Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

Is that sound the heavy thud of a gauntlet been thrown down? The podcast team are joined by Peter Hyman, a former adviser to Keir Starmer – when he was a key player in designing Labour’s missions – and Tony Blair, to make sense of the government’s new Plan for Change. What do the six new ‘milestones’ say about this government’s five missions? Do targets actually work? Why has Keir Starmer set this plan out now? And why is he sounding so frustrated with the civil service? Plus: Sir Chris Wormald is the new cabinet secretary. So who is he, and what can he do to deliver the prime minister’s command to completely rewire the British state? Catherine Haddon presents. With Jill Rutter and Nick Davies Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After weeks of speculation, and many rounds of interviews, Sir Chris Wormald has been confirmed as the UK’s new cabinet secretary. But who is Chris Wormald, why has Keir Starmer appointed him, and how can he succeed as the country’s top civil servant? David Lidington, the former minister for the Cabinet Office and Theresa May’s one-time de facto deputy prime minister, joins the IfG team to make sense of someone who is both the conventional pick and yet also the surprise choice for the job of the country’s top civil servant. What does Wormald bring to the role? What is waiting in his in-tray? How exactly could he set about that big rewiring job? And what steps he can take to ensure the civil service can deliver Keir Starmer’s priorities? Presented by Emma Norris. With Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s a competition that has gripped the nation. The candidates have been whittled down. The country is on tenterhooks. Strictly? Of course not. We’re talking about the appointment of the next cabinet secretary. The Guardian’s Rafael Behr joins the podcast team to speculate about who might get the job – and what they need to do. How can the government get more people back to work? It has published a new “Get Britain Working” white paper for starters, but what does it set out and is this any different to anything we have heard before? Plus: Does the government have an electric car problem? Hannah White presents. With Alex Thomas and Nehal Davison. Produced by Robin Leeburn for Podmasters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keir Starmer has been on his travels again, but it has been a tricky week at home for the government. Tim Ross and Rachel Wearmouth, the authors of new book Landslide: The Inside Story of the 2024 Election, join the podcast team to discuss how Labour returned to power – and how Starmer and his team are faring. The Budget has gone down very badly with Britain’s farm owners and a private members’ bill on assisted dying is posing a big headache for Starmer. How much worse could things get? And from bruising encounters to a political bruiser, the former deputy prime minister John Prescott, a key figure in the last Labour government, has died. The pod team look back on Prescott’s legacy. PLUS: Labour is promising to set up a lot of new public bodies: 17 and counting. A new IfG report has been tracking their progress, and reveals how to succeed, or not, when setting these bodies up. Cath Haddon presents, with Giles Wilkes and Matthew Gill. Produced by Jade Bailey for Podmasters and the IfG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are living in a different world. Donald Trump’s world. Kim Darroch, the UK's former ambassador to the US, joins the podcast team to make sense of what could be some jaw-dropping appointments to the Trump administration. The UK government has been scrambling to make sense of it all too - responding in measured tones while potentially bracing for impact. So how should Keir Starmer handle the new Trump era? Plus: COP29. The prime minister has been on his travels again - this time to Azerbaijan for a major climate change summit. Hannah White presents. With Alex Thomas and Jill Rutter. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Gove spent more than a decade as a senior government minister, including as secretary of state for education, justice and levelling up. He was one of the longest-serving ministers of the last government – and one with perhaps the most ambitious plans for public service reform. He was also, arguably, the most successful at making those plans happen. To look back on his time in government, the reforms he introduced or tried to introduced, and to share his lessons for the current government and Conservative opposition, thew newly-appointed Spectator editor took part in wide-ranging and thought-provoking in conversation event with IfG Director Hannah White. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Buckle up everyone. Donald Trump has won the US presidential election and will return to the White House after an extraordinary campaign featuring criminal convictions, assassination attempts, shocking language, and so much more. So what does this tell us about the US? What does it mean for the UK? And how might the world change in the years to come? Scarlett Maguire of JL Partners, the pollsters that called the numbers right, and Michael Martins, a former US Embassy adviser, join the podcast team to explain an extraordinary week. Plus: Kemi Badenoch is the new leader of the Conservative party. We’ll take a look at what this means for the opposition. And finally: another huge story - well, at least for some parts of the IfG. A new ministerial code has been published. We’ve read it and will give you the lowdown. Alex Thomas presents. With Cath Haddon and Sachin Savur. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Budget day is over and Halloween is here - and Rachel Reeves certainly came up with some pretty scary numbers. Stewart Wood, a former adviser to Gordon Brown at the Treasury and No10, joins the podcast team to make sense of the chancellor’s statement. Will her plans - this is one of the biggest tax raising budgets in modern history - come back to haunt her? Will her new rules for borrowing spook the markets? Or will her announcements begin the process of bringing economic growth back from the near-dead? Hannah White presents. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel Reeves’ first budget might well be one of the most consequential in years – and is the biggest tax-rising budget in over 30 decades. Spending is up too. As is borrowing. So what does this all mean for the economy, for the government, and for people’s pockets? The IfG expert team gathered just a few hours after the chancellor’s statement to MPs to crunch the numbers and explain what the chancellor is trying to do. What decisions has Reeves taken on new fiscal rules, tax measures and public services? What does this budget mean for the government’s growth mission? Does Reeves have a credible plan for fixing the public spending “black hole”? And what does this budget reveal about this government’s priorities? Jill Rutter presents. With Giles Wilkes, Tom Pope and Stuart Hoddinott. Produced by Podmasters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If there’s one thing we’ve learned about US politics in recent years, it’s this: don’t fall out with Donald Trump. So how have Keir Starmer and the Labour government ended up being dragged into a big row with the former - and maybe future - president? Foreign policy expert Sophia Gaston joins the podcast team to make sense of an unexpected twist in the US presidential election. The PM is in Samoa for a meeting of Commonwealth leaders. But what can the UK hope to achieve at this gathering? Plus: It has been a frenetic week of government activity, with reviews announced on the NHS, sentencing, water and more. But does this type of approach really make any difference? Emma Norris presents. With Alex Thomas and Stuart Hoddinott. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week was all about the launch of Invest 2035. Invest what? The Guardian's City Editor Anna Isaac joins the podcast team to get behind the scenes for the big government day - complete with an exclusive Elton John concert - at the Guildhall. The glitz and the glamour was designed to provide some soothing mood music ahead of the Budget - now fast approaching. We preview the latest pitch rolling. Plus: what are private members’ bills all about? Hannah White presents. With Giles Wilkes, Tom Pope and Finn Baker. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chiefs of staff aren’t meant to become the story. But Sue Gray most definitely did - until she wasn’t. So what does Keir Starmer’s No10 reset mean for how he wants to govern – and what should Labour be doing to turn around those plummeting poll rates? More in Common’s Luke Tryl joins the podcast team to explore the Downing Street job moves and examine what voters want this government to get on and deal with. Plus: For all the drama in government, it’s the Conservatives who have stunned everyone with the latest round of their leadership contest. James Cleverly is out. Which means Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick are through to face the members. So what on earth is going on…? Hannah White presents. With Nehal Davison and Jordan Urban. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reports of dysfunction and unhappiness at the centre of government have led to Sue Gray’s departure as the prime minister’s chief of staff. In an effort to reset his top team, Keir Starmer has replaced Gray with Morgan McSweeney, and has also made a number of other key appointments to his No.10 operation. So what does this restructuring tell us about how Starmer wants to run his centre of government? What lessons should be taken from the difficulties – and disagreements – at the centre that have hindered Labour’s first 100 days in power? And what else needs to change to ensure No.10, the Cabinet Office and the Treasury deliver for the prime minister? The IfG’s final report of the Commission on the Centre of Government examined why the centre has failed successive prime ministers – and the early experiences of Keir Starmer’s administration have underlined, yet again, the urgent need to implement the Centre Commission’s seven recommendations for radical reform to create strengthened, united political leadership at the heart of government. This webinar explored Gray’s exit, assess Starmer’s reset, and discuss the IfG’s recommendations for reform. Our expert panel included: Sam Freedman, Author of Failed State and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government Dr Catherine Haddon, Programme Director at the Institute for Government Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government This event was chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not even the torrential rain seemed to dampen the high spirits of the Conservative party conference. So what's going on? Scarlett Maguire of JL Partners joins the pod team to explore what happened in Birmingham and which of the party’s would-be leaders emerged as the front runner. With the attention of the lobby elsewhere, the government no doubt breathed a sigh of relief. But the bruising accounts of gifts and donations aren't going away, and all does not seem entirely happy at the heart of Keir Starmer's team. Is it going to get better any time soon? Plus: IfG pulses are racing after news that there is going to be a new Cabinet Secretary. The biggest job in the civil service is up for grabs after Simon Case confirmed that he'll be stepping down. So who are the front runners and what are the qualities that Keir Starmer should be looking for? Emma Norris presents. With Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The IfG team is up in Liverpool for Labour's first party conference since winning the general election - and the party's first in government since 2009. So, what's the mood? Has Keir Starmer managed to shift the narrative away from freebies and falling-outs? Does the annual party get together tell us anything about how government is working? And what should we be looking out for as the Conservatives prepare to meet in Birmingham? The Sunday Times' Gabriel Pogrund, Bloomberg's Ailbhe Rea and UK in a Changing Europe’s Anand Menon join Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas for a special live recording of Inside Briefing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Does it matter if the prime minister accepts a free gift? Lots of free gifts. The House Magazine’s Sienna Rodgers joins the Inside Briefing team to explore a question that, unfortunately for Keir Starmer, is not going away. It has also emerged that Sue Gray, the PM’s chief staff, is paid more than the country’s most senior politician - and a lot, lot more than plenty of special advisers. So is Gray’s pay day a problem? Talking of money, a new IfG report has set out how the government can save some - billions in fact. Its author reveals where the money can be found. Plus: How to complete England’s devolution map? Another new IfG report - we’re spoiling you - has the solutions. Cath Haddon presents. With Tim Durrant, Ben Paxton, Akash Paun and Matthew Fright. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Post Office and PPE VIP-lane scandals have put government procurement in the headlines – and not in a good way. But with the government spending almost £400bn a year on goods, works and services from businesses and charities, what can be done to stop things going wrong? Well, the Labour government has an opportunity – and a big one – to do things differently, with new legislation – in the form of the Procurement Act – kicking in. But what will this mean for ministers, civil servants and businesses? What opportunities will it bring? What risks might it create? The impact is not entirely clear. Drawing on a new IfG report, published in partnership with Tussell and AutogenAI, this special episode of Inside Briefing tells you everything you need to know about the scale of public procurement, where billions of pounds are spent, why failures happen, how accountability in procurement currently works (or doesn’t) and where it could be improved. Emma Norris presents. With IfG programme director Nick Davies, DEFRA chief commercial officer Einav Ben-Yehuda, the i paper’s senior report Ben Gartside, and Gus Tugendhat, Founder of Tussell. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is this the week that things started to get a little difficult for the new government? Prisoners have been released early - something which is never going to guarantee good headlines - and the row about the decision to cut winter fuel payments is not going away. So are the attacks deserved? Will the government manage to fend them off - or at least take the blows and move on? And what does this all mean for Keir Starmer? Plus: Select committee chair elections, Conservative leadership contest, and the Liberal Democrat conference. With Emma Norris, Cath Haddon, Gemma Tetlow and Cassia Rowland, plus guest Aubrey Allegretti, chief political correspondent for The Times. Produced by Robin Leeburn for Podmasters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The usual cut and thrust of politics took a backseat this as the Grenfell Inquiry’s final report blamed “decades of failure by central government” and the “systematic dishonesty” of multimillion-dollar companies for a fire which killed 72 people. Sam Coates of Sky News joins the podcast team to discuss the inquiry’s findings – and what happens next. Elsewhere in Westminster the focus a row featuring cabinet secretary Simon Case and the up and downs of the Conservative leadership contenders – so who has had a good week? PLUS: Who has served as a minister? Which roles have they held? What dates were they in office? All the answers can be found in the fantastic IfG Ministers Database, which launched this week. Hannah White presents. With Jill Rutter, Emma Norris and Philip Nye. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The prime minister followed Tuesday’s Oasis-fuelled Cool Britannia nostalgia with a rather gloomier vision of Britain in 2024 – with a speech that heaped blame on the last government for the tough choices to come. So will things only get worse? The Guardian’s Jess Elgot joins the podcast team to respond to Keir Starmer’s speech – and look ahead to Monday’s return of parliament. The failure to fix the housing crisis stretches way back to the 1990s – so why have successive governments failed to build the homes the country needs? A new IfG report takes a tour through history – and has some solutions for the future. Plus: What is like to be a minister who takes maternity leave – and is the system working? Another new IfG report speaks to six former ministers. Hannah White presents, with Jess Elgot, Joe Owen, Sophie Metcalfe and Nicola Blacklaws Produced by Podmasters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is the difference between a spad and pad? How should people be fast-tracked into big government jobs? And is Labour going about this process the right way – or committing a series of unforced errors? With the new government on the defensive after a string of eyebrow-raising appointments to civil service roles, ConservativeHome’s Henry Hill joins the podcast team to make sense of the row – and explore where Keir Starmer and Sue Gray might have questions to answer. Plus: Does Rachel Reeves have any money to spend? Presented by Hannah White with Alex Thomas and Jill Rutter. Produced by Milo Hynes www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the IfG knows all too well, government sometimes – perhaps often – doesn’t seem to work. So who or what is to blame? Sam Freedman, IfG senior fellow and author of Failed State: Why nothing works and how to fix it, joins Hannah White for a fascinating discussion about what has gone wrong – and how to make it right. From a stuttering civil service to a stumbling parliament, failed prime ministers and fraught permanent secretaries, Hannah and Sam take a journey through the failures of British governance – and explore what reforms the Labour government could introduce to help turn the system around. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Olympic Games is all about sport – but it is unavoidably also all about the politics. So two days after the opening ceremony, the IfG team assembled its crack team of sporting fanatics to discuss the links between power and the Olympic Games. From claiming credit to trying to duck the blame, prime ministers, presidents and mayors are as involved as any athlete – signing off on bids to host the games, settling on multi-billion budgets, being booed in the stands, and keeping fingers crossed that everything runs smoothly. So just how political are the Paris 2024 Olympics Games? And how do they compare with what has come before – including the 1908, 1948 and 2012 Games in London – and what might follow in Los Angeles, Brisbane and the Games of the future? Podcaster, academic, historian and author David Runciman returns to Inside Briefing for a fascinating tour through the ever-changing relationship between sport and the Olympics that has defined over a century of successful (and not so successful) Games. Hannah White presents with Jill Rutter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Special Advisers are some of the most important yet misunderstood figures in government. They play vital roles – as the voice of their minister in the department, shaping policy agendas and managing the media. As a new government gets up and running and scores of new SpAds get to grips with their roles, this four part series lifts the lid on what SpAds do, how they do it, and why they’re indispensable to modern government. In this final episode, we look at how SpAd careers end. We start with reshuffles – what’s it like to go through a reshuffle as a SpAd, and how do you find out when one’s about to begin? We also discuss what it’s like to lose one of these jobs and how little notice you really get. Finally, we finish the episode and the series by asking our interviewees to reflect on their time in government. What would they do differently if they had their time again? What are they most proud of? And what advice would they give to future SpAds? Presented by Jack Worlidge. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel Reeves has revealed a “£22bn black hole” in the public finances. So do the chancellor’s sums add up and what is her plan for balancing the books? Sonia Khan, a former Treasury special adviser, joins the IfG podcast team to discuss the changing of the ministerial guard at the Treasury and the politics of spending reviews. Talking of spending reviews, is there a better way to go about running them? A new IfG paper has the answers. And is the civil service set up to deliver for a mission-led government? Another new IfG paper reveals 20 ways to overhaul Whitehall. Plus: Braced for Badenoch? Poised for Patel? Time for Tugenhadt? We preview the Conservative leadership contest. Hannah White presents, with Tom Pope and Jack Worlidge. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Special Advisers are some of the most important yet misunderstood figures in government. They play vital roles – as the voice of their minister in the department, shaping policy agendas and managing the media. As a new government gets up and running and scores of new SpAds get to grips with their roles, this four part series lifts the lid on what SpAds do, how they do it, and why they’re indispensable to modern government. In the third episode, we look at how SpAds’ work extends beyond their own departments. Government is complicated, so no-one can do one of these jobs effectively without working with other departments across Whitehall. Most SpAds will be in regular contact with the centre – No10 and the Treasury. So how do those relationships work? How powerful is No10 in reality, and what’s it like to negotiate with the Treasury? SpAds also need to work effectively with other departments, so we discuss the importance of the cross-government SpAd network. Finally, we hear about the importance of maintaining good relations with those outside government – including Parliament, their party, and external stakeholders. Presented by Jack Worlidge. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There’s only one story in town – actually, there’s only one story on the planet. And that’s Joe Biden’s decision to pull out of the presidential race – and vice president Kamala Harris’ coronation as the new Democrat candidate to face Donald Trump in November. Mark Landler of the New York Times is back on the podcast to reflect on an absolutely momentous week in US politics, what Biden’s exit means for the presidential race, and what this all means for the UK. PLUS: What is the government’s public service inheritance – and how will public services look by the next general election if the government sticks to its spending plans? A new IfG report has the answers. Hannah White presents, with Alex Thomas and Stuart Hoddinott. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Special Advisers are some of the most important yet misunderstood figures in government. They play vital roles – as the voice of their minister in the department, shaping policy agendas and managing the media. As a new government gets up and running and scores of new SpAds get to grips with their roles, this four part series lifts the lid on what SpAds do, how they do it, and why they’re indispensable to modern government. In the second episode, we’re focusing on how important relationships are to any SpAd’s job. We start by discussing the importance of trust and understanding between SpAds and their secretary of state – how is this relationship built, and why is it so critical? And what about junior ministers – how do SpAds work with them? The link between SpAds and the civil servants they work with is also vital. We look at their links with both the secretary of state’s and their own private offices, as well as what they thought about the civil service overall, and whether anything frustrated them. Presented by Jack Worlidge. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The pace of British politics isn’t slowing down. A big international summit for Keir Starmer. Devastating Covid inquiry headlines. And a King’s Speech full of bills. But all this is nothing compared to the US. President Biden – now isolating with Covid – is under pressure to withdraw from the 2024 race, and his rival Donald Trump survived, by millimetres, an assassination attempt. The FT’s Lucy Fisher hot-foots it from Blenheim Palace to join the podcast team to make sense of big events either side of the Atlantic. Presented by Hannah White, with Alex Thomas and Rosa Hodgkin www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Special Advisers are some of the most important yet misunderstood figures in government. They play vital roles – as the voice of their minister in the department, shaping policy agendas and managing the media. As a new government gets up and running and scores of new SpAds get to grips with their roles, this special four-part series from the Institute for Government lifts the lid on what SpAds do, how they do it, and why they’re indispensable to modern government. In this first episode, we look at how SpAds are recruited, and how they found their first days in government. What surprised them, and how did they fit into the wider SpAd team in their department? We also ask our interviewees what their day-to-day lives were like in government, how they added value for their ministers, and finally how they dealt with crises. Presented by Jack Worlidge. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The New Statesman’s Freddie Hayward joins the Inside Briefing team to reflect on Keir Starmer’s busy first week as prime minister, with the PM appointing new ministers, the government firing off press releases and policy announcements, and Rachel Reeves making her first big speech as chancellor. But Starmer is also facing his first difficult decision: how to deal with a major crisis in prisons. England and Wales are on the brink of running out of cells... Hannah White presents, with Emma Norris, Tom Pope and Cassia Rowland. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We hosted a special livestreamed recording of the Institute for Government podcast, as a team of IfG experts – bleary eyed but full of coffee – gathered in the podcast studio to make sense of a momentous night in British politics. What does the general election result mean for how the UK will be governed? What decisions and duties await the prime minister over the next days and weeks? How are governments formed and what does it mean civil servants? And what are the big challenges facing the government – and how can it meet them? Hannah White and the team shared their instant reaction, expert analysis, and essential insights. Presented by Hannah White with Giles Wilkes, Tim Durrant and Catherine Haddon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re into the general election final countdown and all the polls point to a big Labour win for Keir Starmer. So does Rishi Sunak have any aces up his sleeve or has the general election gambling scandal confirmed many Conservatives’ fears that that their leader is a busted flush? The Guardian’s Rafael Behr joins the podcast to look back on the campaign and explore what might happen next for Labour and the Conservatives. Who has had a good campaign and who has had a bad one? The podcast team pick their choices. What is it the last day – and the first day – in government really like? The IfG’s Giles Wilkes and Jack Worlidge, both former government special advisers, give the inside story. PLUS: What are the big barriers to Labour’s clean energy plan and what can Keir Starmer do to knock them down? Presented by Emma Norris. With Gilkes Wilkes, Jack Worlidge and Rosa Hodgkin. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are less than two weeks to go until the general election and the polls are showing no signs of shifting. But what do they really tell us about what voters are thinking about Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer? Which Labour or Conservative policies and promises are cutting through? What are the polls to look out for? Deltapoll’s Joe Twyman joins the podcast team to explain all. Plus: What exactly is a supermajority? We break down the Conservative party’s warnings about what a big Labour election win would mean in Parliament. Presented by Hannah White with Alice Lilly. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Manifesto week of the general election campaign has seen lots of promises, plenty of policies and even more polling – but whose plans for government actually add up? Kitty Donaldson, chief political commentator of the i paper, is this week’s podcast guest as Inside Briefing weighs up what we learned from the manifesto launches – and what they mean for Rishi Sunak and for Keir Starmer. Hannah White presents, with Alex Thomas. Produced by Milo Hynes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We were swamped with loads of fantastic questions at our recent IfG webinar and didn’t have time to get to all of them – so, by special request, Jill Rutter, Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas have reunited in the IfG podcast studio to record this special Question Time episode of Inside Briefing. So as Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer hit the general election campaign trail, what does this frenzied time in British politics mean for the nation’s civil servants? What happens to special advisers during general election campaigns? What should private offices be getting ready for? Why don’t we talk about purdah anymore? And why is it important that everyone reads the IfG’s brilliant Ministers Reflect series of interviews? Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The IfG rebuttal unit kicked into gear this week after our very own Nick Davies found himself dragged into the Conservative party’s tax attack on Labour. So where did that number really come from – and what can Labour do about it? Full Fact’s Chris Morris joins the IfG podcast to look back on a very noisy TV debate between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer. We’re into the manifesto countdown – but will either Labour or the Conservatives say anything about the problems piling up for whoever forms the next government? A new IfG paper, The Precarious State of the State, sets out the scale and severity of the challenges likely to dominate the next parliament. Plus: The state of GPs’ surgeries. Another new IfG report – out on Saturday – says GPs’ surgeries are old, cramped and crumbling. So, what can be done about it? Hannah White presents, with Nick Davies and Ben Paxton. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Was Rishi Sunak’s rain-soaked speech on the steps of No10 really only a week ago? We’ve had policy announcements, MPs stepping down, a spectacular fall from a paddle board, more MPs stepping down, Keir Starmer colliding with the Labour left, Rishi Sunak clashing with some of his ministers, Nigel Farage deciding not to stand for parliament - again. An awful lot has happened. The Inside Briefing team examine the big policy announcements on national service and pensions, reflect on some big name MPs – most notably Michael Gove – quitting parliament, and look back on a week of awkward gaffes and bust-ups for both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer. Hannah White presents. With Alex Thomas and Jill Rutter. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rishi Sunak has braved the weather and called a general election. So, what happens now? The IfG has been bombarded with questions about what this all means for government, for parliament, for the civil service, for legislation, for candidates, for conferences, and more. And these really are the type of questions that get the IfG’s collective pulse racing. So, we’ve scrambled together a team of IfG experts to answer all your questions. Listen to hear Hannah White, Joe Owen, Cath Haddon and Emma Norris tell you everything you need to know. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The wait is over! The election has been called! The countdown to July the 4th starts now. After months of speculation, and a frenzied day of drama in Westminster, the IfG podcast team are joined by Sam Freedman to make sense of Rishi Sunak’s decision and explore what happens next. Things could hardly have got wetter as the prime minister gave his podium address on the steps of Downing Street, with Sunak’s moment in the rain shared with whoever was playing - at an incredible volume - that familiar New Labour anthem by D:Ream. So why has the PM called a general election? What could happen between now and the July 4th polling day? What needs to happen in Parliament first? And given Labour’s seemingly unshifting poll lead, is there really a route to victory for the Conservative party or has Sunak - as his harsher critics are saying - just given up? Presented by Hannah White with Emma Norris and Joe Owen. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer delivered their election pitches to the public this week – the PM with a focus on security and the Labour leader with six broader commitments from tackling NHS waiting lists to small boats. In parliament, the week started with a sobering report on the trauma that too many women face while giving birth. And on Monday evening MPs voted (narrowly) for members to be suspended from the estate if they are arrested for a violent or sexual offence And inquiries are back: Sue Gray spoke at the Covid inquiry this week, while Westminster awaits the next session of the Post Office inquiry and the long-awaited publication of the report into the infected blood scandal. The IfG’s Hannah White, Emma Norris and Alice Lilly are joined by special guest PoliticsHome political editor Adam Payne to discuss what it all means. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The defection of Dover MP Natalie Elphicke shocked both the Conservatives and, it seems, most of the Labour Party. The FT’s Lucy Fisher joined the podcast team to weigh up another a big twist in the Westminster soap opera. Meanwhile a massive government data breach has sent Whitehall into a panic. But how big is the problem, who is responsible and how can this type of thing be stopped? Also, how to complete the half-done job of English devolution? A new IfG report has a plan. Plus: Who really runs Whitehall? Another IfG report reveals everything you need to do know about the country’s top civil servants. Hannah White presents. With Cath Haddon, Matthew Fright and Jordan Urban. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Conservatives take a pounding in the local elections and Labour are taking councils in former Brexit heartlands. But there’s a crumb of Tory comfort in Ben Houchen’s victory in the Tees Valley mayoral election – and Labour fail to take key target Harlow. As results continue to roll in, what do the last votes before the General Election mean for Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer? Plus we are approaching a cliff-edge moment on departmental budgeting… good job there’s an IfG paper for that. Emma Norris, Akash Paun and Ben Paxton are joined by our special guest, political journalist Rachel Wearmouth, for this week’s pod. Presented by Emma Norris. Audio production by Alex Rees. A Podmasters Production for the IfG. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rishi Sunak’s flagship Rwanda Act is finally on the statute book, and the prime minister has promised that – “no ifs, no buts” – flights will be taking off by the summer. So how much of a triumph is his for Sunak – and what legal challenges could still derail his asylum plan? Political journalist Zoe Grunewald joins the podcast team to weigh up an eventful week for the PM. We’re just days away from a set of crucial local elections. Who is standing and where? What are the contests we need to look out for? And what could it all mean for Sunak and Keir Starmer? Plus: Rising energy bills and rising raw sewage has put regulators like Ofgem and Ofwat in the spotlight, but is parliament doing enough to properly scrutinise the role that over 100 regulators play? A new IfG report has the answers. Hannah White presents. With Jill Rutter, Akash Paun and Matthew Gill Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Liz Truss is back, with her new book providing journalists with all sorts of extraordinary insights into her retrospective arguments about why her premiership collapsed. But what legacy has Truss left the Conservatives in the polls and what does this tell us about how voters view the party? Polling expert Will Jennings joins the podcast team to take a deep dive into the current state of the polls, how polling works and what the forthcoming election might mean for trust in our politics. Plus: The prime minister’s flagship smoking ban has passed its first parliamentary hurdle, but also exposed some fundamental philosophical divisions within the Conservative Party. What does the bill tell us about political debate and long-term policy making? And what can we take from it about how willing political parties are to use prevention to tackle public health challenges? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is the Foreign Office still a department built to deliver the UK’s global priorities in the 21st century or is it out of date in the way it looks and works? Is David Cameron’s comeback as foreign secretary turning out to be a surprise success and what has it meant for the UK’s diplomatic clout? And just how complicated is the civil job of servants when they are asked to work on controversial government foreign policy – particularly when it relates to military action or weapons sales. Former ambassador and No10 adviser Tom Fletcher, the co-author of new headline-making report into the future of UK international affairs, joins the podcast team to explore the UK’s status in the world, what it can achieve on the global stage, and what David Cameron's return to government has meant for the Foreign Office. Emma Norris presents, with Alex Thomas and Tim Durrant. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is China really launching cyberattacks on British politicians and institutions? If so, then how serious is the threat – and what can the government do about it? Ciaran Martin, the first chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, joins the podcast team to discuss. Two more ministers have quit the government – and announced that they will step down from Parliament. So how dangerous is this exodus for Rishi Sunak, and how has the PM reshuffled his pack? PLUS: Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner launched Labour’s local government campaign with a new plan for devolving power across England. So how will it work – and will it succeed? Hannah White presents, with Cath Haddon, Tom Pope, and Sachin Savur. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Spectator’s Isabel Hardman joins the IfG podcast team to discuss Conservative party plots – and weigh up just how much trouble Rishi Sunak is in. Rachel Reeves has been making headlines with a major speech on the economy. So what did the shadow chancellor say, and does Labour have a plausible plan? Plus: Who wants to be a member of a men-only private members’ club? Hannah White presents, with Jill Rutter and Giles Wilkes. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A general election is getting closer – and whoever forms the next government needs to be prepared. The campaign will dominate time and resources, but the job of being in government begins almost as soon as the votes have been counted. Preparing for Power, a special six-part series from the Institute for Government, takes you behind the scenes to find out how our politicians, their advisers and officials block out the noise of a general election campaign to get ready for what comes next. Episode 6 explores the first days, weeks and months of a new government. What is like to be at a prime minister’s side as they enter No.10 for the first time? Can a new minister ever be properly prepared for the sudden task of running a huge government department? And what is it like to be a civil servant welcoming a brand new political team into office? We speak to the people who have been at the heart of government as a new government is formed, including Ed Balls, Jonathan Powell, Gus O'Donnell, Harriet Harman, Polly Mackenzie and Nick Macpherson. The concluding part of Preparing for Power reveals what actually happens on a prime minister’s first day, explores what it is like for civil servants as a whole new team of politicians – and their advisers – take charge, and shares key lessons for making the most of going into government. Presented by Emma Norris. Produced by Milo Hynes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A weak No.10 Downing Street compulsively micro-manages. The Cabinet Office is bloated and unwieldy. The Treasury dominates decision-making. And prime ministers often find that the levers of power aren’t working. So what is going wrong with the centre of government? What can be done to fix it? And, as a general election approaches, what difference would a re-designed centre mean for either Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer? A new Institute for Government report – the result of a year-long commission on the centre of government – has examined the problem and come up with some radical recommendations for reform. The report was launched was this week, at an event featuring two former prime ministers: Sir John Major and Gordon Brown. So on this special edition of Inside Briefing, the IfG team – with special guest Sally Morgan, Tony Blair’s former political secretary – take a deep dive into the heart of government. Hannah White presents, with Alex Thomas and Jordan Urban. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices