Institute for Government

The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome Wes Streeting MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. With the Covid-19 pandemic continuing to place the NHS under huge strain, Wes Streeting discussed with Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government, how Labour would tackle waiting list backlogs, address workforce problems and reform the social care system. He also examined the lessons the NHS should learn from the pandemic. Wes Streeting has been the Member of Parliament for Ilford North since May 2015. He has served as Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Shadow Minister for Schools, Shadow Secretary of State for Child Poverty and, since November 2021, in his current position as Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

COP26 was one of the biggest diplomatic events any UK government has hosted in recent decades, with a huge amount of diplomacy, logistical preparations and careful planning required both ahead of and during the conference. So what lessons should the government take from the experience of hosting a major international summit, and can they play a part in its wider global ambitions? It is now half a year since world leaders met in Glasgow, but there are still six months remaining in the UK’s COP presidency. What should the government be looking to achieve? How has the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis changed the energy landscape? And what is the outlook for international cooperation on net zero? On our panel to discuss these issues will be: Camilla Born, Deputy Director, International Climate Finance in the COP26 Unit, Cabinet Office Greg Bourne, Councillor at the Climate Council of Australia Sepi Golzari-Munro, Deputy Director of the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit Professor Mary Ryan, Interim Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise) at Imperial College London The event was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government.

WhatsApp is Westminster’s favourite way of communicating. Widely used across government , it is quick, convenient and easy to use. But WhatsApp also brings problems – it can lead to bad decision making, poor record-keeping and a lack of transparency. So how should ministers, special adviser and officials use WhatsApp to ensure that the benefits outweigh the risks? How can the government prevent crucial messages going undocumented? And when is WhatsApp not appropriate for use in government? Following the IfG’s report on WhatsApp in Government, an expert panel discuss how to get the best out of WhatsApp in Westminster: Lord Bethell, former parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Health and Social Care Hugo Rifkind, columnist and leader writer for The Times Dr Catherine Haddon, senior fellow, Institute for Government The event was chaired by Tim Durrant, associate director at the Institute for Government. #IfGWhatsApp

During the Covid-19 pandemic, unprecedented numbers of people engaged with evidence behind government policy. Many had to interpret and implement government decisions while making trade-offs with other priorities, like protecting children, cancer care provision or running businesses. Based on testimony from expert witnesses and the experiences of people from a broad range of sectors across the UK, Sense About Science’s What Counts? inquiry is a major new study looking at what society needed to know and how well the UK government was able to respond. The report’s findings, including a NatCen survey of how the public engaged with government evidence, was presented Tracey Brown, Director of Sense about Science, followed by remarks from Greg Clark MP, Chair of the Science and Technology Committee, and a panel discussion with Paul Wilson, Policy Director at the Federation of Small Businesses. The event was chaired by Tom Sasse, Associate Director at the Institute for Government. The report What Counts? A scoping inquiry into how well the government’s evidence for Covid-19 decisions served society is available for download on the Sense About Science website. #WhatCounts

As part of a special series of events on devolution, levelling up and local leadership, featuring local leaders from across England, the Institute for Government was delighted to be joined by Jamie Driscoll, Mayor of the North of Tyne region. Powers over infrastructure, skills, and housing have already been transferred to the North of Tyne combined authority, and the government's levelling up agenda may see more follow – as well as expand the devolution deal to cover Sunderland, Gateshead and South Tyneside too. At the event, the mayor discussed his role, how to make levelling up a reality in the North Tyne area and how he would like to see devolution extended. Jamie Driscoll was in conversation with Akash Paun, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. This event was broadcast live from Newcastle in front of an invited audience. Jamie Driscoll was a Labour and Cooperative councillor in Monument ward, Newcastle city centre, before being elected Mayor of the North of Tyne in May 2019. He studied engineering at Northumbria University and worked in the electronics and IT sector before setting up his own software development business. #IfGdevo We would like to thank the Centre for Researching Cities and the Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies (CURDS) at Newcastle University for kindly supporting this event.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) was created by the merger of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DfID) in 2020. Since then, the department has implemented a substantial cut to the UK’s aid budget, dealt with the foreign policy implications of Brexit, handled the UK’s presidency of the G7 and the COP climate conference, and responded to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But has the merger of the FCO and DfID been a success? Are the prime minister’s objectives being achieved by the FCDO? Does the department have good relations with the rest of government? And what lessons does the FCDO need to learn to ensure it can achieve the UK’s global priorities? To discuss all this we were joined by: Sir Alan Duncan, former Minister of State at DfID and FCO Sarah Champion MP, Chair of the International Development Committee Lord McDonald, former Permanent Under Secretary at the FCO Stephanie Draper, Chief Executive Officer at Bond This event was chaired by Tim Durrant, Associate Director at the Institute for Government. #IfGFCDO

Better use of data is key to more effective government. Across government, teams are doing fascinating work with data. But those projects don’t get the attention they deserve. At this month's event, the 29th in our series, the speakers presented their work in an exciting, quickfire format. Each speaker had eight minutes, followed by eight minutes of questions from the audience. Our partner, Ploughshare, the Ministry of Defence’s Technology Transfer Office, helped bring together speakers from cyber and defence around the theme, 'Mission Possible – Getting the right data, to the right people with the right permissions to inform and act.' This month's speakers were: Mark Darbin, Principal Scientist at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory on a Ministry of Defence approach to sharing the right data at the right time through Information Based Security Architecture (IBSA) Andrew Garner, Lead Security Architect at UK MOD Strategic Command Cap C4ISTAR on communicating and sharing information securely with partners within Mission Partner Environments (MPEs) using data-centric security aligned to Zero Trust Architecture principles Wendy Griffiths, Product Manager at Tarian Technology on how to eradicate the cyber threat using data centric security. Andrew Read, Systems Engineer at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, a case study on sharing intelligence data within NATO The event was chaired by Gavin Freeguard, Associate at the Institute for Government. #IfGDataBites This event is kindly supported by Ploughshare.

Boris Johnson's 2019 pledge to ‘level up’ the UK has become his government’s flagship agenda. But this is not the first government aiming to reduce regional economic disparities, and the Johnson administration will need to learn from the experience of past administrations if it is to succeed where others failed. With previous attempts to level up let down by frequent churn in institutions and programmes, as well as a failure to properly evaluate which policies were working, this event will explore what lessons the government can learn from the past. Does the government know which policies will work to level up? How can it overcome barriers to the effective evaluation of any new policies? What other lessons can it learn from previous administrations if it is to make levelling up a success? The Institute for Government was delighted to bring together the following panel to discuss these issues: Ruth Kelly, Chief Analyst at the National Audit Office Danielle Mason, Head of Policy at the What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth Lucie Moore, Evaluation Lead in the Evaluation Task Force, Cabinet Office Thomas Pope, Deputy Chief Economist at the Institute for Government. The event was chaired by Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government. #IfGlevellingup

At the 2019 general election, the Conservative Party won votes in many places that had not traditionally voted Tory - with the promise to 'level up' the UK seen as a key factor. A recent white paper finally set out the government’s plan to turn the levelling up slogan into reality, including 12 missions to be achieved by 2030. But with the general election due in no more than two years, will the government be able to demonstrate sufficient levelling up progress before voters return to the polls? Has it set its expectations too high? What do voters want to see from levelling up? This event, held in the week after the local elections, asked what the public expects of levelling up and whether and how the government can deliver against public expectations before April 2024. On our panel to discuss these issues: Viki Cooke, Founding Partner at Britain Thinks Andrew Lewer MP, Member of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Select Committee and Vice-President of the Local Government Association Alex Norris MP, Shadow Minister for Levelling Up, Housing, Communities and Local Government Thomas Pope, Deputy Chief Economist at the Institute for Government. The event was chaired by Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government. #IfGlevellingup We would like to thank Lloyds Banking Group for supporting this event.

From attending parties during the Covid-19 lockdown to taking payment for lobbying, some MPs seem to think the rules they set for others should not apply to them. Their procedures are complex, they are far from representative of the UK population, and many appear detached from the lives led by their constituents. So what can be done to reform the way the House of Commons works? How can MPs make their institution worthy of public trust? And what can parliamentarians do to restore their flagging reputation? To mark the publication of her new book: Held in Contempt: What's wrong with the House of Commons? the IfG's deputy director, Dr Hannah White was joined by an expert panel, including The Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP, Member of Parliament for Staffordshire Moorlands, and Chris Cook from the Financial Times. The event was chaired by IfG senior fellow, Dr Catherine Haddon. #IfGCommons

A decade since Michael Gove passed legislation allowing all schools to convert to academy status, academies make up just under half of all schools in England. The rest are regulated as maintained schools, meaning two parallel systems – with resulting confusion, gaps, and misalignments – now exist. Neighbouring schools can have different rules around admissions, special educational needs provision, or the use of the national curriculum. In a paper for the Institute for Government, Sam Freedman has argued that high-quality multi-academy trusts (MATs) can be the bedrock of the English system, and that it is time for the Department for Education to map a process for moving to a fully academised system. This event explored the proposals in the new education white paper – the first time since 2016 that the government has set out a vision for the future of the system – and what the future schools system should look like, as well as exploring the benefits and drawbacks of making every school an academy. On our panel were: Sam Freedman, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government Joe Hallgarten, Chief Executive Officer at the Centre for Education and Youth Natalie Perera, Chief Executive Officer at the Education Policy Institute The event was chaired by Emma Norris, Director of Research at the Institute for Government. #IfGacademies

Levelling up and net zero are the government’s twin flagship agendas. But how do they align? Where and how can policies complement each other? And what is required to make that happen? While the levelling up white paper acknowledged and explored some of the links between the two agendas, the government has yet to set out a coherent plan for how they will be brought together. On our panel to discuss these issues were: Steve Beechey, Group Public Sector Director at Wates Roz Bulleid, Deputy Policy Director at Green Alliance Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee Julia Goldsworthy, former Director of Strategy at the West Midlands Combined Authority. The event was chaired by Tom Sasse, Associate Director at the Institute for Government. #IfGlevellingup We would like to thank Wates for kindly supporting this event.

Better use of data is key to more effective government. Across government, teams are doing fascinating work with data. But those projects don’t get the attention they deserve. At this month's event, the 28th in our series, the speakers presented their work in an exciting, quickfire format. Each speaker had eight minutes, followed by eight minutes of questions from the audience. This month's speakers were: Alison Pritchard, Deputy National Statistician and Director General for Data Capability, Office for National Statistics, on the Integrated Data Service Ed Humpherson, Head of the Office for Statistics Regulation, on how it’s not enough for data to be technically strong, and the need for intelligent transparency based on trustworthiness, quality and value Laura Sandys CBE, Chair of the Energy Digitalisation Taskforce, on the case for limited Public Interest Digital Assets Leanne Summers, Head of AI Strategy at NHS Transformation, on developing a learning health and social care system enabled by data and AI. The event was chaired by Gavin Freeguard, Associate at the Institute for Government. Find out more about Data Bites: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/data-bites

Better use of data is key to more effective government. Across government, teams are doing fascinating work with data. But those projects don’t get the attention they deserve. At this month's event, the 27th in our series, the speakers presented their work in an exciting, quickfire format. Each speaker had eight minutes, followed by eight minutes of questions from the audience. This month's speakers were: Tina Mermiri, Head of User & Data Insight at Government Digital Service, on data, trends and change on GOV.UK Hannah Spiro, Head of Public Attitudes, and Holly Clarke, Public Attitudes Researcher, at the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI), on the findings of the CDEI Tracker Survey which monitors changing public attitudes to data and AI Charles Price, Deputy Director of the Knowledge Assets Team at BEIS, on public sector knowledge asset management Kathleen Caper, Senior Policy Adviser at the Central Digital and Data Office, on the Data Standards Authority and why data sharing governance is key to its plans. The event was chaired by Gavin Freeguard, Associate at the Institute for Government. Find out more about Data Bites: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/data-bites

After the long years of counter-insurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine means the United Kingdom once again faces a conflict in Europe. At the same time, China is taking an increasingly assertive approach to Taiwan. The government's response to this era of renewed global competition is the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy. One year on from its publication, the Institute for Government was delighted to host MoD Permanent Secretary David Williams alongside Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin to discuss their priorities for the Ministry of Defence and what reforms will ensure the civil service and armed forces are able to meet the threats the UK faces in the world. The event was chaired by Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government #IfGUKdefence

In 2017, Michael Gove called Brexit an ‘unfrozen moment’ which would allow ministers to address long-standing criticisms of the EU Common Agricultural Policy and free the government to radically reform the way it supports farmers. So will redirecting England’s £2.4 billion annual farm budget deliver a substantial Brexit dividend? Will reforms bring about everything farmers, environmentalists and taxpayers expect? And can those changes be delivered while the sector is coping with labour shortages, rising energy prices, new trade deals and post-Brexit regulatory changes? And how can policy on food, farming and land use help the government meet its ambitions on net zero, levelling up and tackling obesity? With post-Brexit agricultural reforms the subject of a new IfG report, Agriculture after Brexit: Replacing the CAP, this event will discussed what needs to be done to ensure a better future for food, farming and land use in England. On the panel: Jonathan Baker, Deputy Director in the Future Farming and Countryside Programme at Defra Minette Batters, President of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) Sue Pritchard, Chief Executive of The Food Farming & Countryside Commission (FFCC) Beccy Speight, Chief Executive of the Royal Society of the Protection of Birds (RSPB) This event was chaired by Joe Marshall, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government. Follow @ifgevents #IfGBrexit

Boris Johnson has set 'levelling up' the UK as the mission for his government, but few in Whitehall or the country can explain exactly what it is, how it will be implemented and what success looks like. Tackling regional inequalities lies at the heart of the Conservative Party's re-election hopes, but relies on the implementation of a complex series of policies across national and local government – so does the UK have the will and the money to see it through? Following the release of the government's levelling up white paper, the Institute for Government welcomed Neil O'Brien, the minister for levelling up, to explore levelling up with Sebastian Payne, Whitehall Editor of the Financial Times and author of Broken Heartlands: A Journey Through Labour's Lost England. The pair were in conversation with IfG director Bronwen Maddox, discussing Sebastian Payne's road trip through parts of England that voted Conservative for the first time in living memory and Neil O'Brien's work on producing the white paper and defining the policies that are the core mission of this government. #IfGlevellingup

COP26 highlighted the critical role business and finance will play in driving the transition to a net zero economy. Businesses made new net zero commitments; regulators discussed how to tighten scrutiny of those commitments; and policy makers announced plans to mandate the publication of climate-related risks to business. So how can finance best help the transition to net zero? What can be done to prevent ‘greenwashing’ and build trust in businesses’ commitment to tackling climate change? And what does government need to do to support green business and finance? With the UK set to continue to play a leading role on green finance, our panel discussed how it can accelerate progress after COP26: Sarah Breeden, Executive Director, Financial Stability Strategy at the Bank of England Anthony Browne MP, member of the Treasury Committee Maria Lombardo, Head of ESG Advisory Sustainable Finance at Standard Chartered Bank Kuangyi Wei, Director, Risk & Regulatory Strategy, UKI at Accenture The event was chaired by Tom Sasse, Associate Director at the Institute for Government. #IfGnetzero We would like to thank Accenture for kindly supporting this event.

Devolution, levelling up and local leadership As part of a special series of events on devolution and levelling up, featuring local leaders from across England, the Institute for Government was delighted to be joined by Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire and leader of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. After just under a year in office, Tracy Brabin discussed her role as mayor, working with the UK government to make levelling up a reality in West Yorkshire, and how she would like to see the powers of mayors evolve. Tracy Brabin was in conversation with Akash Paun, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. This event was broadcast live from Leeds in front of an invited audience. There was an opportunity to put questions to the mayor from both the online and in-person audience. Tracy Brabin was elected as MP for Batley and Spen in October 2016. She was appointed Shadow Minister for Early Years in 2017; Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in January 2020 and Shadow Minister for Cultural Industries in April 2020. She was elected as the first Mayor of West Yorkshire in May 2021, at which point she was required to step down as MP. #IfGdevo We would like to thank Manchester Airports Group for kindly supporting this event.

The norms and conventions of the UK’s uncodified constitution are being pushed to their limits – and sometimes beyond. In the absence of clear legal rules, the constitution relies on a shared understanding of what constitutes good behaviour in public and political life, and trust that people in positions of power will abide by that understanding. The constitutional historian Peter Hennessy describes as this as the “good chaps” theory of UK government. However, the Brexit process saw conflict between different branches of government – parliament, the government and the courts – while Westminster has been rocked by a recent series of scandals around the behaviour of ministers and MPs. So is this a temporary aberration or a deeper problem? Is greater codification needed to regulate the behaviour of constitutional actors? Can the UK rely on “good chaps” or is more needed to ensure norms and conventions are followed? As part of our review of the UK constitution, the Institute for Government and the Bennett Institute for Public Policy hosted a panel of experts to discuss these issues and more: Professor Andrew Blick, Head of the Department of Political Economy and Professor of Politics and Contemporary History at King’s College London Dr Catherine Haddon, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government Professor Meg Russell, Professor of British and Comparative Politics and Director of the Constitution Unit at University College London The event was chaired by Maddy Thimont Jack, Associate Director at the Institute for Government. #IfGBennettInst

Devolution, levelling up and local leadership event series As part of a special series of events on devolution and levelling up, featuring local leaders from across England, the Institute for Government was delighted to be joined by Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region and leader of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. After nearly five years in office, Steve Rotheram discussed his role as mayor, how he is working with the UK government, what his priorities are for the Liverpool City Region and how he would like to see the powers of mayors evolve. Steve Rotheram was in conversation with Akash Paun, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. This event was broadcast live from Liverpool in front of an invited audience. There was an opportunity to put questions to the mayor from both the online and in-person audience. Steve Rotheram started his political career in 2002 as a Labour councillor on Liverpool City Council and served as Lord Mayor from 2008 to 2009. He was elected MP for Liverpool Walton in 2010 later becoming PPS to Jeremy Corbyn. He stood down as MP in 2017 and was elected Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region in May 2017. We would like to thank the JRSST Charitable Trust for its support of our wider programme of work on metro mayors and English devolution, of which this event is part. #IfGdevo

The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome Sir David Norgrove, Chair of the UK Statistics Authority. Sir David’s term as chair of the Statistics Authority, which oversees the UK’s statistical system (including the Office for National Statistics, the Office for Statistics Regulation, and the Government Statistical Service), has taken in a Census, the coronavirus pandemic, technological progress and other developments in how data and statistics are used in decision making. As his term comes to an end, he reflected on his experiences in conversation with Gavin Freeguard, Associate at the Institute for Government. #IfGNorgrove Sir David Norgrove is Chair of the UK Statistics Authority. Sir David began his career as an economist at the Treasury and worked in a Chicago bank before becoming Private Secretary to the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. He spent 16 years with Marks & Spencer between 1988 and 2004 and became a member of the Board there. Since leaving M&S he has chaired the Low Pay Commission, the Pensions Regulator and a Government review of the family justice system. Sir David was knighted in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to the low paid and to family justice.

After a turbulent decade in British politics and government, the civil service faces a crisis of authority. Politicians question its legitimacy and effectiveness, permanent secretaries have been summarily dismissed and officials have been drawn into “partygate” and procurement scandals. A new paper from the Institute for Government will argue that the civil service needs a new statutory role to underpin its constitutional position and improve its accountability and effectiveness. Government reform also creates an opportunity to improve policy making in the UK. Chronic policy problems like housing supply, social care and regional inequality have been left untackled for too long. A second IfG report, also to be published on 3 March, will set out ways for the civil service to be held more accountable for the standards of its policy advice and the expertise of its staff. Our panel to debate these new papers: The Rt Hon The Lord Herbert of South Downs, former Minister of State for Policing and Social Justice The Rt Hon Dame Margaret Hodge MP, former Chair of the Public Accounts Committee Polly Mackenzie, Chief Executive of Demos and former Director of Policy to the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg Ian Watmore, former First Civil Service Commissioner The event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. #IfGcivilservice

The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome Andy Haldane, the Permanent Secretary for Levelling Up. On a six-month secondment from the RSA, Andy Haldane was assigned a key role in defining and delivering one of the flagship policies of Boris Johnson’s government. In conversation with Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government, Andy Haldane discussed the recently published levelling up white paper, the challenges to the white paper’s ambitions, and how to turn those ambitions into reality. Andy Haldane was Chief Economist at the Bank of England from 1989 to June 2021. He was appointed Chief Executive of the RSA in September 2021. #IfGlevellingup

The future of the protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland remains uncertain, a year after it came fully into force. The arrangements continue to be a major source of tension in the post-Brexit UK-EU relationship and within Northern Ireland, with the first minister citing the DUP’s objections to the protocol for his recent resignation. The ongoing uncertainty around the protocol is having a real impact on business and society. And with the May 2022 elections to the Northern Ireland assembly approaching and a question mark over Stormont’s future, the UK and the EU are under pressure to reach agreement on the future of the protocol. What lessons are there from the protocol’s first year? Why does the protocol continue to be a source of tension in the UK-EU relationship and such a divisive issue in Northern Ireland? Are attitudes changing? Where are the sticking points, and where is the protocol working well? What challenges are coming down the track and where can compromise be found? Set against the results of new polling from Queen’s University Belfast, this event explored what people in Northern Ireland think of the protocol, the challenges that the UK and the EU face in managing the protocol and its consequences in the long term, and how people from Northern Ireland can be involved in the effective governance of the protocol’s implementation. Panel: Professor Katy Hayward, Professor of Political Sociology, Queen’s University Belfast and Senior Fellow at UK in a Changing Europe Professor David Phinnemore, Professor of European Politics at Queen’s University Belfast Raoul Ruparel, former Special Adviser to Theresa May on Europe Jess Sargeant, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government This event was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. #IfGBrexit We would like to thank Queen's University Belfast and the Economic and Social Research Council for kindly supporting this event.

The Institute for Government recently published the ninth edition of our annual Whitehall Monitor report on the government’s size, shape and performance. This report launch explored what Whitehall Monitor 2022 reveals about the way the pandemic has changed how the government works and how the Covid-19 response will sit alongside ministers’ wider agenda for the second half of the parliament. How has the Omicron variant complicated the government's attempts to move away from crisis management mode? What will increases to departmental spending mean for pandemic backlogs? And what do civil service staff cuts mean for government capability - including its ambitions for civil service reform? On our panel to discuss these issues were: Matthew Holehouse, British political correspondent at The Economist Charlotte Pickles, Director of Reform Dame Glenys Stacey, Chair of the Office for Environmental Protection William Wragg MP, Chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee The event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. There was a short presentation of the key findings from the report at the start of the event. #IfGWM22

The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome Sir John Major KG CH to give a keynote speech on the issue of trust and standards in a democracy. It was chaired by Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government. Sir John Major was Prime Minister from 1990 to 1997. He served as MP for Huntingdon from 1979 to 2001. #IfGJohnMajor

Bronwen Maddox gave the Institute for Government’s annual Director’s Lecture. This was followed by a response from New Statesman political editor Stephen Bush, and a discussion chaired by Sir David Lidington, the former Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Minister for the Cabinet Office, and Justice Secretary. In her speech, Bronwen reflected on the government’s handling of the pandemic, expectations now of government and reforms that are needed. #IfGDirector

The Department for Education’s Covid response has been widely criticised, with schools closing and reopening with little warning and many pupils adapting to remote learning. And now DfE faces a fresh set of challenges – from ‘levelling up’ educational opportunities to ensuring everyone has a better start in life by improving early education and childcare. But does DfE have the capacity to meet education’s challenges in the post-pandemic world? How has academisation changed the role of the department? Does it have the capacity to improve the system? And does the department devote enough time to long-term challenges? On our panel to discuss these questions: Justine Greening, former Secretary of State for Education Anne Longfield, former Children’s Commissioner for England Jonathan Slater, former Permanent Secretary for the Department for Education Rachel Sylvester, Political columnist at The Times The event was chaired by Sam Freedman, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. #IfGeducation We would like to thank edpol.net and the Foundation for Education Development (FED) for supporting this event.

Institute for Government/Bennett Institute 'Review of the UK Constitution' launch event. From Supreme Court interventions to accusations of ‘dead parliaments’, the Brexit impact to the pandemic response, a tumultuous period in British politics has put the UK constitution under huge strain and undermined public faith in how the UK is governed. Calls for change have come from all sides. Should the UK’s constitution be codified? Does parliament have enough power to hold the government to account? Are the courts going too far in diluting government power? Does the role of the House of Lords and the monarchy need rethinking? Is devolution working – and do we need more of it? How do governments deal with the public and can trust be restored? While the last five years have brought the constitution’s sustainability into question, they have also created a real opportunity to reinvigorate UK democracy, restore trust in the political system and improve the way that government works. But without a clear vision for the future, the UK risks yet more constitutional confusion and conflict. Over the next 18 months, the Institute for Government and the Bennett Institute of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge, backed by a distinguished advisory panel, will undertake an impartial, non-partisan review of the constitution before setting out recommendations for change for this and future governments to follow. This event launched this major joint project, exploring how well the UK constitution is working and the problems that now need to be addressed. On the panel to discuss the UK constitution and the problems faced, were: Dr Halima Begum, Chief Executive of the Runnymede Trust The Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC, former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice; current Member of Parliament for South Swindon Professor Ciaran Martin, former Chief Executive of the National Cyber Security Centre; now Professor of Practice in the Management of Public Organisations at Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University Baroness Smith of Basildon, Shadow Leader of the House of Lords This event was chaired by Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government. Professor Michael Kenny, Director of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge, provided some opening remarks on the review. #IfGBennettInst

Better use of data is key to more effective government. Across government, teams are doing fascinating work with data. But those projects don’t get the attention they deserve. At this month's event, the 26th in our series, the speakers presented their work in an exciting, quickfire format. Each speaker has eight minutes, followed by eight minutes of questions from the audience. This month's speakers were: Hamish Dibley, Director at BearingPoint, on how humanising the use of NHS data leads to performance improvement and better person outcomes John Bryant, Head of Strategy and Development, Torbay Council, on Greener Care Collaborative: Releasing Time to Care Arnie King, Research and Policy Lead at Coproduce Care CIC, on social care voice data for those receiving ‘worst outcomes’ Juliana Outes Velarde, Data Steward at the Government Outcomes Lab, Blavatnik School of Government (University of Oxford), on better data for social outcomes The event was chaired by Gavin Freeguard, Associate at the Institute for Government. #IfGDataBites We would like to thank BearingPoint for supporting this event.

The long-awaited government white paper on levelling up is due to be published in early 2022, but the government alone cannot pay for the policies needed to help the UK’s left-behind areas. So what can ministers do to involve the private sector in shaping and delivering the levelling up agenda? What more can be done to unlock greater private sector investment? How can private investment deliver social as well as economic impact? What lessons can be drawn from previous public-private partnerships to deliver major infrastructure improvements? To discuss these questions, the IfG was delighted to host an expert panel including: Kevin Hollinrake MP, Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Business Banking and member of the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee Stephen Muers, Chief Executive Officer at Big Society Capital Sara Williams, CEO of the Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce John Wrathmell, Director, Strategy, Research and Economy at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. The event was chaired by Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government. We would like to thank Big Society Capital for supporting this event.

The government's Subsidy Control Bill sets out how the UK will replace EU state aid rules, but will this deliver a post-Brexit dividend, and how will the UK's system change how subsidies are offered? With the bill having passed through the House of Commons and set to be scrutinised in the House of Lords, this Institute for Government panel will explore the opportunities – and risks – of setting up a bespoke post-Brexit state aid regime. While leaving the EU allows the UK's system to focus domestic concerns and government priorities like reaching net zero, a poorly designed system could mean poor regulation of subsidies and creating legal uncertainty. Will the new system provide the additional flexibility, freedom and certainty that the government has promised – or is it a recipe for confusion? And as the legislation is scrutinised in parliament, how can it be improved to ensure it delivers for UK governments, public bodies and businesses? On our panel to discuss these issues: Peter Foster, Public Policy Editor at the Financial Times George Peretz QC, Barrister at Monckton Chambers Thomas Pope, Deputy Chief Economist at the Institute for Government Rahat Siddique, Economist at the Confederation of British Industry The event began with a short presentation by Thomas Pope, summarising the new system and presenting initial conclusions on its effectiveness. The event was chaired by Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government.

Having introduced a legally binding target to achieve net zero by 2050 and with the Environment Act – designed to enforce UK environmental standards – now on the statute book, the UK government is proud of its green achievements. But does the UK’s post-Brexit independent trade policy live up to its domestic environmental commitments? Earlier this year the UK agreed to omit references to temperature goals committed to in the Paris Agreement in order to secure a free trade agreement with Australia – an agreement which, on the government’s own analysis, will result in increased use of scarce natural resources and increased waste. So does the UK need to do more to position its environmental goals at the heart of its trade policy or would this hinder the UK’s ability to strike deals across the globe? Can trade policy help deliver positive gains for the environment? And should the UK government set out an overarching trade policy to bring consistency and coherence to its trade deals? To answer these questions, and to explore what goals UK trade policy is – or ought to be – serving, the Institute for Government was delighted to bring together an expert panel including: Sir Martin Donnelly, former Permanent Secretary for the Department for International Trade (DIT) and for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (now BEIS) Dmitry Grozoubinski, Director of ExplainTrade Anna Sands, Trade Policy Specialist at WWF UK Chris Southworth, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce The event was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. #IfGTrade We would like to thank WWF UK for supporting this event.

Two years ago, Boris Johnson was elected on a promise to ‘get Brexit done’ and ‘level up’ the UK. Then Covid-19 struck and dominated government time, energy and resources. But with the worst of the crisis now passed, and with the UK having left the EU, where will ministers turn their attention in the second half of the parliament – and is the government well set up to deliver its priorities? Is Brexit really ‘done’? Do the government’s ‘net zero’ plans add up? Does more need to be done to support the post-pandemic economic recovery? And how will the government turn its flagship ‘levelling up’ slogan into reality? The Institute for Government was delighted to bring together the following expert panel to reveal the inner workings of government – and discuss whether Boris Johnson’s administration is well-placed to deliver its manifesto promises: Kelly Beaver, Chief Executive of Ipsos MORI Stephen Bush, Political Editor at the New Statesman Dan Corry, Chief Executive of New Philanthropy Capital and former Head of the No.10 Policy Unit Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. The event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. We would like to thank PA Consulting for supporting this event.

The UK’s two decade-long campaign in Afghanistan ended this summer with the withdrawal of British troops and diplomatic personnel from Kabul. A mission that began with the overthrow of the Taliban ended with the Taliban returning to power. What did the UK’s 20-year stay in Afghanistan accomplish? Should politicians or the military take the blame for its failures? And how should Afghans and the international community approach the next phase of Taliban rule? To discuss these questions the Institute for Government was delighted to bring together: Jack Straw, UK Foreign Secretary (2001–05) Hasina Safi, Afghanistan's acting Minister for Women (May 2020 – August 2021) Tobias Ellwood MP, Chair of the Commons Defence Select Committee The discussion was chaired by Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government.

The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome John Pullinger, Chair of the Electoral Commission, who was in conversation with Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government. With voter ID, political party funding, and the abuse of candidates all in the spotlight, is enough being done to inspire the confidence of voters, parties and politicians in the electoral system? More than six months after becoming Chair of the Electoral Commission, John Pullinger discussed the challenges facing UK democracy and some of the changes voters might see in the months ahead. This in conversation event also explored issues relating to John Pullinger's previous role as National Statistician. John Pullinger was appointed Chair of the Electoral Commission in May 2021. Until 2019, he was the UK’s National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority. He has served as President of the Royal Statistical Society, Chair of the United Nations Statistical Commission, and Librarian and Director General for Information Services at the House of Commons. #IfGElections

The Institute for Government was pleased to welcome the Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow First Secretary of State, to deliver a keynote speech setting out how Labour would reform the systems that govern standards in public life. She was then in conversation with Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government. The row over Owen Paterson’s paid lobbying and the wider debate it has stimulated about MPs’ second jobs have again brought into the spotlight the systems designed to uphold ethical standards in public life. As well as the codes and institutions governing MPs, the rules about how ministers should behave and the processes that uphold these standards have been called into question. In her speech, Angela Rayner set out how Labour would redesign those rules, strengthen existing standards bodies and put new institutions in place to uphold standards in public life. Angela Rayner has been the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne since 2015. She holds a number of roles including: Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, Shadow Secretary of State for the Future of Work; Shadow Deputy Prime Minister; Shadow First Secretary of State and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.

What does it mean to be a member of parliament? What do people expect from their elected representatives? And how much have these expectations changed in recent years? The row about MPs’ second jobs has triggered a discussion about what MPs are for and what their priorities should be. From representing constituents and dealing with casework to scrutinising government and improving legislation, MPs have many responsibilities. So how should an MP divide his or her time? How has this changed over recent years? Should MPs be taking on extra paid work outside parliament? And what do constituents ultimately want from their representative? To discuss these questions and more, the IfG brought together an expert panel: Tim Bale, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary, University of London Sir Peter Bottomley, Conservative MP for Worthing West Ben Lake, Plaid Cymru MP for Ceredigion Marie Le Conte, political journalist and author This event was chaired by Dr Catherine Haddon, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. #IfGParliament

The use of data has been at the forefront of the government’s handling of Brexit shocks and the Covid-crisis. But how can data best be used to address government priorities such as net zero, “levelling up”, and tackling the social and economic scarring from the pandemic? This IfG event discussed how improvements can be made to the way governments identify data and use it to help make decisions. What have the experiences of Brexit and the pandemic revealed about the government’s use of data? What are the limits of data-driven decision making? How can governments better tap into external data expertise? On our panel to discuss these questions were: John Burn-Murdoch, Chief Data Reporter at the Financial Times Jane Duncan, Partner, Workforce Advisory, EY Niamh McKenna, Chief Information Officer at NHS Resolution Matt Warman MP, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Digital Infrastructure The event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

Having 'taken back control’ of the UK border after Brexit, the government has ended free movement of people and introduced a new points-based immigration system. But 10 months on, the UK labour market is under pressure, with a combination of Covid-19, Brexit, and other structural forces causing widespread shortages of workers. To what extent has the new immigration regime contributed to these labour problems? Is the UK worse affected than other countries? Will there be longer-term benefits from the new immigration regime? Has Brexit made the UK more or less able to address labour market issues? And how is the government making the most of its new-found control? To discuss these issues, we were joined by an expert panel: Seema Farazi, Partner, Financial Services, Immigration and Brexit at EY Madeleine Sumption, Director of the Migration Observatory Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government Paul Wilson, Policy Director at the Federation of Small Businesses The event was chaired by Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government.

How we are taxed will be crucial to how government pays for net zero. It can use the tax system to incentivise sustainable choices by businesses and consumers as well as disincentivise harmful ones. But government revenues will also fall as people and businesses adapt their behaviour to reduce carbon emissions, with the shift to electric vehicles set to eliminate fuel duties. So what changes are needed to ensure the tax system raises revenue to fund public interventions, redistributes the costs of getting to net zero, and shores up the tax take as fuel duties decline? This event was held after a busy autumn of net zero strategies, a budget and COP26. It asked how the government should adapt the tax system to reach net zero and whether the budget was a missed opportunity, look at the steps being taken in other countries, and set out how to overcome the barriers – political and otherwise – to reform. On our panel to discuss these issues: Rt Hon David Gauke, Head of Public Policy at Macfarlanes LLP and former Financial Secretary to the Treasury James Murray MP, Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury Chris Stark, Chief Executive of the Committee on Climate Change Amanda Tickel, Head of Tax & Trade Policy for Deloitte UK The event was chaired by Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government. This event is kindly supported by Deloitte LLP. #IfGnetzero

As part of our ongoing series of events on devolution and the Union, the Institute for Government was delighted to welcome John Swinney MSP, the Deputy First Minister of Scotland. What is the state of the relationship between the UK and Scottish governments? How well is devolution working for Scotland? What are the current tensions in the devolved settlement and how can they be resolved? John Swinney, who is also Scotland’s cabinet minister for Covid recovery, gave a short speech before being in conversation with Akash Paun, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government, and programme lead for devolution. John Swinney has been an MSP since 1999, and currently represents Perthshire North. From 1998 to 2000, he served as deputy leader of the SNP, and then as party leader between 2000 and 2004. He has previously served as Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy, and as Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills. He has been Deputy First Minister since 2014. #IfGDevo

As part of our ongoing series of events on the future of devolution across the UK, the Institute for Government was delighted to welcome Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and leader of the West Midlands Combined Authority. Six months after his re-election to a second term in office, Andy Street – who was in conversation with Akash Paun, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government – discussed his role as a ‘metro mayor’, the constraints he faces in the role, and how metro mayors can help deliver the government’s levelling up and net zero objectives. Andy Street started his career at the John Lewis Partnership in 1985 as a trainee at Brent Cross and rose to become the managing director in 2007. He resigned in order to stand for election, and was successfully elected in May 2017 as the Conservative Mayor of the West Midlands. He was subsequently re-elected to this position in May 2021. #IfGDevo

Better use of data is key to more effective government. Across government, teams are doing fascinating work with data. But those projects don’t get the attention they deserve. At this month's event, the 24th in our series, the speakers presented their work in an exciting, quickfire format. Each speaker had eight minutes, followed by eight minutes of questions from the audience. This month's speakers were: Harry Lee, Deputy Director, Data Protection and Data Rights at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, on the government's 'Data: a new direction' consultation. Selvin Brown MBE, Senior Responsible Officer – Net Zero Building Delivery at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and Alastair Vetch, Client Service Partner at Slalom, on establishing a culture of data-led policy delivery Brhmie Balaram, Head of AI Research & Ethics at NHSX AI Lab, on the work of the AI Ethics Initiative and the ethical questions it is addressing about the use of AI in health and care Toby Jolly, Grants Reporting and Analysis Lead at the Cabinet Office, on using automation to make government grantmaking more transparent. The event was chaired by Gavin Freeguard, Associate at the Institute for Government. We took questions virtually during the event via the integrated event chat.

In the past year, the public appointments process has been in the public eye with allegations of politicisation. The process is much misunderstood and there is widespread uncertainty about the balance between the principles of fair and open competition and decision making by ministers. Is that balance now under threat? And what other roles should be formally regulated? What are the barriers to expanding the range of people serving on the boards of arms-length bodies? In the closing speech of our conference, Peter Riddell, who was the Commissioner for Public Appointments until September 2021, gave his thoughts on how the appointment process can be improved. Dr Matthew Gill, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government, responded to Peter’s speech. This event was chaired by Dr Catherine Haddon, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. #IfGstandards

The UK government has faced criticism over its approach to standards, but it is not the only government around the world – or even within the UK – grappling with these questions. With other governments taking different approaches to setting and upholding rules for standards in public life, this panel discussion will explore what the UK can learn about upholding standards from governments across the world, what role parliaments play in this process and whether standards need a stronger legislative basis. We were joined by: Mario Dion, Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner of the Canadian Parliament Duncan Hames, Director of Policy Transparency International UK Dr Melissa McCullough, Commissioner for Standards at the Northern Ireland assembly This event was chaired by Tim Durrant, Associate Director at the Institute for Government. #IfGstandards

Various codes of conduct and constitutional guides – including the ministerial code – set standards for those in public life. However, events throughout 2021 have raised questions about whether the rules, and the various bodies that enforce them, are robust enough to uphold expected standards of behaviour. So how can the various standards watchdogs hold ministers, officials and others to account for their behaviour in public life? Are current sanction sufficient? Should these bodies have greater legal powers and more independence from government? To discuss all this and we were joined by: Chris Bryant MP, Chair of the Committee on Standards and Privileges Dame Shirley Pearce DBE, Member of the Committee on Standards in Public Life Lord Pickles, Chair of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) This event was chaired by Dr Hannah White, Deputy Director at the Institute for Government. #IfGstandards

The Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL) is an independent body which advises the prime minister on arrangements for upholding ethical standards of conduct across public life. The committee’s latest review, Standards Matter 2, has been examining the institutions, processes and structures in place to support high standards of conduct. Following the publication of the review’s final report, Upholding Standards in Public Life, on 1 November, Lord Evans, Chair of the CSPL, set out the committee’s suggestions for improving standards in government in an opening keynote. This event was chaired by Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government. #IfGstandards

The Conservative Party’s 2019 manifesto promised an ambitious plan for connecting towns and cities by road and rail and supporting electric vehicles, cycling and walking. But what evidence will the government use to shape its transport strategy and how can it ensure the system is customer-focused? How has England’s transport network held up under the dual pressures of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic? And how can a transport strategy support net zero goals? Following recent research from the Institute for Government and the Gatsby Foundation, which analysed the use of evidence in transport policy in the UK and compared it to four other countries, the IfG was delighted to bring together an expert panel to discuss whether England needs a single transport strategy, the challenges involved in putting such a strategy in place, and how the system can be resilient to shocks and crises whilst reducing carbon emissions and keeping the focus on user experience. On our panel to discuss these issues were: Lord Adonis, former Secretary of State for Transport Sue Kershaw, Managing Director for Transportation at Costain and APM President Bridget Rosewell CBE, Commissioner on the National Infrastructure Commission Martin Tugwell, Chief Executive at Transport for the North The event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. We would like to thank Costain for kindly supporting this event.