Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

As the Covid inquiry gets underway, the Financial Times’ Chris Cook joins the IfG podcast to examine whether public inquiries can actually make any difference – and look ahead to the potential twists and turns – and witnesses – that await inquiry chair Baroness Hallett and her team. Rishi Sunak’s No10 predecessors are notably vocal, and a batch of former Labour leaders still have plenty to say. Should we welcome the contribution of former party leaders or are they just a source of irritation? PLUS: Relocation, relocation! Has the government’s plan to relocate parts of the civil service to Darlington been a success – and is it actually making any difference to its levelling up mission? A new IfG report reveals the answers. Hannah White presents. With Emma Norris and Jordan Urban. Producer by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Westminster watchers are used to the long tails of public inquiries. Baroness Hallett’s investigation of the pandemic will be no different, with hers due to take evidence until 2026. Her first big hurdle is the cache of government WhatsApps that have long been withheld by Number 10. With a legal challenge looming, what do the messages contain that has pushed their publication to the deadline? Former advisor to Sajid Javid, Salma Shah, and the Independent’s Paul Waugh join Catherine Haddon and Tim Durrant to discuss the unprecedented scale of the Inquiry. Plus, with an election not far off, Rishi Sunak is in search of his own strategy, as he attempts to clean up the messes his predecessors left behind. Can he activate the machinery of Whitehall in time to make his own mark on Number 10? Produced by Andrew Harrison and Alex Rees of Podmasters for the IFG Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It has been quite some week for the home secretary. From a row over her handling of a speeding ticket to a row over the latest release of net migration stats, Suella Braverman has hardly been out of the headlines. Sunday Times deputy political editor Harry Yorke, the journalist who broke the speeding story, joins the podcast team to pass judgment on Braverman’s performance. Why does the Home Office always seem to lurch from crisis to crisis – and what can be done to fix it? A new IfG report lays bare the department’s institutional and cultural problems. Boris Johnson is back in the news too – so what exactly is his bust-up about lawyers, WhatsApp messages and Covid rules all about? And is a deteriorating relationship between ministers and civil servants a reason to allow more political appointments into the civil service? A new report sets out the IfG view. Emma Norris presents. With Cath Haddon, Alex Thomas, Tim Durrant and Rhys Clyne. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How does our system of government work? Why does it sometimes fail? And what can be done to fix it? Join the IfG podcast team – and political commentator and author Ian Dunt – for a journey through the corridors of power to discover where Westminster goes wrong. Are MPs doing the job their constituents need – and good government requires? Is No10 really the right building to house the centre of UK government? How much power does a prime minister actually wield? And has the relationship between civil servants and ministers ever been this bad? All this and more on this week’s wide-ranging, thought-provoking and problem-solving Inside Briefing. Hannah White presents. With Alex Thomas and Cath Haddon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Does Rishi Sunak have a strategy for restoring the Conservatives' electoral prospects after the bruising local elections? Tim Bale, author of The Conservative Party After Brexit: Turmoil and Transformation, joins the podcast team to make sense of the prime minister's battles over boats and bust-ups around Brexit. Meanwhile Westminster is abuzz about the possibility of no party winning a majority at the next election, possible pacts and coalitions. But are people asking the right questions about what a hung Parliament might mean for how government works? Plus: Does devolving power from Westminster guarantee regional economic growth? A new IfG report reveals the answers, and its author Tom Pope joins the podcast to explain what works - and what doesn't. Hannah White presents. With Giles Wilkes and Cath Haddon. Produced by Milo Hynes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Big wins for Labour. Big losses for the Conservatives. But just how much should we read into this week’s local election results? The Guardian’s Rafael Behr joins the podcast team to crunch the numbers and examine what the votes mean for Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer. The Labour leader is reported to have delayed plans for shadow cabinet reshuffle until the autumn – but is that the right call? A new IfG paper, which analyses the transitions of 1997 and 2010, sets out the steps Starmer should take to ensure his shadow team is best prepared for government – should Labour win the next general election. And how can we all stay engaged with politics without getting enraged? What steps can we take to survive the toxicity of British politics? Rafael Behr explains why his new book can help. Presented by Emma Norris. With Cath Haddon, Peter Hourston and Grant Dalton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dominic Raab’s exit from government hasn’t drawn a line under the simmering tensions between ministers and civil servants. So have expectations of behaviour changed or has snowflakery broken out in Whitehall? The IfG podcast team asks what this all means for the future of the civil service. The Foreign Office is trying to manage another tricky evacuation of UK nationals from an increasingly dangerous situation – so how well is it responding to the crisis in Sudan? And why did the Treasury end up creating a “tug of war” at the heart of government during the Covid pandemic? A major new IfG report reveals all. Hannah White presents. With Cath Haddon, Alex Thomas, Tim Durrant and Gemma Tetlow. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you remember being told to stay at home? Or becoming very familiar with the word “furlough”? How about all those assurances that the Government was following the science? And were you persuaded when ministers urged you to Eat Out to Help Out? The Treasury was at the heart of the Government’s response to the pandemic, rapidly designing and rolling our policies designed to protect jobs, support people and help businesses through an extraordinary – and unprecedented – time. But it was also wary of sharing its analysis, wary of external advice, and reluctant to work openly with other Government departments. To mark the publication of a major new IfG report into the Treasury’s Covid response, Financial Times economics editor Chris Giles joins this special episode of Inside Briefing for a deep dive into how the UK’s finance ministry performed during the pandemic – and asks what lessons needs to be learned. Presented by the IfG’s Emma Norris with Gemma Tetlow and Olly Bartrum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dominic Raab has resigned. The report into whether or not he bullied civil servants finally landed on the prime minister’s desk – so what should we make of Adam Tolley’s findings? Is Rishi Sunak’s response adequate? And what will Dominic Raab’s stinging resignation letter mean for tensions between ministers and civil servants? It had already been a lively week for the prime minister, with a big speech on maths education and some awkward headlines over declaring and registering interests. But did Sunak’s speech add up? And how significant was his slip up? Plus: Why can’t government ever come up with plan to tackling this country’s obesity problem? Hannah White presents, with Jill Rutter, Alex Thomas, Sam Freedman and Sophie Metcalfe. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From unsolved pay disputes to record backlogs, abandoned social care reforms and now accusations of sexual harassment of female surgeons, finding a good news story about health and care services in the U.K. is nigh on impossible. So just how bad is the crisis facing the NHS? Who, or what, can be blamed for the pile-up of problems? And is there any way that Rishi Sunak - or maybe Keir Starmer - can fix the crisis? In this special episode of Inside Briefing, Nick Davies is joined by IfG senior fellow Jill Rutter, Rachel Sylvester, who chairs the Times' Health Commission, and Rachel Wolf, founding partner at Public First, co-author of the 2019 Conservative manifesto, and now also co-author of an upcoming report on NHS productivity in partnership with the Institute and the Health Foundation. Presented by Nick Davies. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Delays at the Dover border mean holidaymakers are getting hot under the collar – while the heat is on the government to fix the problem. The FT's Peter Foster joins us to explore whether the long queues are just an inevitable Brexit non-benefit. Also, the government appears to have ditched any plans (and a manifesto promise) to reform social care. So why is this policy challenge proving beyond the wit of ministers? And teachers have rejected a pay offer from the government. Just how distant is a deal to end public sector strikes? PLUS: In praise of politicians, and politics. This weekend is the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. How was the historic deal reached, what is its legacy, and what might happen next in Northern Ireland? Hannah White presents, with Jill Rutter, Jess Sargeant and Stuart Hoddinott. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 10 April marks 25 years since the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement was signed, paving the way for peace in Northern Ireland and the restoration of devolved government. The agreement was a triumph of political leadership, endorsed overwhelmingly by the public in votes in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. This special podcast episode brings together some of the key people who worked behind the scenes to make a deal happen – the officials working in the UK, Northern Ireland, Irish governments – to look back on how the historic agreement was reached, discuss the challenges in supporting the peace process, and reflect on what has been achieved. Presented by Jill Rutter Produced by Podmasters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Humza Yousaf is Scotland’s new first minister – but following the Nicola Sturgeon era is no easy task. The Sunday Mail’s Hannah Rodger joins the podcast team to weigh up the challenge ahead for Yousaf, and ask what the SNP’s change at the top means for the Scottish political landscape. Is Rishi Sunak really that much of a Green Day fan? As parliament rises for recess, Inside Briefing turns its attention to Westminster to issue an Easter report card for Rishi Sunak. PLUS: Panic on the streets of Paris! The Institut Montaigne’s Georgina Wright drops in to the IfG to give us the lowdown on the problems facing Emmanuel Macron. Hannah White presents. With Emma Norris and Akash Paun Produced by Neil Bowerman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Leaving the BBC has given Emily Maitlis the freedom to say what she really thinks, and the co-host of The News Agents podcast doesn’t hold back in this special edition of Inside Briefing. In a wide-ranging and frank discussion with Hannah White, the former Newsnight presenter discusses the media’s role in holding politicians to account, the recent travails of her former employer, and whether government ministers should really by taking part in broadcast interviews conducted by MPs of the same party. Produced by Neil Bowerman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The decision to go to war in Iraq – 20 years ago this week - remains both the most controversial and consequential American and British foreign policy of the last quarter of a century. Just over a year after the war began, Robin Butler, a former cabinet secretary, published his Review of Intelligence on Weapons of Mass Destruction - better known as the Butler Review. The weapons were never found, and the debate about the decision to go to war has never ended. To mark the 20th anniversary of the start of the Iraq war, to look back at the key findings of his report, and to ask how government has changed since - and whether lessons have been learned, Catherine Haddon speaks to Lord Butler for this special episode of Inside Briefing. Presented by Cath Haddon, produced by Alex Rees Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Guardian’s political editor Pippa Crerar, who led the way in the reporting of partygate, joins the IfG podcast team to weigh up Boris Johnson’s Privileges Committee hearing. How did the former prime minister perform when quizzed about whether he deliberately misled the Commons? What might the committee decide to do next? And what was it like for Crerar to be the journalist at the centre of one of the biggest political stories of recent years? And while Johnson fought for his political future, in another part of the Palace of Westminster Rishi Sunak was celebrating as MPs – Johnson and Liz Truss not included – backed his Stormont Brake. So is Brexit finally done? Will power-sharing return in Northern Ireland? And what does the vote mean for Sunak’s standing? Presented by Catherine Haddon. With Hannah White and Jill Rutter. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jeremy Hunt hands a pensions tax break to the better off and free childcare to families. There’s £9bn of allowances to business – but little mention of public services and only vague assurances about falling living standards. What’s in the small print? Plus, Boris Johnson comes up before the Privileges Committee next week. Will it be a day of reckoning for the former PM? Henry Hill, Deputy Editor of Conservative Home, is our special guest. “By the standards of past budgets this is a success in that the Government hasn’t fallen over and gone on fire.” – Henry Hill “This economic situation hurts everyone’s living standards. Whatever is in the budget, people are going to feel that they’re just not getting better off.” – Giles Wilkes Presented by Hannah White with Jill Rutter, Olly Bartrum and Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Illegal Migration Bill is the latest government attempt to deter asylum seekers from making their way to the UK by irregular routes. But has Rishi Sunak come up with some substance to match his ‘stop the boats’ slogan? How does the government intend its plan to work – and how likely is it to succeed? Will the legislation prove popular or polarising? And is the row about Gary Lineker and Match of the Day no more than a distraction? The IfG’s Emma Norris and Rhys Clyne are joined by Sunder Katwala, director of British Future, and Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory, for a deep dive into the government’s asylum plan. Presented by Emma Norris. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Channel 4’s political editor Gary Gibbon joins the IfG podcast team to examine whether the government’s controversial new asylum bill will actually work, and whether the politics of promising to stop the boats will win the Conservatives support – and pose a headache for Labour. Boris Johnson wants to knight his father. So is it time for Rishi Sunak to do away with the increasingly farcical tradition of prime ministerial resignation honours? And talking of abolitions, why do governments so often seek to abolish public bodies – and why does it so often go wrong? A new IfG report has the answers. Hannah White presents. With Alex Thomas, Rhys Clyne and Grant Dalton. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To mark International Women’s Day, IfG director Hannah White is joined by Polly Curtis, director of Demos, and Charlotte Pickles, director of Reform, to record a fascinating episode of Inside Briefing. What is it like to be a woman in public life, working in government, parliament, the civil service – and for a think tank? What are the barriers that women face entering and working in these professions? What more could be done to bring more women into politics and policy-facing roles – think tanks included? And why does diversity of thought matters when designing policy? Presented by Hannah White. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will Sunak’s new deal with the EU solve the vexed issue of a customs border in the Irish Sea? Can the “Windsor Framework” finally bring the rancorous Brexit debate to an end? How will it work? What about the “Stormont Brake”? And what’s in the small print? To examine the Windsor Framework the IfG’s Jill Rutter and Jess Sergeant are joined by special guests Georgie Wright of the Institute Montaigne, John Campbell of BBC Northern Ireland and Sam McBride of the Belfast Telegraph. “This deal gives business most of what it was asking for.” – John Campbell “We can’t be certain of how the deal will work but it’s a hell of a lot better than the previous one.” – Sam McBride “There’s trust for Sunak in the EU that just wasn’t there for Boris Johnson.” – Georgie Wright “You do have to ask, how much are UK products really going to diverge from EU standards in future?” – John Campbell Presented by Jill Rutter with Jess Sargeant. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Sue Gray making headlines again, the IfG podcast team are joined by former Conservative MP Sir David Lidington to make sense of a big Whitehall and Westminster career move and ask what it might mean for Labour and the civil service. Plus: What do Matt Hancock's WhatsApp messages tell us about how government works – and how it didn't during the pandemic? How did Rishi Sunak come up with a Brexit deal that seems to please everyone – except maybe Boris Johnson and the DUP – and is the Windsor Framework actually any good? And why doesn't the centre of government seem to work very well? The IfG is launching a new Commission to examine the problem – and come up with solutions. Presented by Hannah White. With Alex Thomas, Jill Rutter and Tim Durrant Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russia invaded Ukraine one year ago. Peter Ricketts, the UK’s former national security adviser, joins the IfG podcast to reflect on how the war has changed Europe – and changed UK government – and what might happen next. At the time of recording there was still no Brexit breakthrough, but just how close are we to a deal on the Northern Ireland protocol and what could it look like? And with Jeremy Hunt’s Budget just a few weeks away, a new IfG report takes stock of performances across nine key public services. The report’s author joins the podcast to reveal where the problems are – and how they might be solved. Hannah White presents With Alex Thomas, Jess Sargeant and Matthew Fright Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who had “Nicola Sturgeon quits” on their 2023 bingo card? Not us. We look at the pressures behind the First Minister’s resignation and what her departure means for Scottish independence. Plus, as Yvette Cooper tells the IfG that the Government has “broken the justice system” we ask what a Labour government could do about it. And Keir Starmer closes the door on Jeremy Corbyn. Our special guest is Jess Elgot, Deputy Political Editor at the Guardian. “The past few months have been difficult for Sturgeon and her authority has been waning.” – Akash Paun “It’ll be hard to maintain the SNP’s reputation as insurgents when there are so many problems with health and eduction on Scotland.” – Jess Elgot “Sturgeon seems to have been very affected by the resignation of Jacinda Ardern. She saw that as a model of how to leave politics.” – Jess Elgot “Sunak has lost two big attack lines this week: the idea of Labour in the pocket of the SNP, and the return of Jeremy Corbyn.” – Jess Elgot Presented by Emma Norris with Cath Haddon and Akash Paun. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reshuffles usually mean new faces in cabinet, not whole new departments. Can we tell our DSIT from our DESNZ? Was the PM right to act before the Raab problem is resolved? And is Lee Anderson a wise choice as Minister for the Red Wall? Paul Waugh, Chief Political Commentator at the i paper and author of the essential Waugh on Politics evening email, is our special guest. “I’ve heard it said that it’s very noble of the Government to get Whitehall ready for Prime Minister Starmer.” – Alex Thomas “It’s time someone stood up for silos and institutional memory in departments. Silos are good!” – Paul Waugh “Reshuffles are an awful lot easier when you don’t sack anyone.” – Alex Thomas Presented by Hannah White with Emma Norris and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Spectator’s Isabel Hardman joins the IfG podcast team to weigh up Rishi Sunak’s first 100 days as prime minister. What has he achieved? What is his style of leadership? And what problems are coming down the track? In a week which saw the largest civil service strike in years, the IfG published its annual Whitehall stocktake – so what does it tell us about morale, turnover, pay and much, much more? And what is it really like to be a minister? What does it take to succeed? And why do so many ministerial careers end in failure? A new batch of the IfG’s Ministers Reflect interviews reveal the secrets of life on the inside. Hannah White presents. With Emma Norris, Rhys Clyne and Maddy Bishop Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rishi Sunak promised to lead a government of integrity, but how big a problem will Nadhim Zahawi’s tax affairs and Boris Johnson’s loan arrangements turn out to be for the prime minister? Tortoise’s Cat Neilan joins the IfG podcast team to take a closer look at the latest standards crisis. Talking of crises, will the government’s emergency measures help the NHS through its difficult winter? A new IfG report is far from convinced – its author drops in on the podcast. And how does a new minister know what to do on day 1 in the job? What do civil servants need to know about working in government? And how should people on the outside approach working with government? The new IfG Academy has the answers. Hannah White presents. With Tim Durrant and Stuart Hoddinott. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a special live edition we welcome guest Dan Snow, author, historian and host of the History Hit podcast, to take a very long view of power and politics. What lessons should Government learn from history? Can any year rival 2022 for Cabinet chaos and Prime Ministerial turnover? Which PMs were “broken” by the office? And who thought his party were “the shabbiest set of dirty politicians that was ever seen”? Chair Dr Hannah White, Director of the Institute for Government, closes out the IfG’s Government 2023 conference with this special podcast featuring Dan Snow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government Gemma Tetlow, and Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. Find all our podcasts on the IfG’s new-look website: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/our-work/research-analysis/podcasts Presented by Hannah White with Gemma Tetlow and Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How much money are MPs making on top of their day jobs? Who is topping up their earnings? And how much should they be paid? The IfG podcast team are joined by Sky’s deputy political editor Sam Coates, who this week has unveiled some eye-catching findings in his Westminster Accounts project. From one pay dispute to another as strikes continue to hit public services across the country. Is the government any closer to reaching a settlement, and is anti-strike legislation really the right way to go about it? Plus: Are we on the verge of a Brexit breakthrough – and what would that mean for the Northern Ireland protocol and the political stalemate at Stormont? Hannah White presents. With Alice Lilly, Nick Davies and Jess Sargeant Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After that chaotic year of three prime ministers, surely 2023 will be a little calmer? But while we’ve heard optimistic start-the-year speeches from Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer, the country has been driven to a standstill by strikes across public services, the NHS is in crisis, the cost-of-living crisis shows no sign of easing – and Boris Johnson is said to be plotting a comeback. Will Sunak’s five promises boost the Conservatives’ dire poll ratings? Can Keir Starmer’s vision for government convince voters that he should be given the keys to No10. The IfG team are joined by David Runciman, former presenter of the Talking Politics podcast, to look ahead to what the next 12 months might hold in the in UK. And how might events across the globe play into domestic politics? The war in Ukraine shows no sign of ending, while China is making increasingly threatening noises about Taiwan. Meanwhile temperatures rise and Covid cases – in China at least – continue to soar. Hannah White presents, with Alex Thomas and Gemma Tetlow Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The UK Constitution is uncodified and a product of centuries of evolution, makes it hard to compare directly to the constitution of other countries. However, there are still important observations to be made from around the world. In this podcast we examine constitutional challenges and reflect on what lessons we can learn for the UK constitution. We speak to the Head of Research in the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights Professor Tarun Khaitan to discuss Narendra Modi’s approach to the Indian Constitution and his ‘chipping away’ at democratic institutions through amendments to the law and changes to constitutional practice We also speak to Dean of Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez Law School Isabel Aninat, academic at the university of Santiago, Chile and academic coordinator at the new constitution observatory Dr Pamela Figueroa, who discuss the 2019 protests that led to Chile writing a new constitution, and why the new draft was rejected. Finally senior editor at 444.hu Peter Erdelyi discusses the constitution in Hungary under Fidesz and Viktor Orbán. Presented by Maddy Thimont Jack with Dr Catherine Haddon and Jess Sargeant Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We review a year of chaos, with its three Prime Ministers, four Chancellors, scores of resignations and wild rides for the pound and inflation. Who was the best and worst Prime Minister? Who emerges from 2022 with reputations shredded or enhanced? And who among our panel will mount a spirited defence of Liz Truss? Politico's Jack Blanchard joins Hannah White, Jill Rutter and Giles Wilkes to look back at a year which raised the bar for political chaos and confusion. Presented by Hannah White with Jill Rutter, Giles Wilkes and guest Jack Blanchard. Audio production by Alex Rees and Robin Leeburn. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The worst concurrence of public service strikes since the 70s is rocking the Government’s authority. Does the Government’s refusal to talk look too unreasonable, and can Labour maintain its own precariously tough line? Plus NHS reform is back on the agenda. What does Steve Barclay have in store? And a whistle stop tour of what’s coming up in 2023. Our special guest today is Rachel Sylvester, columnist and interviewer at The Times. “These strikes just add to the impression that Rishi Sunak is losing his grip and the Government is losing control.” – Rachel Sylvester “The Government’s line that its hands are tied by the pay review bodies is pretty disingenuous.” – Nick Davis “Most voters, if they had to choose between a politician and a nurse, will back the nurse.” – Rachel Sylvester Presented by Alex Thomas with Nick Davis and Nick Timmons. Audio production by Alex Rees and Robin Leeburn. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Times' Henry Zeffman joins the podcast team to make sense of Gordon Brown's recipe for constitutional reform - and ask whether Keir Starmer can actually reform the House of Lords. The government needs to give more power to parliament. That's the main recommendation in a new IfG report looking at parliament's scrutiny of legislation and the quality of bills being passed. And what is the state of diversity and inclusion in the civil service? Another IfG report crunches the data - and sets out how to make more progress. Hannah White presents. With Jess Sargeant, Tom Pope and Maddy Bishop. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt Hancock has come home. Football might be coming home. But Rishi Sunak's problems on the home front are going nowhere. With the Conservative Party threatening rebellion on multiple fronts, what can the prime minister do to make progress on his legislative agenda? The IfG podcast team dissect the PM's parliamentary problems. Sunak also has a ministerial headache to contend with, as accusations about ministerial behaviour - with Dominic Raab still making awkward headlines - find their way into the press. So does the civil service need a new complaints process? Plus - Why is the civil service failing to recruit outside talent, and what does it mean if it lacks enough specialist skills? Emma Norris presents. With Alice Lilly, Alex Thomas, Cath Haddon and Jordan Urban. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Liz Truss put economic growth front and centre of her premiership, but does Rishi Sunak even have a coherent growth policy? The Guardian’s City Editor Anna Isaac joins the IfG team to go in search of the prime minister’s plan. Could Sunak take a new approach towards Brexit? What exactly is a Swiss-style deal? And is the Conservative Party in the mood for compromise? Plus: What does the Supreme Court verdict mean for SNP’s plans to hold a second referendum on Scottish independence? And: Do Labour’s plans for reforming the House of Lords make sense? Hannah White presents. With Jill Rutter and Jess Sargeant Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jeremy Hunt has unveiled the government's economic plans, with the chancellor handing out giveaways now but setting out tax rises - and spending cuts - to come. So now what? The IfG podcast crunch the chancellor's numbers. The Dominic Raab claims are causing problems for the justice secretary, but do multiplying leaks about ministerial behaviour point to a wider breakdown of trust inside government? And a new joint paper for the Institute for Government and Cambridge University’s Bennett Institute explores 25 years of erratic government attempts to update and reform the British constitution. The paper's author, former DEXEU permanent secretary Peter Rycroft, drops into the studio. Presented by Hannah White, with Gemma Tetlow and Giles Wilkes Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We didn't have to wait long for the first ministerial resignation of Rishi Sunak's premiership, and it's Gavin Williamson who is out of government - again. ConservativeHome's Henry Hill joins then podcast team to weigh up what Williamson's exit means for the PM and explore how Rishi Sunak can prove his commitment to integrity is genuine. The PM decided, in the end, to attend the COP27 summit - but does this government even have a credible net zero plan? Plus: Next week the government unveils its endlessly rescheduled, rebadged, and rewritten fiscal plan. The podcast team crunch the numbers and look ahead to next Friday's big event. Hannah White presents, with Cath Haddon and Tom Sasse Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While Matt Hancock’s bushtucker trials will be making all the headlines, Westminster is wondering how Rishi Sunak will manage his ongoing Suella Braverman challenges. The IfG podcast team are joined by John Stevens, the Daily Mirror’s new political editor, to reflect on a bruising week for the restored Home Secretary. Also: the rearranged fiscal statement is looming. With the Prime Minister dropping plans to axe 91,000 civil service jobs, a new IfG paper sets out how to cut budgets with care. And is Keir Starmer on course for election success or is Labour in danger of a Sunak bounce? Hannah White presents, with Jill Rutter and Rhys Clyne. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Another podcast, another prime minister. Liz Truss is out after just 50 days in No.10. Rishi Sunak is in, with the former Chancellor avoiding a showdown with Conservative party membership after both Boris Johnson and Penny Mordaunt dropped out of the race. So what next for the UK’s 57th PM? The IfG podcast team, with guest Emilio Casalicchio of Politico, analyse Sunak’s first days in the job – and weigh up the tricky challenges coming down the track. Restoring the economy to rude health, or at least getting it out of intensive care, is top of Sunak’s in-tray. But where can he find the spending cuts needed to balance the books? A new IfG paper warns that a re-run of austerity will be more difficult – and damaging – than the 2010 era. The pod team crunch the numbers. Presented by Gemma Tetlow with Tom Pope and Cath Haddon. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a feverish week in Westminster and a chaotic 24 hours in government, Liz Truss has called time on her record-breakingly short stay in Number 10. The IfG podcast, with special guest Henry Newman, a former adviser to Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, assemble at the very moment Truss was preparing to announce her departure. The podcast team pick apart Truss’s failures in No10, the economic decisions that face new chancellor Jeremy Hunt, and how the next few weeks and months might play out. Plus: Could Boris Johnson really make a comeback? Alex Thomas presents. With Giles Wilkes and Gemma Tetlow. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As pressure piles up on the prime minister, the IfG podcast team assemble - with guest Aubrey Allegretti of the Guardian - to work out what Liz Truss might do to calm both the markets and Conservative MPs The Halloween fiscal event isn't the only date in the Commons that will be spooking the PM - so join the Inside Briefing team on a walk through the government's autumn parliamentary minefield. And remember Brexit? A new IfG paper says that MPs aren't doing enough to scrutinise the UK's post-Brexit EU relationship. So what's the problem and how can it be fixed? Presented by Hannah White With Jill Rutter and Alice Lilly Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Academic, author and former Talking Politics host David Runciman joins the IfG podcast team to take stock of the state of British politics. As wearing Conservative politicians make their way back from Birmingham, and with Labour MP's having left Liverpool, just how health are Westminster's largest parties right now? Is growth the new dividing line in Westminster and beyond - and is there really an anti-growth coalition? And what on earth is going to happen next in the never-ending, unpredictable rollercoaster ride of British politics? Hannah White presents With Alex Thomas and Gemma Tetlow Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The fallout from Kwasi Kwarteng's budget continues, so what can the chancellor do to calm the nerves? Guest Soumaya Keynes of the Economist joins the IfG podcast team to discuss what has gone wrong for Kwarteng and Liz Truss, and the lessons to be learnt from a week of economic turmoil. No drama for Starmer? We take a look back at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool and what Keir Starmer's speech tells us about the direction of travel for His Majesty's Opposition. And as the Conservative Party assembles in Birmingham, we look ahead to what could be a lively few days for Liz Truss - and what awaits at her first party conference since becoming PM. Presented by Hannah White With Giles Wilkes and Tom Pope Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With winter fast approaching, politicians across Europe have been taking dramatic steps to address the ongoing energy crisis. The IfG team are joined by Alice Hancock from the FT and Elisabetta Cornago from the Centre for European Reform to assess different countries’ responses. Is Europe ready for the winter ahead? Why is the UK’s support package so expensive? Are the public up for cutting their energy use? And what should countries be doing to tackle the crisis in the longer term? Presented by Tom Sasse with Olly Bartrum Produced by Candice McKenzie https://www.cer.eu/insights/eus-energy-plan-difficult-winter-what-are-options https://www.bruegel.org/dataset/national-policies-shield-consumers-rising-energy-prices https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/tackling-energy-efficiency-problem.pdf https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/Addressing-rising-energy-bills_0.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Liz Truss has been to New York, Keir Starmer is on his way to Liverpool, and the IfG podcast team assemble in the studio to discuss a week where politics began to return to normal – albeit against the unpleasant backdrop of Vladimir Putin’s threat of nuclear war. Guest Ayesha Hazarika dials in to discuss the new prime minister’s first steps on the world stage, some big government policy announcements at home, and what to look out for at Labour’s annual party conference. Plus: If Liz Truss is all about delivery, then how can she make government departments deliver? The team discuss a new IfG report which recommends the step she should – and shouldn’t – take. Hannah White presents. With Alex Thomas and Rhys Clyne. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The FT’s Stephen Bush joins the IfG team in the podcast studio, just a few hundred metres away from Buckingham Palace, to make sense of an extraordinary moment in British history. What does the death of Queen Elizabeth II, after a record-breaking 70-year reign, mean for the Royal Family? How will King Charles III approach the role of monarch? And what questions will now be asked about the role of the monarch in the constitution, how the King interacts with politics and how ministers engage with the King? Presented by Hannah White with Catherine Haddon and Maddy Thimont-Jack. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The epic Conservative Party leadership contest is finally over, and Liz Truss is the new prime minister. After a flight to Balmoral to meet the Queen, and a drive through London in lashing rain, Truss stepped straight from the prime ministerial car to the podium outside No10 and set out her vision for the country So, what happens next and what should we expect from this country’s 56th prime minister? Former special adviser Salma Shah joins the podcast team to weigh up Truss’s Downing Street speech, her Cabinet appointments, and how she might handle a daunting in-tray. Hannah White presents. With Giles Wilkes and Catherine Haddon. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The long, hot summer of endless Conservative leadership contest hustings is over, and next week the winner will be announced. The FT’s Seb Payne joins the podcast crew to discuss the battle to become Prime Minister. Will Liz Truss emerge victorious as all the polls predict? Can Rishi Sunak spring a surprise? And just how daunting is the next prime minister’s in-tray? And as Boris Johnson’s premiership comes to an end, how should we look back on a dramatic - and sometimes controversial - stint in No10? With Hannah White, Jill Rutter and Alex Thomas Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every autumn the UK’s political parties decamp from Westminster for the annual party conference season. From Brighton to Blackpool, Manchester to Birmingham, Liverpool to Glasgow, Britain’s cities take turns to host politicians, activists, party members, journalists, and lobbyists for long days (and nights) of keynote speeches, breakfast fringe meetings, endless schmoozing, too much warm white wine and endless political intrigue. Is this where key decisions are taken and political history is made? Or i it just a gossip-soaked get together which serves no value? Michael Crick, a veteran of decades of conferences, joins political journalist Marie Le Conte, former special adviser Peter Cardwell, and the IfG’s Jill Rutter to reminisce about conferences past and weigh up whether party conferences deserve a future. Presented by Alex Thomas Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices