Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

The murder of Sir David Amess MP has shocked the political world deeply. With the threat level to MPs now assessed as “significant”, how will this terrible event affect the face-to-face contact with parliamentarians that British democracy depends upon? Plus, are the Government’s voluminous climate change plans in shape for Boris Johnson’s big moment at COP26? As energy prices soar, has the Government got its Net Zero tax sums rights? Tim Ross, executive editor (politics) of the New Statesman, is our special guest. “The mood in Westminster is incredibly sad… David Amess and also James Brokenshire were two of the nicest and kindest MPs.” – Tim Ross “If leaders want the public to treat MPs with respect, it needs to start from the top. We can’t have Prime Ministers bashing Parliamentarians.” – Jill Rutter “What is driving this aggressive culture? There is a profound cynicism about Parliament – but most parliamentarians are decent people who are trying to help.” – Alice Lilly “I question whether the country cares enough about its democracy. Do we care enough to protect our MPs?" – Tim Ross “You can’t spin shortages on the shelves as a brilliant idea.” – Giles Wilkes Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alice Lilly, Jill Rutter and Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the EU produces sweeping new proposals on previous red-line issues, can the Government really rewrite the Northern Ireland Protocol to everyone’s satisfaction? If Britain always intended to sign now and ditch it later, what will that do future relations with the EU? Plus, we read every page of the Coronavirus: Lessons Learned report to tease out what really matters. Adam Payne of politicshome.com is our guest. “Will Johnson ever be able to say that Brexit is done? It’s more a case of, will he ever WANT to say that Brexit is done?” – Jill Rutter “Any future COVID inquiry will inevitably be hugely damaging to the Conservative brand – but this report is not going to damage this particular government.” – Adam Payne “It’s amazing that a report covering perhaps the biggest public health failure ever is a one-day news story.” – Jill Rutter “From the COVID report there’s perhaps too much emphasis on the advice and not enough on the political decision-making.” – Tom Sasse Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Joe Marshall, Jill Rutter and Tom Sasse. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Boris Johnson used his conference speech to promise higher wages, productivity and economic growth. But against a backdrop of petrol shortages, empty shelves and a mass cull of healthy pigs, is he really leading an economic revolution akin to Thatcher’s? And the fallout from Germany’s federal election continues. Berlin-based author and commentator John Kampfner joins us to discuss who will form the next government, and the issues that could define Europe’s biggest power in the years ahead. “Johnson’s speech did the job for the party, but it felt incongruent with events happening elsewhere.” - Alex Thomas “If you look at the state of Britain, Labour should be on a roll, but Johnson carries the floor with unbridled optimism.” - John Kampfner “It wasn’t an anti-business conference, but there was a different attitude towards the state from previous years.” - Gemma Tetlow “Germany shows us that levelling-up is a vast, national project” - Alex Thomas Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas and Gemma Tetlow. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a bruising Brighton conference, has Keir Starmer strengthened his position as Labour leader? And did Rachel Reeves do enough to convince Britain that Labour can be trusted on the economy, green issues and value for public money? Our special guest, the Daily Mirror’s senior political correspondent Rachel Wearmouth, helps us to rate Starmer’s relaunch. Plus, what can we learn from a good old-fashioned fuel crisis? “The key job at a Labour conference is to look like you’re in control of the madness that is the world of Labour.” – Rachel Wearmouth “Troops on the street isn’t a good look – but the impression of things being done urgently in a crisis IS a good look.” – Alex Thomas “Conservative MPs have told me that if they lose the motorists, they lose the next election.” – Rachel Wearmouth “40,000 HGV drivers have left the UK in the last year - and most of them haven’t come back.” – Gemma Tetlow Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Gemma Tetlow and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Levelling-up” was one of the key Conservative manifesto pledges at the last election, and now it even has its own government department and minister, but what exactly does it mean? A new IFG paper takes a look what the Government has been saying on the subject, and the spending promises made so far. Plus, next week sees the expiration of the £20 Universal Credit uplift, but how much pressure is chancellor Rishi Sunak under? And what should we expect from Keir Starmer’s first conference as Labour leader? The I’s deputy political editor Arj Singh joins us on today’s show. “Experts compare levelling-up to the difference between East and West Germany, which took decades” - Arj Singh “The Government are gearing up for the next election to be fought on levelling-up” - Cath Haddon “A big question is how much are we going to level-up politically with local government and city mayors?” - Cath Haddon “The problem for the Government is that they made a big increase in benefits, they now look like they’re trying to make a big cut” - Nick Timmins “This Universal Credit cut hits the areas the Government wants to level-up hardest” - Arj Singh “Keir Starmer does need to put some meat on the bones of his offer or the public will stop listening to him” - Arj Singh “Angela Rayner is positioning herself to take advantage of any slip ups from Starmer” - Arj Singh Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Eleanor Shearer and Nick Timmins. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Boris Johnson’s long awaited cabinet reshuffle finally took place, who were the winners and losers from a day of drama in Whitehall? The Daily Telegraph’s Political Editor Ben Riley-Smith joins to take a look at the ministerial movements, and what effect they will have on government and policymaking. And in another prime-ministerial pick, William Shawcross looks set to become Commissioner of Public Appointments. We take a look at the role, and the person who the PM wants to fill it. “Downing Street sees this period as a pivot point, away from COVID and towards delivering on their manifesto” - Ben Riley-Smith “This was about Johnson reshuffling the team that were loyal to him, rather than promoting rising stars” - Cath Haddon “Michael Gove has been the PM’s problem solver in the cabinet, taking on issues like the Union and Brexit planning” - Ben Riley-Smith “Deputy Prime Minister is a great title for Dominic Raab, but whether or not Johnson deputises to him is another matter” - Cath Haddon “Liz Truss has held Cabinet posts under three different Prime Ministers, it’s been a remarkable rise” - Ben Riley-Smith Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Tom Pope and Matthew Gill. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Parliament only returned on Monday, but is Boris Johnson already in trouble after his rise in National Insurance threatens to hit the working age young hardest? Conservative commentator Tim Montgomerie joins us to look at the Prime Minister’s internal party problems, and ask if his social care plans add up. Plus, the Autumn Budget takes place next month, but with Government spending rising, does Rishi Sunak face a difficult few weeks of saying “no”? And has COVID provided a cover for the Government to evade scrutiny? Alice Lilley explains a new IFG report. “It’s been a very bad week to be a Conservative. There will be a political backlash” - Tim Montgomerie “The Government has lost control of spending, and I don’t see a strategy from them to be fiscally responsible” - Tim Montgomerie “The promise not to raise taxes was always going to be hard to keep. Coronavirus has made that even more difficult” - Gemma Tetlow “The Government might have the votes in the Commons, but it’s losing the support of the Parliamentary party” - Tim Montgomerie “The Conservative party is going through an identity crisis. It’s becoming the party for the older voter” - Tim Montgomerie Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alice Lilley, Gemma Tetlow and Graham Atkins. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Western intervention in Afghanistan has petered out in ignominy. Who will carry the can for Britain’s biggest foreign policy disaster in half a century? As the Foreign Office and MoD squabble, is Dominic Raab telling the truth when he blames military intelligence for this fiasco? And what does an introverted America mean for NATO and the security of the West? We look at the fallout with special guests Dan Sabbagh, The Guardian’s Defence and Security Editor, and Lucy Fisher, Deputy Political Editor at the Daily Telegraph and former Defence Editor at the Times. “The West is completely shellshocked by America’s decision to withdraw on its own timetable… This has huge repercussions for NATO which is already hanging by a thread.” – Lucy Fisher “If Britain had decided to commit more troops as America leaves, would the British people really have gone for it?” – Dan Sabbagh “The raw intelligence was absolutely correct, that the Taliban would be fast and ruthless But as it went up the food chain it went wildly wrong.” – Lucy Fisher “There are two ways the intelligence could have got diluted. One is overt politicisation, the other is treating it as TOO authoritative.” – Alex Thomas “My jaw was on the floor when I read that Raab and his senior team had not made a single call to the Afghan or Pakistani foreign ministries in six months.” – Lucy Fisher “There’s a clear winner here – Ben Wallace and the MoD – and a clear loser, Dominic Raab and the Foreign Office.” – Dan Sabbagh Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This edition recorded before the emergency of Afghanistan. What is it like running the country over the Summer recess in normal times? Should certain Foreign Secretaries take account of the idea that a wise Minister never, ever goes on holiday? What happens when Foot And Mouth, floods, a sudden General Election or a pandemic blows up? What did our poor political reporters do for material? And did Blair and Cameron really share a Single Transferable Shirt for the obligatory holiday photo op? The IfG’s Alex Thomas explores the sandpits and riptides of summer governing with former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, David Cameron’s former Chief of Staff Kate Fall, Sam Coates of Sky News, and Steve Richards, host of the Rock’n’Roll Politics podcast and author of The Prime Ministers: Reflections on Leadership from Wilson to May. “Is it nice when the boss is away? Depends on the boss…” – Jacqui Smith “Quite a lot of the time ministers are miserable and neurotic… August gives them presentiments of the tense September ahead.” – Steve Richards “During the summer the media team is cut in half, but you’re still expected to fill an entire newspaper…” – Sam Coates “If you’ve got any sense as a shadow minister, you save a few choice questions to hit ministers with when the news agenda is empty.” – Jacqui Smith “Decision-making requires a hyperactive Prime Minister… You need their physical presence more than a Zoom from their holiday hideaway.” – Steve Richards Presented by Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The recall of Parliament in the wake of Afghanistan’s catastrophic collapse produced one of the most passionate days the Commons has seen in many years – and a punishing experience for Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab. What will this week mean for Britain in the world and especially the Integrated Defence Review? We look at the fallout in Westminster from an historic week, with special guest Peter Ricketts, the UK’s first National Security Adviser, former Permanent Secretary at the Foreign Office and ex-Permanent Representative to NATO. “The raw passion and power was back in the Commons… It showed that the mood of the House can sway with just a few powerful speeches.” – Peter Ricketts “There’s a pretty unedifying spat breaking out between the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence – and that is doing nobody any good.” – Alex Thomas “This was a very sharp reminder that we are a middling power and when the big decisions are made in Washington, we have to go along with it.” – Peter Ricketts “Global Britain was always a slogan without a strategy. And now it’s caught up with the Government.” – Peter Ricketts Presented by Tim Durrant with Alice Lilley and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Prime Ministerial careers tend to end abruptly and in tears. So what does an ex-PM do next? Are today’s Prime Ministers too young to fade away gracefully? Should they avoid lobbying jobs? And when it comes to backbench politics, should they stay or should they go? The IfG’s Tim Durrant discusses the mystery of the Prime Ministerial afterlife (and the lure of the comeback) with ex-Justice Secretary David Gauke, Politico’s senior political correspondent Esther Webber, Engage Britain’s Director of Advocacy and former Times political editor Francis Elliot, and the IfG’s Catherine Haddon. “The end of your Prime Ministership can come suddenly and unexpectedly… It’s quite hard to see what you’re going to do.” – David Gauke “PMs tend to be younger now and they’re less likely to want to fade into obscurity – which going to the Lords would achieve quite easily.” – Esther Webber “Moments of maximum crisis like COVID are exactly when ex-PMs miss the office most.” – Francis Elliott “It’s an absorbing job, it consumes all your waking hours and it’s utterly fascinating. You’ve got status and international connections. For that to end is a wrench.” – David Gauke Presented by Tim Durrant. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Boris Johnson notches up two years in No.10, are we any closer to understanding what drives him? Is there such thing as an ideology in Boris’s world – a Johnsonism? Do Prime Ministers even need a guiding philosophy? To plumb the Johnson mystery, we assemble a star panel of Times columnist Matthew Parris, The Spectator’s Isabel Hardman and Tim Bale, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University. “We’ve already seen the real Boris Johnson. He’ll do and say anything to maintain his position.” – Matthew Parris “Johnson is a chameleon. He doesn’t like sitting in a tribe and he doesn’t have friends.” – Isabel Hardman “The lack of censoriousness is where Johnson connects with traditional Toryism, and you can take it all the way back to Cavaliers and Roundheads.” – Tim Bale “Leaders don’t need ideology, they just need power. Thatcherism was a bit of a mirage…” – Matthew Parris Presented by Catherine Haddon. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Parliament breaks up, how will the Government look back on this unique and turbulent term? As Boris Johnson tries to reset his leadership after some missteps and missed opportunities, what are the post-pandemic problems he needs to fix? Two years in, his policy platform has still to take shape, so how long has the Prime Minister got? An IfG panel gets out its red pen to give marks to Johnson: Year Two. “Looking back, it’s quite hard to remember how grim January and February were.” – Joe Marshall “The excuse that ‘we just need to get on and deal with the virus’ just isn’t there anymore.” – Hannah White “Politics is going to unfreeze in the autumn, and a lot of difficult debates are going to re-emerge.” – Alex Thomas Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Hannah White, Alex Thomas, Tom Pope and Joe Marshall. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Freedom Week, a Pingdemic Party, or just a temporary holiday from restrictions that will inevitably come back in autumn? Does the Government really know what it’s doing on unlocking? Plus, who did Dominic Cummings’s latest drive-by really damage: Boris Johnson or Cummings himself? And as the rise of NEDs or Non-Executive Directors is made public by the unfortunate Gina Coladangelo, do they really add value to Government, or just more cronyism? “People watching Cummings just think, We elected the Prime Minister, not you, mate.” – Jill Rutter “Being cautious at the same time as celebrating Freedom Day just doesn’t stack up.” – Alex Thomas “There's a huge difference between what you're advised to do, and what you're required to do.” – Jill Rutter Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Jill Rutter, Alex Thomas. Matthew Gill and Tom Sasse. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Boris Johnson finally tells us what “levelling up” means – or does he? Is it about fixing up towns, enhancing job prospects or just more Boris boosterism? We look inside the PM’s big Levelling Up launch with special guest Ben Chu, Economics Editor of BBC Newsnight. Plus the Government narrowly wins its widely-denounced bid to cut the International Aid Budget. Will voters care that Johnson has broken a key manifesto promise? And a new report the Commission For Smart Government says government must reform urgently or fail. Is it right? “Even after this speech we’re still not quite clear what levelling up means.” – Gemma Tetlow “If your levelling up has a redistributive element then it’s got to be paid for. Whatever Johnson says, that means the more prosperous parts of the country.” – Ben Chu “Johnson did seem to address his appeal for ideas from local leaders only to Conservative authorities, not Labour areas…” – Alex Thomas Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas and Gemma Tetlow. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Government’s rationale for unlocking aggressively is that the vaccine has broken the link between COVID infections and deaths. Is it a gamble, a sensible move or just a victory for the Cabinet’s Economic hawks? We ask special guest John Rentoul, chief political commentator of the Independent. Plus, how much substance is there to the Government’s ‘Green Recovery’ programme? And with England in the Euro 2020 final, does sporting success really give Governments a bounce? “The ‘irreversible’ aspect doesn’t matter. People are quite used to Boris Johnson reversing on anything and everything.” – John Rentoul “We’re now experiencing a major outbreak of infections. The question is how is the Government going to ride the exit wave?” – Tom Sasse “Footballers used to be of interest only for their wives and girlfriends. Now they’re sympathetic tribunes of the people. It’s extraordinary.” – John Rentoul Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas, Tom Sasse and Rosa Hodgkin. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What have we learned from the Hancock Affair and the messy defenestration of the former Health Secretary? In a murky world of ‘non-executive directors like Gina Coladangelo, what on earth is “NED-washing”? And the much-battered Ministerial Code is back in focus. We hear from special guest Paul Harrison, former No.10 spokesman and former Health Dept advisor. Plus, what’s in new Health Sec Sajid Javid’s in-tray? “If you’re appointing your mates then you’re probably not bringing in the best people.” – Alex Thomas “The system of regulation ministerial conduct is kind of mad and medieval… The PM decides if you’ve broken the Code, and that’s often subjective.” – Paul Harrison “It sounds like Gina Coladangelo’s role was to advise Matt Hancock personally – which is not what a non-executive director is supposed to do.” – Cath Haddon “The extent of the outcry on Hancock is actually quite encouraging, because it shows how little corruption actually happens.” – Paul Harrison Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Alex Thomas and Graham Atkins. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain signs its first entirely new post-Brexit trade deal, with Australia. What does it mean for British farmers? Will shoppers notice the savings of 70p per person per year? And will Brits really want to p-p-pick up a Tim-Tam? Will Grant Shapps’ new “Great British Railways” fix the mess of Britain’s trains? Plus, how does Michael Gove plan to transform government – and what is “accountability fudge”? • “In Australia there’s a sense that the deal rights the historic wrong of the UK ‘abandoning’ Australia when it joined the EU.” – Sarah Nickson • “People will be relieved that the Australian deal is done – but it’s not earth-shattering.” – Matthew Gill • “The acid test of Great British Railways is, does it mean we’ll never have a timetabling fiasco again?” – Jill Rutter Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Jill Rutter, Matthew Gill, Sarah Nickson and James Kane. Audio production by Robin Leeburm. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the G7 in Cornwall marks the first major summit of the post-COVID era, can Boris Johnson steer conversation away from the worsening Northern Ireland Protocol situation towards his preferred theme of Global Britain? We hear from Tom Newton Dunn, chief political commentator at Times Radio and political columnist at the Evening Standard. Plus, inside UK Government’s woeful record on ethics. ‘Freedom Day’ on June 21 in jeopardy. And your guide to the upcoming Sausage War with the EU. • “The fact that this G7 is even happening is in itself an achievement.” – Tom Newton Dunn • “What does Boris Johnson want from the G7? He wants to be at the centre of global attention for vaccination and climate change.” – Alex Thomas • “Politics is a contact sport… the drought of social interaction will lend extra weight to this G7.” – Hannah White Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Hannah White and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Covid-19 will top the agenda at this month's G7 summit in Cornwall. As some countries lift restrictions and near the completion of vaccine rollouts, others face severe outbreaks or progress being derailed by new variants. No country will escape from the Covid crisis alone – a coordinated global plan which covers vaccination, surveillance and health infrastructure is essential. To discuss how world leaders can meet these challenges and put in place long-term plans for handling the threat of Covid-19, this Institute for Government event saw an expert panel draw on a series of roundtables organised by the IfG and Wellcome Trust. Our panel included: Tom Whipple, Science Editor, The Times Sir Suma Chakrabarti, former Permanent Secretary, DfID and the Ministry of Justice, and incoming chair of the Overseas Development Institute. President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development from 2012–20 Dame Una O’Brien, former Permanent Secretary, UK Department of Health; Member of Council, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Professor Gagandeep Kang, Professor in the Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, India and Fellow of the Royal Society. The event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. #IfGG7 We would like to thank Wellcome Trust for kindly supporting this event. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What divides the great Prime Ministers from the mediocre and the just plain bad? And how does Boris Johnson measure up in those stakes? Author of The Impossible Office: The History of the British Prime Minister Sir Anthony Seldon and former Government advisor Salma Shah take us on a deep dive into the harsh realities of the country’s most powerful office. Is Boris Johnson really as bad a PM as Dominic Cummings says he is? And is unfitness for office just a myth? • “Unfitness for office has never disqualified people as Prime Ministers. The question with Johnson is, was he unfit enough?” – Anthony Seldon • “One of Prime Ministers’ strengths is a complete lack of self-awareness… Otherwise every day would be a duvet day.” – Salma Shah • “Every PM who’s been less successful has lacked that clear, ruthless vision. You must either have it – or history must throw it on your plate.” – Anthony Seldon • “Sajid Javid had a knack of making your believe any decision was yours and not his.” – Salma Shah • “So much of being a Prime Minister is a confidence trick. If confidence collapses, as it did for Theresa May, it’s all over.” – Anthony Seldon Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What should we take from Dominic Cummings’ volcanic testimony before the Commons Heath, and Science and Technology committees, and his excoriation of Matt Hancock? Is Boris Johnson’s No.10 really so chaotic? And if the PM is “unfit for office”, how could Cummings work with him for so long? Special guest Sam Freedman, a former adviser at the Department for Education who has worked with Cummings, helps us sift the rubble from one of Westminster’s most cataclysmic days. “This wasn’t so much a machine-gunning as a bombardment with shells.” – Bronwen Maddox “When you’re spending your time in No.10 managing the PM away from big issues then you have a serious problem.” – Jill Rutter “Johnson behaves like a toddler. All he does is make stupid jokes and try to get attention for himself. You can see how he would be a hindrance in COBRA.” – Sam Freedman “Cummings gave a picture of an incredibly centralised government, very focused on whiteboards in Downing Street and not the outside world.” – Alex Thomas “I’ve never seen Cummings as having any intellectual respect for Johnson. He saw Boris as a vehicle for his ideas.” – Sam Freedman “When you have a Prime Minister who thinks rules are for mugs, you don’t get good government.” – Jill Rutter Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Jill Rutter, Alex Thomas and Sam Freedman. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will the Indian Variant push back the Great Unlocking of June 21 that Boris Johnson has pinned so many hopes on? Are we looking at the return to tiers or even national lockdowns, and will Conservative COVID hawks wear it? Meanwhile the Government’s advice on international travel continues to baffle. Is “go but don’t go” really good enough? And what can we expect from the COVID Inquiry, just confirmed by government? “It’s sobering that, if we accept the worst case scenarios, we could be back at the levels of cases that we saw in January and February.” – Giles Wilkes “Any chair who accepted these terms for the COVID enquiry would not be fit for the job.” – Marcus Shepheard “Did the Government delay ending travel from India because it wanted a deal with the Indian Government? Absolutely. I’ll be amazed if not.” – Giles Wilkes Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Giles Wilkes, Matthew Gill, Rosa Hodgkin and Marcus Shepheard. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do the thirty bills in that very brief Queen’s Speech tell us about No.10’s true priorities, and whatever happened to social care? How is this delivery-obsessed Government doing against its 2019 manifesto commitments? Plus LATIKA BOURKE, a London-based journalist for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, joins us to look at Australia’s draconian but hugely popular COVID response – and its strangely slothful vaccination effort. What can Britain learn from the way Australia tackled Coronavirus? • “Economically this Queen’s Speech was disappointing… It’s as if nothing has changed since January 2020.” – Giles Wilkes • “I’m always amused by this ‘manifesto commitment’ idea you have in the UK, and the idea that governments might keep their promises…” – Latika Bourke • “I’d like to see what Conservative Party this is. Are they going to deregulate, or invest… or have they found some Third Way?” – Giles Wilkes • “In Australia, this pandemic feels like something that’s happening to other people somewhere else.” – Sarah Nickson • “Australia’s isolationist COVID response will damage Australia’s soft power around the world. It’s as if we’ve shirked our responsibilities to the world.” – Latika Bourke Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Giles Wilkes and Sarah Nickson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Was the seismic shock of the Conservative victory in Hartlepool down to Brexit, vaccines, pork barrel politics or something more fundamental? What does this shock by-election mean for the endless battle between Starmer and the Corbynites? In the local elections, are the so-called Green and Lib Dem surges real? And what we know so far about the Scottish and Welsh national elections – all in a Friday afternoon interim election special. • “Journalists will be thumbing over this for days – but political scientists will be looking at the causes for years to come.” – Cath Haddon • “The trend towards this has been decades in the making.” – Jess Sargeant Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Akash Paun and Jess Sargeant. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The bill for renovating Boris Johnson’s Downing Street flat, what he might have said about “bodies piling high” and Dominic Cummings’ blog revelations have added up to a nightmare week for the Prime Minister. Special guest Stephen Daisley of The Spectator and Scottish Daily Mail joins us to ask if Johnson can weather it and if new ministerial standards advisor Christopher Geidt has the powers he needs. Plus, could the fall of Arlene Foster lead to a harder-line DUP leadership and even another breakdown of government in Northern Ireland? And we take a deep dive into the realities of Scotland’s potential independent future. “The question is, Has the PM done anything that would put him on the wrong side of Ted Hastings from Line Of Duty?” – Stephen Daisley “The Gove and Henry Newman faction is much in the ascendant and we’re seeing a clear-out of the Vote Leave people.” – Stephen Daisley “For the French, the scandal is that Boris Johnson hasn’t spent ENOUGH on his wallpaper…” – Stephen Daisley Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Gemma Tetlow, Jill Rutter, Cath Haddon and Graham Atkins. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s revelations about James Dyson’s text messages to Boris Johnson have worsened the fog of sleaze and added to accusations that this Government is an opaque chumocracy. Is it possible to keep government “permeable” to valuable outside talent without opening it to backroom favours? Special guest Adrian Masters, Political Editor of ITV Cymru Wales, joins us to explain what could be Wales's closest Parliamentary election of the Devolution era. And how well did the Government play the football Super League fiasco? “The Government might see direct messages as a way of getting quick solutions in a crisis. But if you’ve got the PM’s mobile number, do you get better access than anyone else?” – Cath Haddon “Politicians are the least trusted people in the country, so it’s entirely possible that voters will dismiss this as ‘just what politicians do’.” – Tim Durrant “There’s a danger that we overreact and we don’t get those valuable outside skills because we’re trying to prevent unfair financial advantage.” – Cath Haddon “It feels like this steady flow of revelations is building into a public moment.” – Tim Durrant Presented by Bronwen with Cath Haddon, Tim Durrant and Akash Paun. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The relationship between a failing business and a former prime minister, lobbying in British politics, the rules that guide both ministers and civil servants, and the wider state of standards in public life. Along with former prime minister David Cameron, the Greensill saga has now dragged a growing list of former and current government ministers and officials into its orbit. And it shows no sign of calming down. So what are the latest developments, what rules have been broken, what rules aren’t good enough and will the various inquiries now launched actually fix anything? A special INSIDE BRIEFING EXTRA brings together IfG’s experts on ministers, civil servants and standards in public life to make sense of it all – and look at the current rules and what now needs to change. With Hannah White, IfG deputy director and a former secretary of the committee on Standards in Public Life Tim Durrant, IfG associate director, former civil servant and lead for IfG work on ministers Alex Thomas, IfG programme director and a former civil servant at the heart of government Presented by Catherine Haddon, IfG senior fellow Audio production by Candice McKenzie See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From runways at Heathrow to leaving the EU, the Government dislikes its decisions being challenged in court. Now it’s putting Judicial Review itself under the spotlight. A new IfG report asks if that’s a wise course of action. Plus, are COVID passports really our Get Out Of Corona Jail card? Will they even work? And will they be using them in Parliament? This week’s special guest is Sir Jonathan Jones, head of the government legal service from 2014 to 2020. “Good policymaking and lawful policymaking ought to be two sides of the same coin.” – Jonathan Jones “Brexit has heightened the temperature around judicial review against the Government.” - Cath Haddon “Boris Johnson himself is a big fan of COVID passports… and that means a lot.” – Raphael Hogarth “If policy on vaccine passports is flaky then that’s going to risk a serious challenge.” – Jonathan Jones Presented by Hannah White with Cath Haddon, Raphael Hogarth and Tom Sasse. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As street violence convulses Northern Ireland, is the border in the Irish Sea producing exactly the crisis the Government were warned of? And will the expiry of the Grace Period make things worse? Special guest Ailbhe Rea, the New Statesman’s political correspondent and host of its podcast, explains what’s behind the tensions. Plus, will elections in Scotland and Wales push the UK closer to break-up? And No.10’s growing vaccine confidence problem. “The Union is under the biggest threat it’s seen since the crisis in Ireland that created it.” – Jill Rutter “Paramilitary makes them sound more glamorous than they are. They’re just criminal gangs and drug dealers.” – Ailbhe Rea “Unionists have been forced to accept something that waters down their sense of being part of the UK.” – Jill Rutter Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Jill Rutter, Jess Sergeant and Akash Paun. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As new details emerge about Boris Johnson’s alleged affair with Jennifer Arcuri, the country seems strangely unmoved. Does personal morality really matter in leaders? And should we be thinking about the money not the sex? Plus, what does the unravelling Greensill saga tell us about backdoor access to government? Has David Cameron actually broken any rules? And we look at the trade realities that an independent Scotland would have to face. The Sunday Times's Whitehall Correspondent Gabriel Pogrund is our special guest for this one hundredth edition. “It’s not for journalists to moralise about Johnson’s private life. What matters is that Jennifer Arcuri received public money.” – Gabriel Pogrund “The British public are gloriously indifferent as to whether their leaders have poor personal morality.” – Giles Wilkes “How was it that this guy who had just left a bank was able to inveigle himself into the heart of Government?” – Gabriel Pogrund “Greensill is not just about the rules, it’s about ethical principles. And there’s a risk to public perception over what Cameron chose to do.” – Hannah White “The SNP are taking a leaf out of Vote Leave’s book. It doesn’t help to be too candid.” – Gabriel Pogrund Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Hannah White, Giles Wilkes, Jess Sergeant and Akash Paun. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A year on from Lockdown One, what have we learned – if anything – from the response to the once-in-a-century crisis of COVID? A new IfG paper identifies ten urgent lessons that government needs to learn. And if there is to be a Public Inquiry, what should it seek to discover? Plus, as the post-EU Transition Period ends, does the real Brexit start here? And what problems has the Government’s approach stored up? The Guardian’s Rafael Behr is our special guest. “Boris Johnson wanted to play the role of the happy-go-lucky leader and it just did not equip him for delivering the bad news and hard decisions that the crisis demanded.” – Rafael Behr “There’s a clichéd Yes Minister view that the Civil Service elite know better than operational systems on the ground… But the pandemic turned that on its head.” – Alex Thomas “I fear that the current Prime Minister will quickly seal off the disaster site, bulldoze the black boxes and claim it’s time to move on.” – Rafael Behr Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Maddy Thimont-Jack, Rhys Clyne and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What’s in the mammoth 114-page Integrated Review of Britain’s defence and foreign policy? Should we really be putting aircraft carriers in the South China Sea and lifting the caps on nuclear warheads? And can the Government really re-tilt Britain from Europe to the “Indo-Pacific”? Plus, what will be the fallout from the murder of Sarah Everard and the Met’s disastrous mishandling of a subsequent vigil for policing and women’s safety? Our special guests are Sophia Gaston, Director of the British Foreign Policy group, and former senior advisor to Tony Blair John McTernan. “This review is a totally clean break from the polarised rhetoric of the Brexit era… This is not a pieces of boosterish British exceptionalism. ” – Sophia Gaston “Nuclear decisions are never just about the deterrent. They’re about how you’re perceived at the top table.” – Cath Haddon “Britain wants to be the leading European presence in the Indo-Pacific region… And that means some negotiation with the EU to say the least.” – Sophia Gaston “This doesn’t feel like a properly authored policy. It’s cut and paste. It’s gesture.” – John McTernan Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will the reverberations from Harry and Meghan’s interview with Oprah Winfrey change the Monarchy? Is this a passing PR crisis or an existential moment for the Monarchy? And how do you carry out an inquiry into an institution as impenetrable as “the Firm”? Plus, as schools return en masse, can we rely on the £37bn Test and Trace system when inquiries have shown it to have made little to no contribution to the fight against COVID? And is the much-derided 1% pay proposal for NHS staff just Boris Johnson’s next U-Turn in waiting? This week’s special guest is CNN’s Luke McGee. “It’s an institution in crisis but it’s also a family in crisis.” – Cath Haddon “If you look at polling around Meghan and Harry’s generation, they do think it’s absurd to bow and curtsey to your grandmother.” – Luke McGee “If the Government thinks a 1% rise is sufficient for the NHS, it will have to work hard to explain how that’s going to help NHS recruitment.” – Graham Atkins Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Alex Thomas and Graham Atkins. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The highest level of public debt and highest tax burden since the late 1960s, the first increase in corporation tax since 1974, the largest net tax rise since 1993… In this special edition of Inside Briefing, IfG chief economist, Gemma Tetlow, is joined by IfG senior economist Tom Pope, and IfG senior fellows Jill Rutter and Giles Wilkes to trawl through the details of Rishi Sunak’s second budget. Did he do enough to support businesses and households as the lockdown lifts? Will the plans for large future tax rises and cuts to benefit payments stick? What did the budget reveal about the government’s strategy for UK growth? Audio production by Candice McKenzie #IfGBudget2021 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Business was taken aback when Rishi Sunak raised its tax bill in this week’s Budget – but the sums Sunak is dealing with are eyewatering. Is there enough in his plans for tapered support and delayed tax to stimulate a post-COVID recovery? Will a country that’s been sold on “levelling up” accept higher taxes by stealth and lowered living standards? Plus: what on earth is going on with Sturgeon vs Salmond – and how could it affect Scotland’s political future? This week’s special guests are Torcuil Crichton, political editor of the Daily Record, and IfG Fellow and former advisor to Tony Blair John McTernan. “It’s very clear that the Government are going to use the pork barrel. You can see the lineaments of Populist government” – John McTernan “That was the emptiest budget box to come to Parliament in a long time, and Starmer was quite good at laying out what wasn’t there.” – Torcuil Crichton “The Government seems to believe the economy has been suppressed and will come roaring back of its own accord” – John McTernan Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Gemma Tetlow and Akash Paun. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On 3 March, Rishi Sunak will deliver his second Budget – almost a year on from the moment the government took the unprecedented step last spring to lockdown the country. With a third lockdown still in place, how will the chancellor deliver on Boris Johnson’s promise that the government will “continue to do whatever it takes to protect jobs and livelihoods across the UK”? What will the Budget do to support economic recovery once the lockdown is lifted? And will this Budget tell us anything about Sunak’s longer term ambitions for tax, spending, borrowing and debt? In this edition of Inside Briefing Extra, IfG Chief Economist Gemma Tetlow is joined by former special advisor Will de Peyer, IfG senior economist Tom Pope, and IfG senior fellow Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Candice McKenzie #IfGBudget2021 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we pass a year since the first case of Covid-19 was reported in the UK, the Institute for Government is delighted to welcome Tony Blair, Executive Chairman of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to reflect on the last 12 months – and look ahead to the lasting impact of the pandemic and the challenges this poses for politicians and policy makers. What lessons have we learned over the last 12 months? How can countries adapt to the continuing existence of Covid-19? What does ‘returning to normal’ really mean in the year ahead? How will the pandemic change the UK? How will it change the world? Tony Blair is in conversation with Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is new-look, cautious Boris Johnson’s step-by-step plan for unlocking too timid, or is it over-optimistic? Are vaccine passports workable, let alone defensible from a civil rights perspective? And if Rishi Sunak will do “whatever it takes” to get the economy back on its feet, what can we expect from next week’s COVID Budget? Plus: just how many czars do we need? This week’s special guest is Ben Riley-Smith, the Daily Telegraph’s newly-appointed political editor, fresh from returning from Washington. “No.10 will be pretty pleased with the reaction to the unlocking plans so far. Polls say only a tiny proportion of people think he’s going too quickly.” – Ben Riley-Smith “The Government is keen to do this slowly to ensure that it’s irreversible.” – Ben Riley-Smith Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Tim Durrant, Gemma Tetlow and Tom Sasse. Audio production by Robin Leeburn See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ahead of the Prime Minister producing his new ‘roadmap’, we discuss the plans, priorities and politics for lifting the lockdown. Does the government know what its objectives are? What does ‘data, not dates’ mean in practice? What still needs to be done and what should we look out for when the plan lands? In this edition of Inside Briefing Extra, IfG Senior Fellow Dr Catherine Haddon is joined by Conservative MP and Covid Recovery Group chairman Mark Harper, the New Statesman’s political editor Stephen Bush, Christina Pagel, Director of the Clinical Operational Research Unit at UCL and Tom Sasse, Associate Director at IfG. Audio production by Candice McKenzie See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the Government prepares for the huge leap of unlocking, can it manage expectations from both a weary public and its own restive MPs? Rishi Sunak is about to announce potentially the most painful budget in a decade. Can he pull the Tories’ pre-COVID policy aims out of deep freeze? And how will Conservative MPs feel about “building back better” with more social housing in their own constituencies? This week’s special guests are Mo Hussein, former special advisor to Amber Rudd and chief press officer in No.10, and IfG fellow John McTernan, former senior advisor to Tony Blair. “The government’s line is often ‘we’d love to do this but our scientists won’t let us.’” – Cath Haddon “The idea that absolutely everyone in Whitehall is knuckling down to work on COVID is just fanciful.” – John McTernan “The big question is, is fiscal conservatism dead or just hibernating?” – Gemma Tetlow “Sajid Javid resigned over independence, but Sunak has been the most independent Chancellor we’ve had for a long time. He’s even got his own branding and infographics” .” – John McTernan Presented by Hannah White with Cath Haddon, Maddy Thimont-Jack and Gemma Tetlow. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The government has published its plans for reform of the NHS, with the first health service white paper in a decade setting out a series of major reforms. So what is the government trying to achieve and what would it mean for the NHS? Is this really the moment, with the NHS still reeling from the demands of the coronavirus crisis, to introduce major reform? What has the pandemic revealed about how the NHS is run? And does this white paper finally provide an answer to the question of how to reform social care? For answers to these questions, and more, don’t miss the special edition of Inside Briefing. The IfG’s Nick Davies is joined by IfG senior fellows Nick Timmins and John McTernan, and guest Sally Warren of the King’s Fund. Audio production by Candice McKenzie #IfGpublicservices See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will the Government’s draconian plans for quarantine for travellers really work? How can ten years in prison and £10,000 fines be proportionate to the offence? And why can’t the Government get its line right on whether we can or can’t go on holiday this year? Plus, what are we learning from the unfolding story of vaccine success in the UK and comparative failure in the EU? Is Global Britain going to prove to be rather insular and nationalistic? And is Priti Patel going to carry the can for the Home Office’s data disaster? “The Government’s quarantine plans have so many holes you could drive a truck through them.” – Sarah Nickson “We criticise this Government for not learning. Well these quarantine plans are evidence of them learning – and maybe overreacting.” – Giles Wilkes “One thing the Government has done well is to be honest and upfront about the risks of experimenting with the vaccine.” – Alex Thomas “If the Government pursues quarantine at the expense of containing the virus at home, it looks like a policy designed to seem decisive rather than being effective.” – Sarah Nickson “A company suddenly being British doesn’t make it any easier to tell them what to do with their R&D.” – Giles Wilkes “Gordon Brown’s fall from Stalin to Mr. Bean was partially due to his government’s data problems.” – Alex Thomas Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Jill Rutter, Alex Thomas, Giles Wilkes and Sarah Nickson. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Borders is borders? Impact from the EU’s aborted triggering of Article 16 of the NI Protocol continues to reverberate. Could the UK government really use this episode to tear up their own border agreement? Special guest Tony Connelly, RTE’s Europe Editor and co-presenter of the Brexit Republic Podcast, joins us to explain the Byzantine nature of the Border Protocol. Plus: ahead of COP26 and the IfG’s net zero conference, can carbon mitigation really make Britain a world leader? “It feels like the Internal Market Bill all over again. It’s a gun to the head from the British Government. It’s an ultimatum.” – Tony Connelly “If we don’t make the border protocol work then we will have rolling crises every four years.” – Tony Connelly “The politics of vaccines have become toxic… It’s heat every day for the Commission.” – Tony Connell Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Maddy Thimont-Jack, Jess Sargeant, Tom Sasse and Jill Rutter. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If now is not the time to learn lessons from the COVID crisis, when is? We’re joined by writer, broadcaster and host of the Rock’n’Roll Politics podcast Steve Richards to discuss No.10’s painful learning curve and ask if Boris Johnson’s promised public inquiry ever actually happen. Plus, what have the extraordinary 12 months we’ve just lived through meant for the efficacy of government? The latest edition of the IfG’s annual Whitehall Monitor has all the answers. “The lessons, frankly, are obvious even if Boris Johnson repeatedly refuses to learn them.” – Steve Richards “This is a government that finds it hard to admit mistakes… They say ‘we’ll do the right thing at the right time’ without ever admitting when the right time is.” – Tom Sasse “Boris Johnson doesn’t do context or consequences. He didn’t do consequences as a journalist and it’s a really serious flaw.” – Steve Richards “Even if you can’t start an inquiry in the middle of a crisis, there’s merit in getting the ball rolling fast – because these things take a vast amount of time.” – Emma Norris “The Prime Minister seems incapable of learning lessons. The same mistakes are repeated over and over.” – Steve Richards Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Emma Norris, Sarah Nickson, Tim Durrant and Tom Sasse. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event The Institute for Government hosted the annual lecture by Bronwen Maddox, its director. In her speech, Bronwen looked at the government’s performance in the extraordinary circumstances of 2020 and what 2021 might bring. Her discussion was followed by a response from Professor David Runciman and the event was chaired by Sir Richard Lambert. #IfGDirector See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What’s the reality of No.10’s control over government? Is our supposedly superpowered centre really strong enough to command all the organs of state? Do we have too many generalists and too few specialists, and do we even need Special Advisors? Nick Timothy, Theresa May’s former Chief of Staff, joins us to look at the dismal science of “deliverology”. Plus, what will Joe Biden’s arrival mean for Britain? And what was it like dealing with Donald Trump from within No.10? “I mainly spend my time thinking ‘Thank God I’m not advising a Prime Minister right now’…” – Nick Timothy “For a highly centralised state, we have a surprisingly weak centre of government.” – Alex Thomas “Downing Street was a bit like a sleeping drunk at a party. You’d be going about your life but periodically Downing Street would wake up and start shouting. Then you’ve have to put all your energies into getting them back to sleep.” – Nick Timothy “It’s a real problem that Cabinet doesn’t sit down and set out collective objectives… If you’ve got 570 priorities then you don’t have any.” – Jill Rutter “Special Advisors can be all-powerful or nothing at all. They can practically run a department or be a bag-carrier – or try to run a department with the abilities of a bag-carrier. I’d scrap them altogether.” – Nick Timothy “Donald Trump was a terrible President to deal with but even he didn’t manage to ruin the UK-US relationship.” – Nick Timothy Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas and Jill Rutter. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

COVID is on the verge of overwhelming the NHS but Britain is at least vaccinating faster than almost any other country. Almost a year since the first lockdown, is the Government’s pandemic response gaining any traction yet? And how did the Government come to OK the “abysmal” food parcels distributed to families in need? Plus, will local, national and mayoral elections actually go ahead this year? And the science of “deliverology”. Kate Proctor, political editor at PoliticsHome.com, is this week’s special guest. “The new year is showing all the signs of being every bit as chaotic as 2020.” – Kate Proctor “Local elections are a verdict on how people feel about a government. So only year after a General Election, Boris Johnson will probably be very happy to avoid them.” – Kate Proctor “Nicola Sturgeon believes that elections in Scotland will help her mandate for another independence referendum – so she’ll be pushing hard for them to go ahead.” – Kate Proctor Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas, Tim Durrant, Akash Pau and Nick Davies. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The insurrectionary riot in Washington DC has shocked the world. What does it tell us about the fragility of democracies who come up against leaders who reject the rules, fire up popular anger, and trash the institutions that hold up the system? Plus, with the Government still on the back foot over COVID, will the vaccine roll-out lead to some semblance of normality for Britain? And what might 2021 hold for the UK (because everyone’s predictions for 2020 were so accurate, weren’t they)? Paul Goodman, editor of Conservative Home, is our special guest. “Johnson has pulled off the trick of harnessing the popular anger that’s sweeping the world to a tried and tested political agenda.” – Paul Goodman “The Government seems to be continually taken by surprise by events that seem inevitable to others” – Jill Rutter “There are only two or three ministers who have real experience of running departments. And those who do, Boris Johnson has consigned to the backbenches.” – Paul Goodman “Boris Johnson’s approach comes down to who spoke to him last and how they spoke to him.” – Cath Haddon “Boris Johnson’s government very much had to mind its Ps and Qs with regard to Trump. But now Trump’s going they’ve got no reason to give him a fond farewell.” – Paul Goodman Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Tom Sasse. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A special cross-post from our IFG LIVE feed. The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement was published on Christmas Eve, just a week before the transition period was due to end. So what does the deal mean for the UK – and for its relationship with the EU? What will change for businesses? How will data be shared? Will the EU and the UK continue to work closely on security issues? How was the contentious issue of fishing finally sorted? And what does ‘taking back control’ really mean in practice? The Institute for Government Brexit team assembles for a special Brexit deal podcast to make sense of what has been agreed and what will happen on January 1. Hear Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government, in conversation with Maddy Thimont Jack (Associate Director), James Kane (Associate), Georgina Wright (Associate), and Joe Marshall (Senior Researcher). Audio production by Candice McKenzie. #IfGBrexit See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices