and incoming IfG Chair Sir Ian Cheshire, and audience questions.   This important event highlighted the relevance of the Institute's existing research to the government's vital reform agenda and previewed our future research plans.   Part 1 includes: Welcome and opening remarks Dr Hannah White OBE, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government   Speech Lord Sainsbury of Turville, Chairman of the Board at the Institute for Government   Q&A Lord Sainsbury of Turville, Chairman of the Board at the Institute for Government Sir Ian Cheshire, Deputy Chair of the Board at the Institute for Government   Part 2 includes: Presentation Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government    Panel discussion Sir Jonathan Jones KCB KC (Hon), Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government Alex Thomas, Programme Director for the civil service at the Institute for Government Emma Norris, Deputy Director of the Institute for Government   This panel was chaired by Dr Hannah White OBE, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Almost 15 years on from the coalition government's white paper Universal Credit: Welfare that Works, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has finally concluded that its overhaul of the benefits systems is nearly complete. A few thousand people are yet to be transferred from tax credits, income support and Jobseeker's Allowance, and a rather larger numbers are still on Employment and Support Allowance, but the DWP is confident of completion by the end of the year. The Universal Credit programme board has been closed down and the department plans to publish its version of “lessons learned” from a programme that was meant to have taken seven years from the white paper but will have taken 15.   So what can this and future governments learn from the delivery of this major reform programme? How was the Universal Credit project turned around from near disaster in 2013?  And, as it nears completion, what is the impact of Universal Credit?   To explore these questions and more, the IfG was delighted to bring together an expert panel featuring:   Neil Couling, the Senior Responsible Owner for Universal Credit for a decade until March this year Tom Loosemore, Co-founder of Public Digital and Co-author of Nesta's report on how to transform government services Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government Tom Waters, Associate Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies   The event was chaired by Nicholas Timmins, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government and author of the IfG's 2016 report Universal Credit: From Disaster to Recovery? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices