IfG Events
227 episodes - English - Latest episode: 29 days ago - ★★★★★ - 2 ratingsHow can government in the UK recover from a more than half a decade of political chaos and confusion? What can be done to solve some of the most complex policy challenges in living memory? And which battlegrounds will define the fast-approaching – and critical – general election? Featuring some of the world's most innovative public figures, politicians, opinion-formers and academics, the IfG EVENTS podcast brings you the very best of the Institute for Government's agenda-shaping speeches, interviews, panel discussions and debates.
From reforming how the centre of government works to the battle for the future of the civil service, from making a success of levelling up to achieve net zero goals, IfG EVENTS stimulate fresh thinking and share ideas about how government works – and how it could work better.
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Episodes
General Election: How big a threat is AI and disinformation to elections in 2024?
March 28, 2024 04:00 - 1 hourAI-generated ‘deepfake’ audio clips of both London mayor Sadiq Khan and leader of the opposition Sir Keir Starmer have circulated on social media. A faked robocall impersonating Joe Biden was sent to voters before a primary election. The number of AI-enhanced images of politicians is increasing. In a year when over two billion people in more than 50 countries will vote in elections, the use of AI technology – more widely accessible than ever – and disinformation could have a major impact on t...
Keynote speech: Lord McFall of Alcluith, Lord Speaker
March 27, 2024 17:38 - 1 hourThe question of how to reform the House of Lords dominates discussions about the upper house, with less attention focused on its day-to-day activities. Since his election as Lord Speaker in 2021, Lord McFall of Alcluith has sought to champion its important role of revising legislation and advising the government, while ensuring the Lords remains on the path of modernisation. Lord McFall has focused on parliamentary outreach and prioritised communicating the value of the House of Lords externa...
Does the Treasury wield too much power over government?
March 27, 2024 17:32 - 1 hourThe Treasury is perhaps the most powerful department in Whitehall. Its ownership of public spending means it has direct control over the money available to the rest of government, while the Treasury’s responsibility for tax policy gives it enormous influence over the finances of households and businesses. But criticism of the department’s influence on government policy is almost as old as the institution itself, with frequent complaints about the “dead hand of the Treasury” or attacks on the ...
How can government tackle fraud?
March 22, 2024 17:06 - 58 minutesFraud is the UK’s most common crime. But despite 3.5 million incidents reported in 2022/23, 40% of all reported crimes, only one in a thousand results in a charge or summons. So why is there such a huge gap between preventing, detecting and prosecuting this crime – and what can be done to fix the problem? A wide range of organisations have responsibility for tackling fraud, including the Home Office, National Crime Agency, Serious Fraud Office, City of London Police, Metropolitan Police Servi...
Fixing the centre of government – with Sir John Major and Gordon Brown
March 13, 2024 14:06 - 1 hourFrom tackling low economic growth to addressing regional inequalities, from adapting to climate change to transforming public service performance, UK government is facing substantial and urgent challenges. But without radical reform of the centre of government, whoever wins the next election will repeat the failures of previous administrations. The next prime minister must transform No.10, the Cabinet Office and the Treasury. On Monday 11 March, The Rt Hon Sir John Major KG CH and The Rt Hon ...
General election: What makes a good manifesto?
February 27, 2024 14:56 - 57 minutesWith the general election less than a year away, the Conservatives, Labour and all other political parties are drawing up their manifestos. Scrutinised by the media and voters, manifestos can shape debate, shift the polls, and play a major part in an election campaign – and shape what the winning part does in government. While manifestos are described as a contract between a party and the people, the reality in government is often quite different. Pledges may prove difficult to deliver in pra...
In conversation with Rt Hon Thérèse Coffey MP
February 21, 2024 14:47 - 1 hourDr Thérèse Coffey served in government under every prime minister from David Cameron to Rishi Sunak, including four years as a member of the cabinet. She led the Department for Work and Pensions through the Covid pandemic, served as deputy prime minister and heath secretary under Liz Truss, and was made environment secretary by Rishi Sunak. She left government at the November 2023 reshuffle. Dr Coffey joined Tim Durrant, Programme Director for Ministers at the Institute for Government, to re...
In conversation with Rt Hon Mark Drakeford MS, First Minister of Wales
February 05, 2024 07:00 - 59 minutesDevolution to Wales is almost 25 years old. Since the first Welsh assembly elections in 1999, the powers of the devolved institutions in Cardiff have been substantially expanded – with Welsh voters backing the historic transformation of the assembly into a law-making parliament in a 2011 referendum. A quarter of a century since devolution began, what are the potential next steps in Wales’s unfinished constitutional journey? Set up to address this very question, the cross-party Independent C...
General election countdown: key challenges for government in 2024
February 03, 2024 12:00 - 58 minutesA wide-ranging discussion on the key issues facing government – and the economy – as a general election draws near. On the panel: • Claire Ainsley, Director of the Project on Center-Left Renewal and former Executive Director of Policy to Keir Starmer • Anita Boateng, Partner at Portland Communications and former Special Adviser for the Cabinet Office, MoJ and DWP • Sam Freedman, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government • Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government • Joe O...
Ending the decline: how to fix public services
February 02, 2024 17:30 - 57 minutesStuart Hoddinott, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government, set out key findings from Performance Tracker – the IfG’s annual stocktake of nine key public services – ahead of a panel discussion on how public service performance can be turned around. On the panel: Stephen Bush, Associate Editor and Columnist at the Financial Times Councillor Georgia Gould, Leader of Camden Council Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP, former Chancellor of the Exchequer Nick Davies, Programme Director at the In...
Government keynote speech: Rt Hon John Glen MP
February 02, 2024 12:31 - 56 minutesThe IfG was delighted to welcome Rt Hon John Glen MP, Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office, for a keynote speech at Government 2024, the IfG’s annual conference with Grant Thornton UK LLP. This was followed by an in conversation with Dr Hannah White OBE, Director of the IfG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
General election: How should an opposition prepare for government?
January 10, 2024 15:48 - 1 hourThe next general election is – at most – one year away. If Labour wins, there will, as is almost always the case in the UK, be an overnight transition of power. A party that has spent 14 years in opposition would be instantly thrown into government. But having focused already limited resources on election campaigning, and often lacking the knowledge and experience of being in government, how can opposition parties prepare for an overnight transition? Which issues do they need to consider ah...
Fixing Whitehall: Is the Maude review the right plan for government reform?
December 01, 2023 12:00 - 1 hourEarlier this month Lord Maude, who served as Minister for the Cabinet Office from 2010-2015, published his Independent Review of Governance and Accountability in the Civil Service. The comprehensive review saw Maude speak to former and present civil service leaders, minister and ex-ministers, former Prime Ministers, and many civil servants. Maude concludes that “the arrangements for governance and accountability of the civil service are unclear, opaque and incomplete”, and that the centre of ...
What does the 2023 Autumn Statement mean for UK fiscal policy?
November 30, 2023 11:21 - 1 hourAfter Rishi Sunak used the recent Conservative Party Conference to pitch himself as the ‘change’ candidate, the Autumn Statement on 22 November was Jeremy Hunt’s first opportunity to set out the government’s new tax and spending plans. But what the Prime Minister and Chancellor can offer will in part be shaped by the new economic and fiscal forecasts they were given by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the UK’s independent fiscal watchdog. So, what does the Autumn Statement reveal ...
In conversation with Sir Mark Rowley, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service
November 22, 2023 13:02 - 57 minutesHigh standards are crucial for maintaining public trust in the police – but in recent years the reputation of the Metropolitan Police has been damaged by a number of scandals. Sir Mark Rowley was appointed as Met Commissioner in September 2022 with a mandate to bring in higher standards of policing, reduce crime rates, and deliver more trust in the Met Police. At this Institute for Government event, the Commissioner set out how he intends to achieve his priorities, including through changes t...
The Autumn Statement 2023: pressures on public services
November 16, 2023 12:00 - 1 hourPublic services were hit hard by the pandemic, which exacerbated existing performance problems and pressures on staff. High inflation and widespread strikes have since caused further disruption. Ahead of the Autumn Statement, this event brought together an expert panel to discuss: • How does public service performance compare to pre-pandemic levels? • How can the government recruit and retain sufficient staff to improve public service performance? • What are the key public service challenges ...
General election: what change do we need?
November 15, 2023 16:48 - 1 hourRishi Sunak has until December 2024 to call an election. While the formal starting pistol has yet to be fired, and may not be for at least a year, the long campaign has already begun. Both Sunak and Starmer are presenting themselves as the change candidate and the person to fix a country that – they both argue – is struggling to find its way. Kicking off the Institute's General Election programme, this event reflected on the opening pitches of the two main parties at their recent conferences....
In conversation with Rachel Reeves MP: The Women Who Made Modern Economics
October 27, 2023 15:00 - 32 minutesTo mark the publication of her new book, The Women Who Made Modern Economics, Rachel Reeves MP sat down with IfG's Chief Economist, Dr Gemma Tetlow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In conversation with Anas Sarwar MSP, Leader of the Scottish Labour Party
October 26, 2023 09:25 - 58 minutesTwenty-five years after the Scotland Act established the devolved Scottish government and parliament, the future of devolution and Scotland’s place in the Union remain contentious issues. The SNP continues to advocate for Scottish independence. Meanwhile, the UK government has pursued a strategy of ‘muscular unionism’. Scottish Labour has called for a new approach, based on greater cooperation between UK and Scottish governments, and for stronger local government within Scotland. So what does...
Upholding standards in public life: A keynote speech by Lord Evans
October 19, 2023 15:49 - 1 hourQuestions about standards in public life have dominated politics in recent years. As Chair of the independent Committee on Standards in Public Life since 2018, Lord Evans KCB DL has been at the heart of these debates, leading the committee’s work to define and uphold ethical standards across the public sector. As Lord Evans reaches the end of his five-year term, he joined the Institute for Government to reflect on the work of the committee and the UK’s approach to standards in public life ...
The Rt Hon The Baroness Hale of Richmond, former President of the Supreme Court, in conversation
October 13, 2023 09:16 - 53 minutesBaroness Hale, former President of the Supreme Court, joins Dr Hannah White, Director of the Institute for Government, and Professor Michael Kenny, Director of Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge, for an in conversation. This event was part of the IfG and Bennett Institute's joint conference on the Future of the UK Constitution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Keynote speech: Rt Hon Liz Truss MP
September 20, 2023 11:27 - 1 hourThe Institute for Government welcomed Rt Hon Liz Truss MP to give a keynote speech on the economy. A year since her government’s Growth Plan – the September 2022 ‘mini-budget’ – including a programme of tax cuts and supply side reforms, the former prime minister set out her vision for how the government could enable the UK to achieve faster economic growth. Following her speech Liz Truss was in conversation with Dr Hannah White, the Director of the Institute for Government, before taking ...
Is the Darlington Economic Campus a blueprint for successful civil service relocation?
August 09, 2023 03:00 - 1 hourThe Darlington Economic Campus is rapidly establishing itself as the civil service’s flagship office outside of London – and has been described by chancellor Jeremy Hunt as moving “decision makers and advisers closer to the communities we serve.” So how has the Darlington Economic Campus changed the way policy is made? What difference has it made to the local area and is it contributing to the levelling up agenda? What are the factors behind the campus’s success and should it be used as a blu...
How should central government be organised to deliver levelling up?
August 07, 2023 03:00 - 1 hourThere has been no shortage of central government attempts to support regional development over past decades, but these have been insufficient to close the widening gaps in geographical disparities, with efforts lacking scale, coordination, data and effective oversight, and policies ultimately proving short lived. So what can be done to fix the problem? The Levelling Up White Paper proposed several reforms to 'rewire Whitehall' to ensure the goverenment delivered more effective regional policy...
Keynote speech: Angela Rayner MP, Labour’s Deputy Leader
July 15, 2023 10:10 - 1 hourHow to restore trust in politics by strengthening standards in public life has been in the spotlight in recent years. The Labour Party has proposed a new, independent Ethics and Integrity Commission to “stamp out corruption in government, strengthen the rules and ensure they are enforced.” But how would that commission work in practice? If Labour forms the next government, what powers would the commission have to investigate alleged poor behaviour? How will it enforce its judgements? Who wo...
Keynote speech: Rt Hon Victoria Prentis KC MP, Attorney General
July 11, 2023 11:47 - 44 minutesThe rule of law is a fundamental principle of a constitutional democracy – but in recent years it has been the subject of much debate. What role should the rule of law play? What is the government’s commitment to the rule of law? And what part should public law play in solving political disputes? As Attorney General, Victoria Prentis KC MP acts at the intersection of politics and the law. She is Chief Legal Adviser to the Crown and advises the government on both domestic and international law...
IfG Net Zero Conference: Keynote speech by Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP
July 06, 2023 15:00 - 48 minutesTackling climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing governments across the world. With both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer pledging to hit ambitious emissions targets and make the UK a clean energy ‘superpower’, the net zero agenda will be a major issue at the next general election. So what needs to be done to switch the UK from being an economy powered by carbon to one that is near emissions free, and does the UK have a credible plan to hit its net zero targets? To explore these cr...
IfG Net Zero Conference: Welcome and opening keynote speech by Rt Hon Chris Skidmore MP
July 06, 2023 08:41 - 47 minutesTackling climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing governments across the world. With both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer pledging to hit ambitious emissions targets and make the UK a clean energy ‘superpower’, the net zero agenda will be a major issue at the next general election. So what needs to be done to switch the UK from being an economy powered by carbon to one that is near emissions free, and does the UK have a credible plan to hit its net zero targets? To explore these cr...
In conversation with the Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP
July 05, 2023 12:02 - 48 minutesOver many years Sajid Javid held some of the most senior roles in British government, serving as a secretary of state in six different departments under three different prime ministers – including as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Home Secretary. Javid, who will stand down from parliament at the next election, is now a commissioner on the Institute for Government’s Centre Commission. At this ‘in conversation’ event he shared his experiences at the heart of government to evaluate the strength...
In conversation with Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
June 21, 2023 11:45 - 59 minutesNorthern Ireland has had no ministers since October. The DUP is refusing to re-enter into power-sharing arrangements in protest over the Northern Ireland protocol; despite the new Windsor Framework agreement, the party has still not returned to Stormont. The Secretary of State has had to set a budget for Northern Ireland, and civil servants are obliged to make difficult decisions to balance the books. To discuss the ongoing governance challenges in Northern Ireland, reflect on the impact of t...
How is WhatsApp changing government?
June 16, 2023 12:16 - 1 hourWith the government taking the Covid inquiry to court to protect WhatsApp messages, the use of WhatsApp is in the spotlight. It has become fundamental to the way Westminster and Whitehall works – but is this way of communicating good for government? It has been reported that key decisions during the pandemic were taken in WhatsApp groups – made up of the prime minister and a handful of advisers. While some messages have been leaked, much of the content may never see the light of day – partic...
What makes a successful special adviser?
June 15, 2023 12:02 - 59 minutesSpecial advisers ("SpAds") play a hugely important role in government, and successful ones are key to helping a minister achieve his or her priorities. The number of SpAds has more than doubled since 2010, but the job is not well understood by the public – or, in some cases, by special advisers themselves. So what do SpAds do on a day-to-day basis? How do they interact with ministers and the civil service? And what does it mean to be good at the job? Building on IfG research from 2020, this ...
How can different levels of government work together to deliver levelling up?
June 09, 2023 13:11 - 1 hourThe government’s Levelling Up the United Kingdom white paper contained ambitious proposals to deliver a devolution deal to every area of England that wants one by 2030, but the proliferation of regional authorities and directly elected mayors across England alongside different arrangements in the devolved nations can make co-operation and co-ordination difficult. This event will consider what structures and ways of working could help support cross-government action on levelling up. How well h...
How can government deliver its priorities while preparing for future shocks?
June 08, 2023 09:35 - 53 minutesIn recent years, government has had to contend with multiple crises, from the Covid pandemic to major increases in energy costs. Ministers and civil servants have often had to work in crisis mode – making major policy decisions at speed, rapidly deploying staff, and developing new systems. But the potential for further crises looms large, especially given continued international instability. And government is still dealing with the lingering effects of previous shocks, particularly Covid, on ...
Has civil service impartiality had its day?
May 25, 2023 11:38 - 1 hourHas civil service impartiality had its day? Recent events in government, including the circumstances following Dominic Raab’s resignation as justice secretary, have at least on the surface deepened a divide between ministers and officials – and civil service morale has dropped as the strained relationship between ministers and officials deteriorates. With Raab complaining of “increasingly activist civil servants” and warning that it had become “almost impossible for ministers to deliver for t...
How can NHS procurement be improved?
May 18, 2023 12:19 - 59 minutesThe NHS spends over £30bn a year through procurement, on critical clinical services, medicines, equipment, IT, building maintenance, catering and cleaning. But does it spend this money well? During the pandemic questions were raised about value for money and transparency. With NHS England recently creating a new central commercial function to coordinate the work of the more than 4,000 staff working on NHS procurement and supply chain, how can the NHS make the most of its collective buying p...
Where next for levelling up?
May 16, 2023 17:02 - 1 hourA commitment to level up the country was at the forefront of the Conservative Party’s 2019 manifesto, but how much progress can the government make on its flagship agenda with no more than 18 months remaining until the next general election? Is substantial progress on regional inequalities possible over the next few years given the broader economic circumstances? And should this and future administrations prioritise specific aspects of the agenda, such as skills? This event, which took place ...
What lessons should the Treasury learn from the pandemic?
May 15, 2023 10:49 - 1 hourHM Treasury – the UK’s economics and finance ministry – played a crucial role in the government’s response to the Covid pandemic. While the crisis was fundamentally one of public health, shutting down the country saw the government pay the wages of around a third of the workforce and spend billions supporting businesses. So how successful were the Treasury’s policies and how well did it work with the rest of government? What lessons should the Treasury learn from its pandemic response? How c...
Keynote speech: Stephen Flynn MP, SNP Westminster Leader
May 12, 2023 07:00 - 1 hourInstitute for Government · Keynote speech: Stephen Flynn MP, SNP Westminster Leader The SNP has a new leader and Scotland has a new first minister. So what does the election of Humza Yousaf mean for the Scottish government – and for the role that the SNP plays in Westminster? What does the future of the relationship between the Westminster and Holyrood governments look like and what opportunities are there for the two governments to work together? How will the SNP make the case for independen...
In conversation with Sir Patrick Vallance, Government Chief Scientific Adviser
May 11, 2023 07:00 - 58 minutesWe were delighted to welcome the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, to speak at the Institute for Government. Appointed as the Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA) in 2018, Sir Patrick has been responsible for providing advice on topics as varied as artificial intelligence, emerging pandemic diseases and climate change – and was a regular presence at No.10’s televised press conferences throughout the Covid crisis. With his five-year fixed-term ending in the sprin...
How can the government tackle obesity?
May 10, 2023 13:18 - 1 hourThis event explored why successive governments have failed to address rising obesity and what would be needed to tackle it. Our panel explored why successive governments have failed to address rising obesity and what would be needed to tackle it. We discussed which policies work, how to build support for them and the role of government in leading change. To explore these questions and more, our expert panel included: Henry Dimbleby, founder of Leon, former government adviser and author of ...
(How) can the House of Lords be reformed?
December 14, 2022 11:33 - 58 minutesThe House of Lords is back in the spotlight. Boris Johnson’s resignation honours have reignited debates about the appointment process and the ability of politicians to hand life peerages to their friends, supporters and donors. Key figures across Westminster have called for stronger independent oversight of the appointment process. Labour Leader Keir Starmer has gone further, committing to replacing the House of Lords with an elected chamber if he wins the next general election, informed by t...
Autumn statement 2022: What have we learnt about Hunt and Sunak’s fiscal plans?
November 21, 2022 14:16 - 1 hourFollowing a turbulent two months in politics, policy and financial markets, on 17 November Jeremy Hunt presented the government’s autumn statement, alongside a new set of fiscal and economic forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The following day the IfG hosted an event to react to the chancellor’s statement. We were delighted that to be joined by Ben Chu, Economics Editor at BBC Newsnight, and Richard Hughes, Chair of the OBR, to discuss: What the new forecasts reveal a...
How should public appointments be reformed?
November 07, 2022 11:53 - 1 hourThe public appointments system struggles to appoint candidates in a timely and efficient way. It has been dogged by controversy in recent years, from media speculation over the appointment of new chairs of Ofcom and the BBC to delays at the Charity Commission and the Competition and Markets Authority. Politicians, officials, candidates and the public have expressed frustration with the process. The Institute for Government’s report, Reforming Public Appointments, proposes a package of reforms...
What works in government
October 31, 2022 17:35 - 1 hourDavid Halpern, the ‘What Works’ National Adviser since 2013 and Chief Executive of the Behavioural Insights Team, has spent nearly a decade advising ministers and other leaders in government on using evidence to make better policy. As his term as national adviser comes to an end, he spoke at the Institute for Government to look back at the successes, failures and future prospects for doing ‘what works’ and how it should continue to inform government practice and policy. Tamara Finkelstein, Pe...
How not to run a government: the lessons from Liz Truss's first 40 days
October 20, 2022 11:04 - 58 minutesFrom u-turning on budgets to sacking chancellors, spooking the markets and seeing borrowing rates climb, it has been a dramatic, chaotic and, for many people, painful start to Liz Truss’s time as prime minister. What mistakes were made in the transition between Boris Johnson’s No.10 and Truss’s administration? Why were Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng so quick to disregard the value of institutions and experience in government? How should a prime minister change course when things go wrong? And what ...
Unmasking our Leaders: in conversation with Michael Cockerell
September 26, 2022 11:49 - 1 hourThe Institute for Government was delighted to welcome Michael Cockerell, the BBC broadcaster and political journalist whose award-winning political documentaries have taken viewers behind the scenes of British politics for nearly half a century. He has interviewed a dozen prime ministers from Macmillan to Johnson, and made films about leading politicians including Roy Jenkins, Enoch Powell Denis Healey, Barbara Castle, Ken Clarke and Alan Clark. His documentary series have included the How ...
Kwarteng Controversy!
September 26, 2022 11:45 - 35 minutesChancellor Kwasi Kwarteng's tax-slashing plan for growth stunned MPs, commentators and economists alike on Friday - and sent the value of the pound plummeting. So just how big a gamble is his vision for the economy? Does his plan for easing the cost of energy crisis add up? And how long does Liz Truss have to convince voters that her policies will deliver growth? The IfG economics team of Tom Pope, Giles Wilkes and Olly Bartrum assembled to make sense of a huge day in Parliament. Presented ...
In conversation with Dame Dr Jenny Harries
July 29, 2022 09:29 - 57 minutesThe 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 pandem...
What role should modelling play in a crisis?
July 20, 2022 09:15 - 1 hourModelling 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 decis...