Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

We’ve all had quite enough reality for one year. In an IfG Christmas special, we ask what fictional and fantasy worlds can teach us about governing. What does the collapse of the Republic in Star Wars tell us about Brexit? Does the Harry Potter universe need drastic democratic reform? In the real world, who nails life in government better: Borgen or The West Wing? And where’s the Public Inquiry into the murder epidemic in Midsomer? James Graham – our greatest political playwright and the pen behind This House, Quiz and Brexit: The Uncivil War – is our guest for this special holiday edition. “Dramas like The West Wing let you take an institution like the Presidency and stress-test it in a fictional environment… You get to enjoy the absurdities in a safe place.” – James Graham “What does Obi-Wan Kenobi tell Anakin? ‘Only the Sith deal in extremes’. Star Wars is a love letter to social democracy and George Lucas is the ultimate centrist dad.” – James Graham “Midsomer badly needs a place-based approach to crime prevention.” – Alice Lilly “The Death Star? That’s no moon, that’s a failed Government mega-project.” – Gavin Freeguard “The Thick Of It essentially predicted the Big Society with its ‘Fourth Sector Pathfinders’.” – Emma Norris Presented by Cath Haddon with Alice Lilly, Emma Norris and Gavin Freeguard. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Barnard Castle to Brussels, from Wuhan to the White House, it has been a year of unprecedented challenges, impossible choices, huge governmental gambles and astonishing mis-steps. Will 2020 prove to be a wild aberration or a turning point for the business of British government? Our crack team of analysts returns from the (virtual) IfG Christmas Party to discuss the successes and failures of a year of crisis, from the pandemic emergency measures to the reform of the Civil service to, yes, Brexit. “We’ve seen a Prime Minister who struggles to rise to the enormity of what he’s faced with.” – Jill Rutter “The Government’s communications have been so poor that they obscured many of their own successes.” – Alex Thomas “There is a growing narrative about Keir Starmer sitting on the fence. Labour need to address that next year” – Maddy Thimont-Jack “A hard rain fell on a lot of civil servants before it fell on Dominic Cummings himself.” – Bronwen Maddox “Boris Johnson’s optimism has led him into a cycle of overpromising and under-delivering.” – Jill Rutter “To say the peak has passed and you can go out, and then see ANOTHER peak… that could be a blow that a government might not recover from.” – Alex Thomas Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Jill Rutter, Alex Thomas and Maddy Thimont-Jack. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can Boris Johnson get the country to stick to his plans for a Compact Christmas – or has he already blown the comms challenge? What has a year of lockdown and surveillance done to Britain’s liberal instincts? Plus, with the Brexit saga at least reaching the end of the beginning, how can Britain build a robust industrial strategy for the future without just throwing money about? Ed Conway, economics editor at Sky News and Times columnist, is this week’s special guest. “Whatever happens with Brexit, we’re really going to need our Christmas to deal with what’s coming up next year.” – Ed Conway “The mixed messages are too much for the public to take. You can’t say ‘go outside’ one day and ‘stay inside’ the next.” – Giles Wilkes “Everyone wants everyone else to be restricted, but not themselves…” – Cath Haddon “If these industrial tools for government weren’t a good idea last time, why would they be a good idea this time?” – Giles Wilkes “Trying to impose policies that nobody is going to follow is a question of realpolitik and I don’t envy anyone making that decision.” – Ed Conway “Politicians like to point at things and say ‘We should be better at that!’ But they seldom answer the question of how.” – Giles Wilkes Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Alex Rees 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. Joe Biden is set to become the 46th US president. How will he deal with Coronavirus and the economy? What are his priorities internationally, and will he restore the US’s role in alliances? And what about the trade deal the UK wants so much, and relations with Boris Johnson, dubbed “Britain Trump” by the current occupant of the White House? On our panel to discuss these questions are: Dan Balz, Chief Correspondent for the Washington Post Elizabeth Dibble, Chief Operating Officer at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and former Deputy Chief of Mission at the US embassy in London Emily Tamkin, US Editor for the New Statesman Sir Paul Tucker, Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England The event is chaired by Sir Richard Lambert, Board member of the Institute for Government and former Editor of the Financial Times. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As EU trade talks go down to the wire of Transition’s end on Dec 31, was Boris Johnson and Ursula van der Leyen’s dinner a deux really the failed last chance to avoid No Deal? Does the EU Parliament have enough time to pass a new trade arrangements anyway? Does everything really depend on what Boris Johnson himself wants? And what happens if you want to take a ferret into the EU in 2021? Special guest Tom McTague, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins the IfG Brexit Team over an Eleventh Hour meal deal. “On Europe, you could argue that Johnson is the most powerful Prime Minister we’ve seen since Thatcher.” – Tom McTague “We voted to take back control. The big question for next year is, what are we taking back control of?” – Maddy Thimont-Jack “Labour has to strike a balance between saying ‘I told you so’ and not looking like they want Britain to fail.” – Tom McTague “This is a defining moment for the EU too. They’ve shown almost national solidarity towards Ireland and French fishermen.” – Tom McTague Presented by Hannah White with Maddy Thimont-Jack, Joe Marshall, Jess Sergeant and Joe Marshall. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The world’s first green light for a COVID vaccine is a clear boost of the Government. But how can they ensure the right people take it without falling back on strong-arm tactics? Also, who’s rebelling against the Government’s COVID restrictions and why? Special guest Iain Dale – Conservative columnist and LBC presenter – explains how his new book The Prime Ministers names Britain’s good, bad and ugly Premiers. Will the end of the Fixed Term Parliaments Act open a Pandora’s Box of constitutional wrangling? And Brexit. It’s still not sorted. “If there isn’t a Deal with the EU, it will be the biggest failure of statecraft in modern times.” – Iain Dale “When a government is upsetting its mainstream, moderate MPs it’s in trouble.” – Iain Dale “If the Government gets the vaccine rollout right, that’s a genuine reset. If they get it wrong, that’s a disaster.” – Alex Thomas “The worst kind of Prime Minister is an indecisive one.” – Iain Dale “It seems ridiculous that a Prime Minister can choose an election at a time they think they’re going to win… Except often, they choose the time and still lose.” – Iain Dale Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas and Maddy Thimont-Jack. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In January, the government will be doing battle on two fronts: dealing with a likely disruptive end to the Brexit transition period as the UK faces a new trading relationship with the EU while the covid crisis is still raging. Even if the UK government is able to deploy and manage its resources effectively, local authorities and businesses may still be overwhelmed. In this podcast, we will consider how the government should prepare for a difficult January including what the government can learn from its initial pandemic response and previous iterations of no-deal planning. Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government is in conversation with Dame Clare Moriarty, former Permanent Secretary at the Department for Exiting the European Union and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Professor Jonathan Portes, Professor of Economics and Public Policy, Kings College London, Tom Riordan, Chief Executive of Leeds City Council, Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. Audio production by Candice McKenzie #IfGBrexit See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With eyewatering sums spent on the COVID crisis and Britain facing the lowest growth since the 1700s, will Rishi Sunak’s spending review do enough to keep the public finances from meltdown? Will the public sector pay freeze really make a difference? And are the health risks of saving Christmas worth the potential political gain? “This is a good year to have bad figures… If there was ever a year to do a lot of borrowing, it’s this year.” – Giles Wilkes “It’s strange when Sunak has spent billions this year and we’re debating whether he’s a generous or a tough chancellor.” – Tom Pope “Sunak seems to have got the politics right. Whether it’s the right thing for the country remains to be seen.” – Giles Wilkes Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Gemma Tetlow, Tom Pope and Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can Boris Johnson make his reset stick? Will changing his advisors change his problems? Is No.10 getting nervous as the Brexit endgame looms? And what does the departure of Dominic Cummings mean for the use of digital data to revolutionise government? John McTernan, political strategist and former Director of Political Operations to Prime Minister Tony Blair, joins us to hack through the thickets of government. “This is Theresa May all over again. It wasn’t the advisors that were the problem. The Prime Minister is the problem.” – John McTernan “If you can’t reset your character, you can’t reset your government.” – John McTernan “Gordon Brown was right. The UK may not be breaking up but governance is definitely breaking down.” – John McTernan Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas, Jill Rutter and Gavin Freeguard. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does the defenestration of Lee Cain from No.10 mean for the Vote Leave faction that got Johnson into power? Who are the Conservatives’ restive ‘Covid Recovery Group’ and what do they want? As the end of Brexit transition looms, does the PM have to choose between the economic damage of No Deal and the political damage of caving to the EU? And will government ever get out of London? This week’s special guest is Peter Foster, public policy editor at the FT. “People should be really clear: we’re going back to 1992. The big political calculation is, does Johnson want to own this deal?” – Peter Foster “Seeing through the fog, this is all about the Prime Minister’s authority… and he’s failed to make clear what his decision is.” – Peter Foster “If No Deal happens it’s a lot easier to blame disruption on the EU.” - Maddy Thimont Jack “If we’re heading towards No Deal, the Government will put extraordinary pressure on the Lords to let the clauses through” – Alex Thomas “Westminster still treats the regions like distant colonies” – Peter Foster Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas, Maddy Thimont-Jack and Sarah Nickson. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After an incredible week, and even with votes still being counted, we now know that Joe Biden has won the US presidential election. But Donald Trump is refusing to concede that he last lost, and is instead mounting a series of legal challenges. So what happens now? How does a smooth transition of power work in this scenario? What will Donald Trump do next – and what next for Trumpism? How will Joe Biden lead – and reset – the US? What does his election mean for the special relationship? And how will President Biden work with Boris Johnson? In this special edition of the Institute for Government podcast, Bronwen Maddox is joined by Henry Zeffman, Washington correspondent for the Times, the New York Times’ London bureau chief Mark Landler, and IfG senior researcher Alice Lilly. Audio production by Candice McKenzie. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event The announcement of a second England lockdown came following repeated warnings from the UK government’s scientific advisers about the spread of coronavirus. Throughout the Covid-19 crisis, scientific advice to the government has been highly visible, with Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, repeatedly sharing a platform with Boris Johnson. Members of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) continue to feature prominently across broadcast outlets and in coverage of the government’s handling of the crisis. Other forms of advice, including economic advice from the Treasury, have been far less transparent, often creating the impression that SAGE is the government’s main and most influential advisory body. And yet economic arguments have also featured prominently in the debate about whether and when to lockdown again. How should science advice be combined with other kinds of evidence and presented to ministers? Does there need to be more transparency about the type of advice government is receiving and how it is using it? Does the prominence of SAGE undermine public understanding of other forms of evidence? To discuss these questions, the IfG was delighted to welcome: Professor John Edmunds, Professor of Infectious Disease Modelling at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and participant in SAGE Professor Susan Michie, Professor of Health Psychology at UCL and participant in SAGE and Independent SAGE Lord Macpherson of Earl’s Court, former Treasury Permanent Secretary (2005–16) Nancy Hey, Executive Director of What Works Wellbeing This event was chaired by Dr Catherine Haddon, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. #IfGScience See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As counting continues in the US election, and with both candidates claiming they’ve won, we take a look at the contest so far, and what the result will mean for America, Britain and the world. Meanwhile back in the UK, MPs have voted for a second national lockdown, but with Boris Johnson facing opposition from all sides, what can he do to ease the pressure on himself and the Government? YASMEEN SERHAN, staff writer at The Atlantic, is our special guest. “Those wanting a repudiation of the last four years found it hasn’t happened” - Yasmeen Serhan “I can imagine a world where there is a Biden presidency narrated by Trump’s tweets” - Yasmeen Serhan “Trump has been laying the groundwork for his claim that this would be a dodgy election for some time” - Jill Rutter “For a new President coming in, sitting on the sidelines for 10 weeks is going to be very difficult” - Cath Haddon “The Government isn’t explaining where the risky transmission centres are” - Jill Rutter Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Jill Rutter and Georgina Wright. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There’s no escaping COVID19, and with calls for a ‘circuit-breaker’ lockdown growing by the day, how is the Government coping as the pressure mounts? And with Number 10 sidelining the devolved administrations, Jess Sargeant joins to discuss the impact of the Britain’s varied coronavirus response. Plus, with the US Presidential election less than a week away, what will the result mean for the UK? “Boris Johnson hasn’t found a way to navigate between the scientists and his backbenchers” - Mark Landler “Whether or not the Government acts now affects if people can see their families at Christmas” - Cath Haddon “Angela Merkel has political capital to spend on a lockdown that Boris Johnson does not” - Alex Thomas “Closing borders is not a sustainable solution, practically or politically” - Jess Sargeant “Biden would not view a UK-US trade deal as a priority” - Mark Landler Presented by Hannah White with Cath Haddon, Alex Thomas, Jess Sargeant and Mark Landler. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who came off worse in the stand-off between Manchester’s Andy Burnham and London, and what does the confrontation say about Westminster’s real attitude to the regions? With Rishi Sunak launching yet more economic support packages, is the Government’s economic strategy in disarray? A new IfG report reveals exactly what Dominic Cummings’ reforms of Special Advisors is meaning for day-to-day government. Oh, and the Brexit talks. Yes, they’re still going. “The Treasury and No.10 are paying a price for not treating Manchester strategically.” – Jill Rutter “Yes, the Brexit talks are about brinkmanship – but it’s also about making any failure look like the other side’s fault.” – Cath Haddon “Many PMs have complained that No.10 is underpowered compared to departments – and that’s why SpAds have become so important.” – Tim Durrant “A lot of business leaders didn’t see the sunlit uplands that Michael Gove was seeing” - Jill Rutter “None of the SPADs we spoke to had anything positive to say about the management of the civil service” – Tim Durrant Presented by Emma Norris with Jill Rutter, Alex Thomas, Tim Durrant and Cath Haddon. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First birthday edition! Is Boris Johnson’s tiers-based compromise on fighting COVID worse than simply biting the bullet of a national lockdown? Is Westminster command-and-control creating an irreparable breach between London, Scotland, Wales and the North of England? And does that road end in full devolution? JACK BLANCHARD, UK politics editor at politico.com, is our special guest. “It’s very hard to find anyone who thinks the tiers approach is really going to work.” – Jack Blanchard “We assume that the Government has good reasons for its approach, not just ‘We’re frightened of the lockdown sceptics’.” – Jill Rutter “There is no worse way to win hearts and minds than to have scenes of angry disagreement like we saw this week.” – Jack Blanchard Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Jill Rutter and Cath Haddon. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event The UK and EU have agreed to continue the Brexit negotiations in an effort to resolve outstanding issues such as fishing rights, state aid and governance. Although both sides say they want an agreement, a no-deal Brexit is still possible. Even if there is a deal, there will be significant changes to how businesses trade between the UK and EU – but this message has failed to cut through. Selling a deal back home – and the compromises it might involve – could also be politically difficult. In the week of the Prime Minister’s initial deadline for negotiations and a critical meeting of the European Council, our panel takes stock of the Brexit talks and look ahead to what we can expect before the end of the year. Panellists Tony Connelly, Europe Editor at RTE News Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) James Forsyth, Political Editor at The Spectator Sam Lowe, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for European Reform The event is chaired by Georgina Wright, Senior Researcher, Institute for Government #IfGBrexit See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is the smorgasbord of Big Ideas that Boris Johnson announced to the virtual Conservative Conference actually deliverable? Do plans for the Saudi Arabia of wind, expanded social care and a New Jerusalem all at once contradict one another? And as the Corona bills come in, is crunch time on the way for former distributor of good news and sunshine Rishi Sunak? Special guest SALMA SHAH, former advisor to Sajid Javid, joins us for the IfG’s own autumn statement. “Nobody doubts that the Government can make big announcements. The question is whether they can deliver it.” – Jill Rutter “This wasn’t a traditionally Conservative speech and this isn’t a traditional Conservative government.” – Salma Shah “When we hear about 30 year mortgages or social care or offshore wind, it’s fair to wonder why nobody’s delivered them so far. And the answer is, it’s hard.” - Giles Wilkes “We’ve had two consecutive governments that are, for Conservatives, amazingly uninterested in what business has to say.” – Jill Rutter Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Jill Rutter and Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the EU gives notice of legal action against Britain, are the trade talks about to enter the Tunnel, the Submarine or total meltdown? Is Lindsay Hoyle right to accuse the Government of holding Parliament in contempt with its overreach on Corona powers? Is a Tory backbench rebellion brewing already – and could some internecine warfare be a good look for embattled Boris Johnson? And can Dominic Cummings just snap his fingers and bring a billion-dollar tech giant to life just like that? “This looks like an increasing war between backbenchers and Boris Johnson and his advisors.” – Jill Rutter “The Government thinks that under these circumstances, Parliament should be a rubber stamp. But MPs think you make better policy by debating it.” – Hannah White “It’s not always a bad look for a PM to be fighting a lone battle, as long as it’s for the right thing.” – Giles Wilkes “The Government seems in tune with public opinion but not with the libertarian wing of its own party.” – Jill Rutter Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Hannah White, Jill Rutter and Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the COVID outlook worsens dramatically, can Boris Johnson make another six months of restrictions stick? Is Rishi Sunak’s new Job Support Scheme just the old furlough in disguise, and will it hold back a tide of autumn job losses? And how prepared are public services for an extended crisis? Special guest Sir David Lidington, former de facto Deputy Prime Minister, explains the consequences of a new near-lockdown for consumer confidence, public health and the Government’s stability. “If you don’t get the tax receipts coming in from the economy then you’ll have some very difficult decisions about public spending.” – David Lidington “The Government needs to be seen to reach out… Metro mayors and local authorities need to be partners not adversaries.” – David Lidington “MPs who brief the papers about how unhappy they are generally do not speak for the majority of the Parliamentary party” – David Lidington Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Nick Davies and Gemma Tetlow. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What has gone so wrong with the Government’s “world-beating” COVID response? After a summer of confusion, can the “moonshot” get the Government’s pandemic policy back on course, or is it just more spin? And can its audacious Internal Market Bill make it through the Commons and Lords without being amended out of all recognition? Special guest Anoosh Chakelian of the New Statesman joins us to discuss Boris Johnson’s two biggest headaches. “From the start this Government has been putting spin and rhetoric before levelling with the public.” – Anoosh Chakelian “If Boris Johnson is having deep conversations with MPs in the tea room, you know they’re spooked.” – Anoosh Chakelian Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Jess Sargeant, Tom Pope and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Boris Johnson attempts to feed the Withdrawal Bill into a shredder marked “Internal Market Bill”, what does it mean for the rule of law, civil servants and the devolved nations when a government tries to abrogate international law? And as a new IfG report shows the Government’s plans to reach zero carbon by 2050 are way off track, what does it need to do to meet this ambitious target – and what will it cost? “I can’t see any way this gets through the Lords in its current form.” – Alex Thomas “The nature of the law is, you don’t get to choose when to follow it – because it’s the law.” – Raphael Hogarth “Some of the rationale for this is reasonable and some of it is Mad Max chaos and destruction.” – Alex Thomas Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Maddy Thimont-Jack, Alex Thomas and Raphael Hogarth. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s all change at the top of the Civil Service as the youngest Cabinet Secretary in over a century begins his job next week. But who is Simon Case? Why has he got the job? And what are the big tasks lining his in-tray? Plus - despite everyone around him taking the fall, Gavin Williamson still remains in post at the Department for Education, but what does this say about the accountability of ministers? And as schools reopen and people are urged to return to the office, we’ll look back at Government decision making in the first phase of the pandemic. “The key is having the Prime Minister’s confidence in your own authority” - Cath Haddon “The real issue in terms of ministerial responsibility is that other people have gone” - Cath Haddon “The Dept for Education made grade inflation their issue, which is why we ended up where we did” - Chris Wilkins “At DfE you fix the last battle and another one comes onto the horizon” - Alex Thomas “How much sympathy do you give the Government for a lack of information?” - Cath Haddon Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Alex Thomas and Sarah Nickson. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brexit may be Done but it’s about to rise from the grave as we get closer to Dec 31. The IfG’s Brexit Team convene to look ahead to a tumultuous autumn. Are the EU:UK negotiations really going as badly as it seems? What’s the very last moment when a deal could be struck? Are cash-strapped, COVID-battered businesses in any shape to deal with a new customs regime, let alone No Deal? And what’s actually going to change for UK citizens on Jan 1, 2021? “Businesses are faced with one big difficulty which is, what exactly are the preparing for?” – Joe Marshall “The EU always wanted a deal with the UK but they were never prepared to offer Britain a better deal than, say, South Korea.” – Georgina Wright Presented by Hannah White with Georgina Wright, Joe Marshall and Maddy Thimont-Jack. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The A-Levels fiasco could damage more than pupils’ futures and the career of Gavin Williamson. What will it mean for any potentially beneficial future use of algorithms in welfare, criminal justice, tax and social care? Does abolishing Public Health England make any sense except as a headline – and do panic reorganisations ever work? And can our political classes survive September without warm white wine at an in-person party conference? Special guest Sonia Sodha, chief leader writer at The Observer, joins us to explore the least silly Silly Season on record. “The algorithm gave us workable average results, but children are not averages. They are individuals.” – Nick Timmins “The most selective institutions are now oversubscribed while middle and lower-tier universities are threatened with empty places and financial disaster.” – Sonia Sodha “Replacing Public Health England is extraordinary. It’s rebuilding the plane in mid-flight.” – Nick Timmins Presented by Hannah White with Gavin Freeguard and Nick Timmins. Audio production by Robin Leeburn See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As pupils and parents fume over the A Levels mess, how and why did the Government inflict this fiasco on itself? As cheese drives a wedge between Britain and Japan, is this a taster of a smorgasbord of problems facing our post-EU trade talks? Can Rishi Sunak maintain his popularity when the bills for buying the nation dinner and more come in? And what happens to governments when Prime Ministers go on holiday? Special guest Rafael Behr of The Guardian joins us for the Inside Briefing Seaside Special. “Hardworking pupils from deprived areas are being dragged down and slackers from rich areas are being dragged up.” – Rafael Behr “Japan is a very long way away and economic geography wasn’t abolished this year… I’m not sure Liz Truss is wise to draw attention to £102,000 worth of cheese.” – Giles Wilkes “In 2025 will the terribly inflated A Level grades of the COVID Cohort really be such a big thing?” – Rafael Behr “We’re learning how great it was to NOT have an independent trade policy…” – Giles Wilkes “Either chlorinated chicken is coming into this country or it isn’t… The Government needs to start a real conversation about the trade-offs in trade.” – James Kane “The economic figures are so bad that you need a whole new graph to show them.” – Giles Wilkes Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Giles Wilkes, Alex Thomas and James Kane. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Government’s emergency lockdown of Greater Manchester took the public by surprise and left them confused and resentful. Special guest Jennifer Williams of the Manchester Evening News describes the disarray and what Government needs to fix, fast. Plus: How fit were public services for coronavirus? Not very, says a new IfG report. What needs to happen, and why didn’t the Government act on the learnings from Operation Cygnus? And as Boris Johnson loads up on Lords, is the Upper Chamber becoming the Crony Express? “People can’t follow the logic. If you can’t sit in a friend’s garden but you can meet them in a beer garden, it’s little wonder people are confused.” – Jennifer Williams “Boris Johnson’s honours list touches all the bases of cronyism.” – Hannah White “The Government went for private contracts because they could scale up fast – but whether that leads to effective track and trace is another matter.” – Jennifer Williams “Lords reform needs something a bit more fundamental than moving some Lords to York.” – Jennifer Williams Presented by Bronwen Maddox with the IfG’s Hannah White and Nick Davies. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Government’s emergency Spanish quarantine: decisive action, poor planning or a failure to understand what working life is really like? With the inevitable Public Inquiry into Coronavirus now confirmed, special guest Sir Lawrence Freedman – emeritus professor of War Studies at Kings College London and a former member of the Iraq War inquiry – tells us how to run an effective inquiry. And is No.10’s proposed US-style spokesperson designed to help Boris Johnson dodge real scrutiny? “The Government is desperate to be seen to react quickly to combat the perception that in the early days of COVID they were slow off the mark.” – Alex Thomas “Any inquiry shouldn’t just ask why we reacted slowly but why we had outbreaks across the country, not just in one epicentre.” – Lawrence Freedman “We won’t get conclusions from a COVID inquiry in time for a second wave. The learning has to happen right now.” – Emma Norris Presented by Bronwen Maddox with the IfG’s Alex Thomas, Jill Rutter and Emma Norris. Audio production by Alex Rees See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reforming the Civil Service is the biggest of Big Asks. Can Dominic Cummings pull off his radical plans in the middle of a once-in-a-century health crisis? And do we need fewer “fixers” who change jobs a lot, and more long-term experts? Plus, the Russia Report: what went wrong in protecting the integrity of our elections? Who should feel most embarrassed: Government, security services or civil servants? And what should be done next? “Framing Civil Service reform as ‘us against them’ is not going to encourage civil servants to give their best advice.” – Alex Thomas “Civil Service reform is quite nerdy so it’s unusual for politicians to give it such attention.” – Cath Haddon Presented by Bronwen Maddox with the IfG’s Alex Thomas, Cath Haddon and Emma Norris. Audio production by Alex Rees ENDS See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain’s decision to rip out Huawei kit from our mobile network by 2027 has set the Government on a collision course with China. Who forced this decision: Washington, the security establishment or the Government’s own backbenchers? And what does this change of posture towards a powerful trading nation mean for Brexit? The BBC’s Security Correspondent Gordon Corera joins us to discuss the tension between London and Beijing plus the detail Britain’s Integrated Security and Defence Review. And how does Russia fit in to a new Tech Cold War? “You can have the best decision-making architecture in the world – but it doesn’t mean you’ll make good decisions.” – Alex Thomas “Putin sees the end of the Soviet Union as a humiliation and he sees weakening the West as a goal.” – Gordon Corera “We’re in a world where the UK is being forced to choose between geopolitical alliances.” – Alex Thomas Presented by Bronwen Maddox with the IfG’s Alex Thomas, Cath Haddon and Alex Nice. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is Rishi Sunak’s colossal £30bn package of jobs stimulus, training subsidy, VAT cuts and stamp duty changes be enough to stave off a COVID crash? And will his Mega Meal Deal make a difference to the comatose cafe and restaurant industry? Special guest Rupert Harrison, a portfolio manager at Blackrock and previously Chief of Staff to former chancellor George Osborne, joins us to unpick the Chancellor’s summer statement. “Sunak has given notice that he’s turning off the spraygun of business support.” – Rupert Harrison Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Gemma Tetlow and Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sir Bernard Jenkin, chairman of the Commons Liaison Committee, discusses a turbulent week for the Civil Service, Mark Sedwill’s departure as cabinet secretary, and the government's plans for reforming the way that government works, with Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is Build Build Build just Talk Talk Talk? With its £5bn shopping list of infrastructure spending, is Boris Johnson’s so-called New Deal really as big and Rooseveltian as he’d like the world to believe? Does the sudden departure of Sir Mark Sedwill indicate that the Government is just building another brand of groupthink? And as Leicester locks down again, does a ‘whack-a-mole’ COVID strategy make sense if you can’t see the mole? Special guest Robert Shrimsley, chief political commentator and editor at large at the Financial Times, joins us to examine the economics beneath the announcements. “Someone described Johnson as ‘Brexity Hezza’… This is a Prime Minister who will intervene before breakfast, lunch and dinner.” – Robert Shrimsley “This is not a free trade government… and there’s a tension between that and its post-Brexit free trade rhetoric.” – Robert Shrimsley “We’re going to spend the next 15 years negotiating and renegotiating its trade agreements with the EU.” – Robert Shrimsley Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Gemma Tetlow and Raphael Hogarth. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sir Mark Sedwill’s departure as Cabinet Secretary after weeks of sniping has startled Westminster, with many fingers pointing at Dominic Cummings. No Cabinet Secretary has ever been forced out of office like this before, least of all in the middle of a national crisis. What does Sedwill’s resignation mean for reform of the Civil Service? Is the centre of government facing evolution or revolution? And are we seeing the politicisation of the Civil Service? “It’s extraordinary for civil servants to be talking about reform in the middle of a national crisis.” – Cath Haddon Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There’s a new three-word slogan in town: “Build, build, build.” As the Government unlocks more sectors of public life, Boris Johnson is keen to finally put COVID-19 behind him and get on with governing. But will questions of competence and Cummings continue to cast a pall over the Government’s agenda? Plus: Will the Robert Jenrick affair blow up into an old-fashioned scandal? And is the Brexit extension deadline the real deadline? “The Government still has some extraordinarily difficult questions on the economy coming up.” – Joe Owen “The idea that ‘If we announce it, it will happen’ has been a big failing of Government in this crisis.” – Jill Rutter Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Joe Owen, Jill Rutter and Raphael Hogarth. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did the Government end up completely wrong-footed by a footballer in the issue of extending free school meals? Are ministers getting broad enough – and sufficiently independent – scientific advice when it comes to quarantine and the 2m Rule? Will the folding of the “world-beating development agency” DFiD into the Foreign Office mean damage British soft power? And will insourcing probation reverse the “total disaster” of outsourcing? “The Marcus Rashford episode shows a lack of political antenna in Downing Street.” – Jill Rutter “A government with an 80-strong majority is now being pulled around by its backbenchers.” – Cath Haddon “What we’re seeing now is that the attitude that the private sector is ALWAYS best was wrong.” – Tom Sasse “The Government says it has diversity of thought. But they don’t have a lot of diversity of experience.” – Jill Rutter Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Jill Rutter, Tim Durrant and Tom Sasse. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is the Government running scared of a full public inquiry into the Coronavirus crisis? When and how should it happen and what questions should it ask? And how do you stop a fact-finding investigation from turning into a blame game? Also veteran politics commentator, host of the Rock’n’Roll Politics podcast and author of The Prime Ministers: Lessons of Leadership Steve Richards joins us to discuss the state of the Government’s implementation game. And how should Keir Starmer develop his Parliamentary repertoire to keep Boris Johnson on his toes? “An inexperienced Cabinet chosen largely for its loyalty to Brexit has found itself faced with the biggest crisis since 1945.” – Steve Richards “You’ve got to start learning those lessons now in case we get a second wave in the autumn.” – Cath Haddon “The Government are already paranoid, neurotic about a possible inquiry… I think they’ll try to avoid it.” – Steve Richards “If you’re legally obliged to hand over your emails it changes your calculus as a civil servant.” – Alex Thomas “Governing is wholly different from getting a strong headline in tomorrow’s papers.” – Steve Richards Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Emma Norris and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump, Facebook, the economy, the Presidential election and the unprecedented tumult in the US following the killing of George Floyd. The New York Times’ London bureau chief MARK LANDLER talks to Bronwen Maddox of the IfG. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The return of Parliament-in-person was met with dismay as disgruntled MPs were forced to conga through Palace of Westminster, and distanced or shielded Members were sidelined. Will remote voting have to return, and are Wales and Scotland doing digital democracy better than England? Rowland Manthorpe, Tech Correspondent from Sky News, joins us to explain. Plus: Is the Government’s slipshod use of data in the COVID fight storing up trouble for the future? And what do the tumultuous events in America mean for democracy in the USA? Mark Landler of the New York Times sets out the enormity of these historic events. “Not everyone likes technology til they try it… but perhaps we shouldn’t throw it away in a reactionary way.” – Hannah White “The conga of MPs was as long as 89 London buses. That’s hardly social distancing.” – Gavin Freeguard “Compared to the Commons the Lords looks like a go-ahead organisation right now.” – Hannah White Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Hannah White and Gavin Freeguard. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Could the Government ever have controlled the fallout from Dominic Cummings’ breach of COVID travel rules, and is it too late now? Why is Boris Johnson so bound to his key advisor? And with SPADs more centrally vetted than ever, do a majority of No.10 staff owe more personal loyalty to Dominic Cummings than to the Prime Minister? Special guest Tim Montgomerie joins us to discuss a defining week for the Johnson government. Plus: might the UK change its mind on an extension with the EU after all? “Dominic Cummings is a genius – but nobody’s perfect.” – Tim Montgomerie “One surefire way to shut down debate inside government was to say ‘Dom doesn’t like that’. I’ve always feared that the Reign of Terror would lead to a Reign of Error.” – Tim Montgomerie Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Hanna White, Jill Rutter and Georgina Wright. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bonus extended interview: The Trump administration’s response to the COVID emergency has been widely decried as inconsistent and unequal to the enormity of the task. DAN BALZ of the Washington Post tells the IfG’s Bronwen Maddox how decades of “hollowing out” government were compounded by the President’s suspicion of a “Deep State” to produce a crisis in state effectiveness. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the COVID lockdown eases, will the blame land on ministers, scientists, advisers, Public Health England or Number Ten? What can the drama of the Brexit Parliament teach us about running the Palace of Westminster when it reconvenes – physically – for the post-COVID era? A new IfG report digs into the detail. And is America’s chaotic responsive to Coronavirus a result of the hollowing-out of US government institutions? Special guest Dan Balz of the Washington Post explains. “When there are major communications moments that affect people’s lives, the ‘dipping your toe in the water’ approach doesn’t really work.” – Alex Thomas “The Brexit Parliament really exposed the system’s weakness in dealing with major political problems.” – Joe Marshal Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas and Joe Marshal. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Has the Government lost control of the unlocking narrative? Boris Johnson’s new advice confused much of the country, but how will it translate into real-world rules and regulations? Plus we discuss the new IfG report into the torrid relationship between Government and Civil Service during run-up to Brexit. Did tussles over Brexit damage the relationship between the Executive and and those who put its policies into action? Iain Martin, Times columnist and editor of Reaction, is this week’s special guest. “Boris is a journalist. He should have remembered a golden rule: Don’t do anything complicated on a Sunday for Monday’s papers…” – Iain Martin “When you have 27 million tuning into to a Prime Ministerial statement on TV, that’s a new level of engagement for Government.” – Joe Owen Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Gemma Tetlow, Joe Owen and Maddy Thimont-Jack. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Boris Johnson’s finger is hovering over the Unlock button. How can the Government reopen the economy without allowing the virus a second wind? What if the different Nations of the UK want very different approaches? Why Nicola Sturgeon is the most experienced leader on pandemics in Britain… and maybe Britain’s most experienced leader full stop. Guests Torcuil Crichton, Westminster Editor of the Daily Record, and IfG Fellow Nicholas Timmins of the King’s Fund join Bronwen Maddox, Jill Rutter and Akash Paun to discuss a women of truth for Britain’s health and economy. “Parliament has gone from Plague Ship to Ghost Ship… And of course SNP MPs would be happy not to be in Westminster at all.” – Torcuil Crichton “For decades the Scots have defined their health service as ‘Not England’.” – Nick Timmins “Fear rules everything. Nobody wants to be the politician who gets this wrong.” – Torcuil Crichton Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you weigh human wellbeing against Coronavirus deaths? How do we get “R”, the rate of Corona transmission, to a manageable level? As the government wrestles with lifting the lockdown, has “relying on the science” given it too narrow a focus regarding the serious trade-offs that are coming? And how will the criminal justice system deal with the massive backlog created by COVID? Cabinet secretary of the Blair and Brown years GUS O’DONNELL joins us to discuss the enormity of the Government’s challenges. “We’ve effectively got huge experiments going on all over the world to try to find out how we get out of this.” – Gus O’Donnell “To say the peak has passed and you can go out, and then see ANOTHER peak… that could be a blow that a government might not recover from.” – Giles Wilkes Hosted by Bronwen Maddox with Giles Wilkes and Nick Davies. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is the future made for virtual democracy? In this bonus interview, Leader of the House Jacob Rees-Mogg talks to Bronwen Maddox about organising a new dispersed Commons, the pros and cons of remote voting, and why a living Parliament requires more than simply occupying benches. Do MPs gain in independent-mindedness what the Whips maybe lose in influence? And can we look forward to virtual party conferences too…? “Before the Easter Recess there was serious debate about whether ANYTHING would be technically possible…” Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Government is under fire over COVID as seldom before. Was it wise to aggressively rebut the Sunday Times report on their preparations for the pandemic? Is the idea of a risk-free exit strategy from lockdown a myth? Do we need bipartisan agreement on the COVID strategy for the sake of national cohesion… or perhaps radical openness? And is there really such thing as being “led by the science”? Special guests Lord Danny Finkelstein and former Blair/Brown advisor John McTernan join the IfG’s Bronwen Maddox and Jill Rutter for this week’s podcast. “In life, risk can’t be abolished. It can only be mitigated. You have to draw people into the choices you have to make.” – John McTernan “We need to level with people that we’re not creating an exit strategy, we’re making a big exit moral choice.” – Danny Finkelstein Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To unlock or not to unlock? The government faces a momentous choice of easing the lockdown to resurrect the economy, or keeping it in place to preserve human lives. How can they find the right balance? Are today’s politicians able to cope with a return of mass unemployment after almost 40 years? The Guardian’s health editor Sarah Boseley joins us to explore the background to one of the gravest decisions in modern British history. “This might well mean austerity for certain high-rate taxpayers who perhaps got off more easily last time.” – Giles Wilkes Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Alex Thomas and Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Corona is straining Government as never before outside peacetime – and Boris Johnson is still mostly incapacitated. David Lidington, Theresa May’s former deputy, explains exactly what happens when the understudy must step up. How much power does Dominic Raab actually have right now? And do we need a US-style formal succession programme? Plus: When should the lockdown be eased? Does virtual government work? And what is Parliament doing during this strange recess? “The Whitehall machine had already been working with the dial in the red because of Brexit when this crisis hit.” – David Liddington Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon with Hannah White. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who takes over when the PM is incapacitated? Can Boris Johnson lead the country from his bedroom? Has COVID given the Civil Service a reprieve from the swingeing reforms that would otherwise be coming its way? Plus the Guardian’s Washington Bureau chief David Smith joins us to explain how both the White House and the United States’ Trump-besieged institutions are coping with a once-in-century crisis. “The value of the President’s press conferences are questionable… We are watching the first President elected with no political experience, facing the first real crisis of his life and by all accounts failing it miserably.” – David Smith Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and special guests David Smith and Jill Rutter. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices