Institute for Government

The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome Dame Dr Jenny Harries OBE, Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency. After serving as the UK’s deputy Chief Medical Officer during the pandemic, Dr Harries took on leadership of the new UK Health Security Agency in April 2021. In conversation with Dr Matthew Gill, Programme Director at the Institute for Government, she discussed her vision for the UKHSA: What role will it play in protecting the country from Covid and future pandemics? What does Dr Harries see as the main challenges and priorities for the agency? And how will Dr Harries’ time as Deputy Chief Medical Officer shape her approach to leading the UKHSA? Jenny Harries is the inaugural Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency. She was previously the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England. She has served on the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and worked in a variety of public health roles in the UK and abroad. #IfGHarries

Better use of data is key to more effective public administration, and the justice system is no exception. At this month's special event, the 32nd in our series, speakers working in the justice system responded to new public attitudes research commissioned by The Legal Education Foundation in an exciting, quickfire format. Each speaker had eight minutes, followed by eight minutes of questions from the audience. Dr Natalie Byrom, Director of Research at The Legal Education Foundation, introduced the forthcoming report Justice Data Matters: Building a public mandate for court data use. The report presents findings from research led by Ipsos MORI, which is the first study of its kind globally to explore the public's views about the use of court data by third parties. Daniel Flury, Director of Access to Justice Directorate at Ministry of Justice Jennifer Gisborne, Senior Research Executive at Ipsos MORI, and Reema Patel, Research Director at Ipsos UK Daniel Hoadley, Head of Litigation Data, Mishcon de Reya on ground truth and governance of judgment data Imogen Parker, Associate Director at the Ada Lovelace Institute The event was chaired by Gavin Freeguard, Associate at the Institute for Government. #IfGDataBites We would like to thank The Legal Education Foundation for kindly supporting this event.

Modelling and forecasting played a prominent role in the way policies were designed and decisions were made during the coronavirus pandemic. But the government’s handling of the crisis raised questions about how modelling - epidemiological and economic – was used by ministers. So how should models be produced and used within government? How should they be communicated to the public? And how well equipped are ministers and officials to understand and interpret modelling when making their decisions?. This panel explored the role of modelling in the Covid pandemic, the lessons that ministers should learn, and how the UK should draw on modelling in future crises. Ben Chu, Economics Editor for Newsnight Professor Neil Ferguson, Director of the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College London Richard Hughes, Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility Ruth Kelly, Chief Analyst at the National Audit Office. The event was chaired by Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government. #IfGforecast We would like to thank The Forum, Imperial College London’s policy engagement initiative for kindly supporting this event.

From housing to aviation, the digital economy to patient safety, ministers have a huge range of responsibilities. Yet little is known about how different ministers approach their roles and the reasons for these differences. How do ministers make decisions? How do they work with the civil service and devise policy? And how do they manage their teams? Dr John Boswell and Dr Jessica Smith of the University of Southampton, drawing on the Institute for Government’s Ministers Reflect archive, have identified different patterns in the way ministers work and seek to lead the civil service - and the different approaches taken by men and women serving in ministerial roles. To discuss their findings, and how this can help future ministers and civil servants, we were joined by: Dr John Boswell, Associate Professor of Politics at the University of Southampton Dr Jessica Smith, Lecturer in Politics at the University of Southampton Margot James, former minister at DCMS and BEIS and MP for Stourbridge, 2010-19 Dame Una O’Brien, former permanent secretary, Department of Health This event was chaired by Tim Durrant, Associate Director at the Institute for Government. #IfGministers We would like to thank the University of Southampton and the ESRC for supporting this event.

Levelling up means boosting economic growth in the UK’s under-performing areas. So how can the government achieve this aim? Ministers emphasise the need to create new manufacturing jobs. But from law and accountancy to retail and hospitality, the UK economy is predominantly services-based – with many high value services jobs concentrated in the South East. So how can the services sector contribute to economic growth across the UK? What can the government do to help service sector clusters thrive outside London and the South East? And is the government getting the balance right between focusing on manufacturing and services? To discuss these questions and more: Bim Afolami MP for Hitchin and Harpenden Bhavina Bharkhada, Head of Policy at Make UK John Cooper, Partner, Public Law & Regulation at Gowling WLG Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government The event was chaired by Thomas Pope, Deputy Chief Economist at the Institute for Government. #IfGlevellingup We would like to thank Gowling WLG for their support for this event.

The Institute for Government was delighted to host an event with the Office for Budget Responsibility to discuss their new Fiscal Risks and Sustainability Report. While the economic shocks of the Covid pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have been huge, there are many other factors likely to change the shape of the UK state and the demands placed on it in future. Some – such as the ageing of the population and the shift towards net zero carbon emissions – can be anticipated; others – such as the impacts of unabated climate change and possible future geopolitical instability – are harder to predict with certainty. This event opened with a short presentation by Richard Hughes, Chair of the OBR, on the main findings in the report followed by a panel discussion on the major challenges facing the UK and how the government can best prepare for these. Our panel included: Professor Malcolm Chalmers, Deputy Director-General of RUSI Rosa Hodgkin, Researcher at the Institute for Government Richard Hughes, Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility Professor Andrew Scott, Professor of Economics, London Business School. The event was chaired by Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government. #IfGeconomy

As she prepares to step down as Director of the Institute for Government, Bronwen Maddox gave a valedictory lecture. Her six years at the IfG have seen two general elections, three prime ministers and, in Brexit and the Covid pandemic, two of the biggest peacetime challenges ever faced by governments in this country. In her speech, Bronwen reflected on what is wrong with British government – and what is right – and what needs to change to make it better. The event was chaired by Dr Hannah White, IfG Deputy Director. #IfGMaddox

Restoring Faith in Politics James Brokenshire served in Theresa May’s cabinet between 2016 and 2019, first as Northern Ireland Secretary and then as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. In memory of James, who died in 2021, the former prime minister delivered a lecture at the Institute for Government reflecting on the theme of public service which was central to his life and career. Following the lecture, Mrs May was in conversation with Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government. #IfGBrokenshire

Introductory remarks by Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government Setting out the recommendations of a recent IfG report, Tom Sasse, IfG Associate Director, made the case for reforms such as appointing a dedicated head of policy making in each department, encouraging officials to specialise more in policy areas, and greater co-ordination of cross-departmental policy making. Discussion with speakers: Andrew Carter, Chief Executive of the Centre for Cities Anna Isaac, Economics Editor at The Independent Paul Kissack, Group Chief Executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust Rachel Wolf, Founding Partner at Public First. Chaired by: Dr Hannah White, Deputy Director of the Institute for Government Closing remarks from Lord Sainsbury of Turville. #IfGgovtreform

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 31st in our series, the speakers will present 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, with a focus on climate change: Simon McLellan, Head of Data at the Met Office, on the big data challenges of weather and climate data Dr Thomas Sadler, Head of Environmental Statistics Development, ONS, on developing the UK’s Climate Change Statistics Portal Jolene Tan, Trase Communications Lead at Global Canopy, on mapping the deforestation impact of commodity supply chains Dr Ali Mashayek, Lecturer at the Faculty of Engineering, Imperial College London, on climate dynamics and the effect on the warming of the oceans The event was chaired by Gavin Freeguard, Associate at the Institute for Government. #IfGDataBites We would like to thank The Forum, Imperial College London’s policy engagement initiative for kindly supporting this event.

Welcome by Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government. Opening remarks from Lord Sainsbury of Turville, Chair of the Institute for Government Alex Thomas, IfG Programme Director, set out a new model which puts the accountability of the civil service in statute to enshrine the civil service’s objective, governance, authority and relationship with ministers and gives the head of the civil service the statutory responsibility to meet that objective and the power to lead the civil service accordingly. Discussion with speakers: Sir Ian Cheshire, former Government Lead Non-Executive Dame Margaret Hodge MP, former chair of the Public Accounts Committee Sir Jonathan Jones QC, former head of the Government Legal Department Chaired by: Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government.

The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee. With the NHS facing record waiting lists and workforce problems in the wake of the pandemic, and as the government’s plans to fund social care come under intense scrutiny, the former – and Britain’s longest-serving – health secretary was in conversation with Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government. He discussed his new book Zero: Eliminating unnecessary deaths in a post-pandemic NHS, which he says sets out “how the NHS can reduce the number of avoidable deaths to zero and in the process save money, reduce backlogs and improve working conditions.” The Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP has been the member of parliament for South West Surrey since May 2005. He has served as Culture Secretary, Health Secretary and Foreign Secretary, and has chaired the Commons Select Committee Health and Social Care since January 2020. #IfGHunt

The government spends around £300bn a year – a third of all public expenditure – on procurement. Following the UK’s exit from the EU, the government has proposed major reforms to the rules governing public sector buying. The government says the new Procurement Bill will create a simpler and more transparent system which makes it easier for SMEs to win contracts and for the government to disqualify poorly performing suppliers. This event discussed the bill’s aims, challenges to achieving the government’s objectives and featured a presentation on the key measures contained in the bill from: Ed Green, Deputy Director, Commercial Policy - International and Reform at the Cabinet Office Lindsay Maguire, Head of Engagement for Procurement Reform at the Cabinet Office And responses from: Mark Leigh, Deputy Chief Commercial Officer at DWP Laura Wisdom, Partner at Burges Salmon The event was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. #IfGoutsourcing This event was kindly supported by Burges Salmon.

Equipping the UK workforce with the right skills will be critical to the success of the net zero transition, and the government has committed to reforming the skills system. What should those skills, and reforms, look like? How can the government make sure that the right skills are available in the right place at the right time? And what can it do to ensure that the opportunities of net zero are shared fairly across the country? Discussing these questions: Sam Alvis, Head of Economy at Green Alliance Alyssa Gilbert, Director of Policy and Translation at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment Ian O'Donnell, Net Zero and Special Projects Lead at the Federation of Small Businesses Tom Sasse, Associate Director of the Institute for Government The event was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. #IfGnetzero We would like to thank The Forum, Imperial College London’s policy engagement initiative for kindly supporting this even

The new unified Probation Service combined the previously outsourced management of medium- and low-risk offenders with the public sector National Probation Service, which managed high-risk offenders. Launched by the government on 26 June 2021, it was the fourth major restructuring of probation services in 20 years. This involved hundreds of thousands of cases, thousands of staff across hundreds of sites, six companies and scores of sub-contractors – all with different ways of working. One year on, how well has the transition worked? What more needs to be done to improve the running of probation services? And what opportunities – and challenges – could the next year bring? To discuss these questions and more, the IfG was delighted to bring together an expert panel including: Jim Barton, Executive Director for the Probation Reform Programme at the Ministry of Justice Suki Binning, Chief Social Worker at Seetec and Executive Director at the Interventions Alliance Linda Neimantas, Head of Probation Inspection Programme at HM Inspectorate of Probation. The event was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. #IfGprobation

The role of the Lord Chancellor is to protect and uphold the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. Yet the position is held by a cabinet minister: the secretary of state for justice. This overlap between the independent judiciary and the political world, and the balance of power between parliament, government and the judiciary, is the source of much debate – and disagreement. So what powers, if any, should a Lord Chancellor have over judicial appointments? Should the role go to someone with a legal background? What makes a good Lord Chancellor? Sir Robert Buckland, who served as Lord Chancellor and secretary of state for justice until September 2021, opened this event with a short speech on his experiences in post and his proposals for how it can be reformed. Responding to Sir Robert Buckland and joining the discussion: Baroness Butler-Sloss, former judge and first female Lord Justice of Appeal Sir Jonathan Jones, former treasury solicitor and head of the government legal department The event was chaired by Emma Norris, Director of Research at the Institute for Government. #IfGLordChancellor

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 Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester. First elected in May 2017 and re-elected for a second term in May 2021, Andy Burnham discussed his role and priorities, the challenges of working with the UK government to level up the Greater Manchester region and what further powers he would like to see devolved in the promised 'Trailblazer' devolution deal being negotiated between Whitehall and local leaders in Greater Manchester. Andy Burnham was in conversation with Akash Paun, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government and head of the Institute's devolution research programme. This event was broadcast live from Manchester. Andy Burnham was the MP for Leigh from 2001-17 and held a series of ministerial posts including Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Secretary of State for Health. In opposition after 2010, he served as shadow education, health and home secretary, before resigning his seat to become Mayor of Greater Manchester in 2017. #IfGdevo This event is kindly supported by Policy@Manchester, the University of Manchester's sector-leading policy engagement unit.

How much influence does the public have on the decisions made by government? Should they have more? And how should that work? People want a greater say in the decisions that affect them and their lives, with polling by UCL’s Constitution Unit finding that 77% of people felt they had too little influence over how the UK is governed. There is often a disconnect between the public and the UK’s representative institutions. So what needs to be done to bridge this gap between citizens and the state? This event, part of the Institute for Government and Bennett Institute for Public Policy’s Review of the UK constitution, explored ambitious ideas for reinvigorating democracy in the UK. From new digital technologies, tools for allowing people most affected by policies to help design them, and citizens’ assembles on the most important policy challenges facing the country, our panel will pitch their proposals to improve the UK constitution and bring decision making closer to the people. Sarah Castell, CEO of Involve Miriam Levin, Programme Director at Engage Britain Professor Jane Suiter, Director of Dublin City University’s Institute for Future Media, Democracy and Society Oli Whittington, Senior Researcher at the Centre for Collective Intelligence Design, Nesta The event was chaired by Jess Sargeant, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government #IfGBennettInst

The government wants to phase out petrol and diesel cars from 2030. So how can this ambitious target – which has been brought forward by a decade – be delivered? Key policy issues, such as the treatment of hybrid vehicles, are still to be settled, but the government will also have to address a series of complex questions. What can it do to encourage consumers to switch vehicles? What needs to done to roll out charging infrastructure? And what will this mean for the distribution and supply of electricity? On our panel to discuss the challenges involved in the electric vehicle switchover were: Professor David Bailey, Professor of Business Economics at Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham and Senior Fellow at UK in a Changing Europe Philip New, Chair of the EV Energy Taskforce and former CEO of Energy Systems Catapult Dr Aruna Sivakumar, Director of the Urban Systems Lab at Imperial College London Jeremy Yapp, Head of Flexible Energy Systems at BEAMA The event was chaired by Tom Sasse, Associate Director at the Institute for Government.

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 30th 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: Alannah Keogh, Data Analyst, Social Investment Business, on using data to improve grant decision making Richard Oakley, Director of Data Science and AI at Methods Analytics, on 'Data science and AI in Government – more accessible than you think' Andrew Banks, Lead Data Scientist at the ONS Data Science Campus, on experimental analysis showing how the lowest priced everyday grocery items have changed in price Mark Thompson, Professor in Digital Economy at the University of Exeter, on the challenges of getting the foundations right for embracing public sector innovation. The event was chaired by Gavin Freeguard, Associate at the Institute for Government.

The Conservative Party’s 2019 manifesto promised to level up “every part” of the UK, but there is unlikely to be enough money to radically improve economic prospects across the country. Will the government need to ‘pick winners’ or are there other ways of ensuring that money is spent where it can have the biggest impact? The sheer breadth of the levelling up agenda – and the missions that the government has set out – means almost any area can be seen as a priority. So how will the government’s levelling up missions shape its spending priorities? Can ministers avoid the impression – as has happened with the Towns Fund – that party politics motivates their choices? And is it possible to level up without ‘levelling down’ leading areas such as London and the South East? Speakers on the panel were: Andrew McPhillips, Chief Economist of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership Selaine Saxby MP for North Devon and member of the Work and Pension Committee Paul Swinney, Director of Policy and Research at the Centre for Cities The event was chaired by Thomas Pope, Deputy Chief Economist at the Institute for Government. This event was kindly supported by Lloyds Banking Group.

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.