INSIDE BRIEFING with Institute for Government
289 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsThese are tumultuous times in UK politics. Government is under strain, the civil service is under pressure, and ministers are grappling with the fallout of Covid, the impact of Brexit and an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis. So where is government working well and what is it doing badly? What can be done to make No10, the Treasury and the rest of government function more effectively? And as a general election draws ever nearer, what are the key political and policy dividing lines – and what do they mean for the way this country is run?
Get behind the scenes in Westminster, Whitehall and beyond on the weekly podcast from Britain’s leading governmental think tank, where we analyse the latest events in politics and explain what they mean. Every week on INSIDE BRIEFING, IfG director Hannah White and the team welcome special guests for a free-ranging conversation on what makes government work – and how to fix it when it doesn’t.
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Episodes
Local Elections 2024: Swings and roundabouts
May 03, 2024 17:14 - 40 minutesThe Conservatives take a pounding in the local elections and Labour are taking councils in former Brexit heartlands. But there’s a crumb of Tory comfort in Ben Houchen’s victory in the Tees Valley mayoral election – and Labour fail to take key target Harlow. As results continue to roll in, what do the last votes before the General Election mean for Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer? Plus we are approaching a cliff-edge moment on departmental budgeting… good job there’s an IfG paper for that. Emma ...
The rules of Rishi’s flight club
April 26, 2024 08:53 - 40 minutesRishi Sunak’s flagship Rwanda Act is finally on the statute book, and the prime minister has promised that – “no ifs, no buts” – flights will be taking off by the summer. So how much of a triumph is his for Sunak – and what legal challenges could still derail his asylum plan? Political journalist Zoe Grunewald joins the podcast team to weigh up an eventful week for the PM. We’re just days away from a set of crucial local elections. Who is standing and where? What are the contests we need to l...
Trust in government up in smoke?
April 19, 2024 03:00 - 42 minutesLiz Truss is back, with her new book providing journalists with all sorts of extraordinary insights into her retrospective arguments about why her premiership collapsed. But what legacy has Truss left the Conservatives in the polls and what does this tell us about how voters view the party? Polling expert Will Jennings joins the podcast team to take a deep dive into the current state of the polls, how polling works and what the forthcoming election might mean for trust in our politics. Plus: ...
Foreign Office Politics
April 12, 2024 10:54 - 38 minutesIs the Foreign Office still a department built to deliver the UK’s global priorities in the 21st century or is it out of date in the way it looks and works? Is David Cameron’s comeback as foreign secretary turning out to be a surprise success and what has it meant for the UK’s diplomatic clout? And just how complicated is the civil job of servants when they are asked to work on controversial government foreign policy – particularly when it relates to military action or weapons sales. Former a...
Rishi Sunak and the Attack of the Cybermen
March 29, 2024 11:21 - 43 minutesIs China really launching cyberattacks on British politicians and institutions? If so, then how serious is the threat – and what can the government do about it? Ciaran Martin, the first chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, joins the podcast team to discuss. Two more ministers have quit the government – and announced that they will step down from Parliament. So how dangerous is this exodus for Rishi Sunak, and how has the PM reshuffled his pack? PLUS: Keir Starmer and Angela ...
The Prime Minister’s plot twists
March 22, 2024 09:58 - 37 minutesThe Spectator’s Isabel Hardman joins the IfG podcast team to discuss Conservative party plots – and weigh up just how much trouble Rishi Sunak is in. Rachel Reeves has been making headlines with a major speech on the economy. So what did the shadow chancellor say, and does Labour have a plausible plan? Plus: Who wants to be a member of a men-only private members’ club? Hannah White presents, with Jill Rutter and Giles Wilkes. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...
Preparing for Power: Ep 6 – Into Government
March 15, 2024 07:00 - 47 minutesA general election is getting closer – and whoever forms the next government needs to be prepared. The campaign will dominate time and resources, but the job of being in government begins almost as soon as the votes have been counted. Preparing for Power, a special six-part series from the Institute for Government, takes you behind the scenes to find out how our politicians, their advisers and officials block out the noise of a general election campaign to get ready for what comes next. Episo...
What’s wrong with the centre of government – and how can we fix it?
March 14, 2024 19:35 - 42 minutesA weak No.10 Downing Street compulsively micro-manages. The Cabinet Office is bloated and unwieldy. The Treasury dominates decision-making. And prime ministers often find that the levers of power aren’t working. So what is going wrong with the centre of government? What can be done to fix it? And, as a general election approaches, what difference would a re-designed centre mean for either Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer? A new Institute for Government report – the result of a year-long commission...
The general election budget?
March 07, 2024 08:38 - 40 minutesJeremy Hunt’s budget was a massive day in Westminster – and a big moment for the country. But what difference did it really make to the government’s fortunes – and to people’s pockets? Straight after crunching the numbers, studying the forecasts and making sense – or trying to – of the chancellor’s statement, the IfG public finances team gathered in the studio to record a special livestreamed episode of Inside Briefing. What have we learned from the chancellor’s big announcements and what ch...
Preparing for Power: Ep 5 – Making Manifestos
March 05, 2024 17:56 - 27 minutesA general election is getting closer – and whoever forms the next government needs to be prepared. The campaign will dominate time and resources, but the job of being in government begins almost as soon as the votes have been counted. Preparing for Power, a special six-part series from the Institute for Government, takes you behind the scenes to find out how our politicians, their advisers and officials block out the noise of a general election campaign to get ready for what follows once the ...
What do we really know about Keir Starmer?
March 01, 2024 09:55 - 46 minutesTom Baldwin joins the Inside Briefing team on the day his long-awaited biography of Keir Starmer is published. So what does the book reveal about the man who wants to be the next prime minister? How did Starmer’s upbringing – and his complicated relationship with his father – shape the politician he became? Do the book’s revelations give us a sense of what will define the general election showdown between Starmer and Rishi Sunak? And can political biographies affect how people think about pol...
Preparing for Power: Ep 4 – The governing party
February 27, 2024 17:35 - 28 minutesA general election is getting closer – and whoever forms the next government needs to be prepared. The campaign will dominate time and resources, but the job of being in government begins almost as soon as the votes have been counted. Preparing for Power, a special six-part series from the Institute for Government, takes you behind the scenes to find out how our politicians, their advisers and officials block out the noise of a general election campaign to get ready for what comes after. Epis...
The Hoyle Crisis
February 23, 2024 11:03 - 33 minutesWednesday night’s debate on Gaza saw chaotic – and unedifying – scenes in Commons which brought parliament into disrepute. ConservativeHome’s Henry Hill joins the podcast team to make sense of what happened and to weigh up how much trouble Speaker Lindsay Hoyle is in. From trouble in parliament to problems with government, the IfG’s Commission on the Centre of Government will publish its final report on March 11. The podcast team set the scene – and explain why the winner of the next general ...
Preparing for Power: Ep 3 – The Opposition
February 20, 2024 09:31 - 27 minutesA general election is getting closer – and whoever forms the next government will need to prepare for the possibility of power. Thecampaign will dominate time and resources, but the job of being in government begins almost as soon as the votes have been counted. Preparing for Power, a special six-part series from the Institute for Government, takes you behind the scenes to find out how our politicians, their advisers and officials block out the noise of a general election campaign to get read...
Rishi Sunak’s double by-election trouble
February 17, 2024 10:44 - 38 minutesA double by-election battering for the government has made this a very bad week for Rishi Sunak. The loss of Kingswood and Wellingborough to Labour followed the news that the UK has fallen into recession. Conservative backbenchers are restless. And the polls are showing no signs shifting. Chris Cook of the Financial Times joins the podcast team to explore just how much trouble the prime minister is in – and what he can do to turn things around as a general election approaches. While the week ...
Preparing for Power – Ep.2: The Civil Service
February 13, 2024 10:31 - 23 minutesWhoever forms the next government will need to be prepared. The job begins almost as soon as the votes have been counted. Preparing for Power, a special six-part series from the Institute for Government, takes you behind the scenes to find out how our politicians, their advisers and officials block out the noise of a general election campaign to get ready for being in government. Episode 2 explores how the civil service prepare for a potential transition of government, with five former perman...
Sunak gambles as Starmer u-turns
February 09, 2024 10:29 - 39 minutesThe King’s health has dominated the news this week, but the prime minister has been making controversial headlines with his televised bet with Piers Morgan and a major PMQs bust-up with Keir Starmer. It hasn't been an easy couple of days for the Labour leader either, with Starmer dropping his £28bn green pledge – but will voters notice? Plus: How can we fix the NHS? This week sees the publication of the Times Health Commission. Its chair, Rachel Sylvester, is this week’s guest. Hannah White p...
Preparing for Power – Ep.1: Access Talks
February 06, 2024 04:00 - 21 minutesWhoever forms the next government will need to be prepared. The job begins almost as soon as the votes have been counted. So what is it like to go from opposition to government overnight? How do civil servants get ready for the possibility of a transition of power or a hung parliament? And what is it like for a governing party to continue in power after a bruising campaign? In this six-part series, the Institute for Government takes you behind the scenes to find out how our politicians, thei...
The Gathering Stormont
February 02, 2024 12:53 - 39 minutesA deal to restore government in Northern Ireland has finally been struck and Stormont is set to return. So what was the decisive factor? Who are the big winners? And what are the chances of this deal actually holding? Peter Foster of the Financial Times joins the IfG team to reflect on a historic week. It is four years since the UK left the EU – so how has life outside the Single Market and the Customs Union been working out? With new border checks set to be introduced in 2024, the pod team r...
Has Sunak lost the plot?
January 26, 2024 12:51 - 37 minutesSimon Clarke has called for Rishi Sunak to go. A former No10 special adviser has said the Conservatives won’t win the election with Sunak at the helm. And an endless supply of new polling keeps painting an awkward picture for the PM’s prospects. So just how much trouble is Sunak in? The Times’ Geri Scott joins the podcast team to make sense of the latest chapter in the Conservative party psychodrama. Plus: Everything you need to know about the civil service. The IfG’s annual stocktake into th...
Rishi vs. The Rebels
January 19, 2024 09:58 - 44 minutesRishi Sunak’s controversial Rwanda legislation has made its way through the House of Commons, but at what cost to his authority? Peter Ricketts, the UK’s first national security adviser, joins the podcast team to discuss Sunak’s battles with his MPs, his looming battles with the House of Lords, and his ongoing battles to get any flights off the ground. Plus, Sunak has authorised his first military action as PM, with the UK joining airstrikes against Houthi rebels. So what happens next? And is...
The Post Office scandal: Trouble on the horizon
January 12, 2024 12:01 - 37 minutesThe Post Office scandal has been described by Rishi Sunak as one of greatest miscarriages of justice in UK history – so who is responsible, and is the government’s response the right one? Adam Boulton, former political editor of Sky News, joins the podcast to discuss how the faulty Horizon software led to hundreds of postmasters wrongly prosecuted for theft. Plus, the prime minister is urging voters to “stick with the plan” – but is the plan actually working? The pod team weigh up a tricky ...
2024 Preview Special: Let election battles commence
January 04, 2024 04:00 - 43 minutes2024 is going to be quite some year for politics. A general election is no more than a year away. The Conservatives are still a long way behind in the polls, but has Keir Starmer done enough to convince people to vote for Labour? What are they key dates to look out for over the next 12 months? What happens next at the Covid Inquiry? Where are local elections happening? And what are the events overseas that could yet impact on British politics? Sky’s Sam Coates joins the IfG podcast team to lo...
Christmas Special: The IfG Fantasy Cabinet
December 29, 2023 11:22 - 46 minutesHave you opened all your presents and need something to lift your flagging festive spirits? Perhaps those in-laws are staying a little longer than you’d like and you’re looking for a little audio escape? Or maybe you need a political fix to get you through the holidays... but you’re not quite ready to reengage with the latest Westminster machinations? Then this is the podcast for you. For one Christmas only, the IfG team have been submitting their candidates for a fantasy cabinet – and the re...
The IfG Review of 2023: Posturing and panicking, poison and paranoia
December 21, 2023 04:00 - 48 minutesSo that was the year that was. Just the one prime minister this time, but plenty of political drama and intrigue, twists and turns, and high and lows. David Runciman, the former host of the Talking Politics podcast, joins the IfG team to look back on the last 12 months. How did Rishi Sunak’s five pledges work out? Does anyone remember what Keir Starmer’s five missions are? What did all those by-elections tell us about what the public are really thinking? Do Boris Johnson or Liz Truss have a s...
Rishi Sunak’s unhappy Five Families
December 16, 2023 10:00 - 42 minutesWhile five groups of right wing Conservative MPs – the so-called “Five Families” – have not been making life easy for the prime minister, Rishi Sunak’s controversial immigration bill made its way through the Commons without one Tory rebelling. But is the real fight still to come? Politico’s Esther Webber joins the podcast team to take stock of a dramatic few days in parliament. Luckily for the prime minister he got to spend Monday away from Westminster. Unluckily for the prime minister he had...
Was this Rishi Sunak's worst week yet?
December 08, 2023 11:17 - 42 minutesRobert Jenrick has resigned as immigration minister, former home secretary Suella Braverman says the Rwanda Bill will lose the Conservatives the next election, and the prime minister has been forced hold an emergency – and rather tetchy – press conference to defend his plan. So how big a crisis is this row over immigration for the government? Paul Waugh, the i paper’s chief political commentator, joins the podcast team to look back on a very tricky week for Rishi Sunak. After much build-up, p...
Sunak’s Captain Marble act falls flat
December 01, 2023 10:33 - 39 minutesNobody predicted a massive diplomatic bust-up with Greece, so is Rishi Sunak losing his marbles? PoliticsHome editor Laura Silver joins the podcast team to catch up on the extraordinary row over the Elgin Marbles. Access talks – the moment that opposition parties begin meeting the civil service ahead of a general election – haven’t started yet, but the pressure is building. So what happens next and how important are they? Cabinet secretary Simon Case is still on medical leave – but what does ...
Autumn Statement of Intent?
November 24, 2023 07:00 - 31 minutesJeremy Hunt has framed the autumn statement as the biggest tax cut in British history, but do the chancellor's sums add up? The podcast team crunch the numbers and discuss what Hunt's big day in Parliament told us about the state of the economy, what the government is trying to do, and when the next general election might take place. Giles Winn, a former Treasury special adviser, joins the podcast team to reveal what really goes into planning a big fiscal statement - and trying to secure a ...
Sunak's flights of fantasy?
November 17, 2023 09:57 - 31 minutesThe Supreme Court's verdict has left the government's Rwanda asylum policy in tatters - but Rishi Sunak says he has a plan to get planes taking off by the spring. So what is the prime minister proposing, and is there any chance it will work? That won't be a job for Suella Braverman, with the controversial now ex-home secretary the biggest loser in this week's reshuffle. The biggest winner was David Cameron, who surprised everyone with his return as foreign secretary. Francis Elliott, editor ...
LIGHTS! CAMERON! RESHUFFLE ACTION!
November 13, 2023 17:27 - 26 minutesThe reshuffle rumour mill went into overdrive over the weekend, and on Monday morning Rishi Sunak kicked off a day of sackings - and surprise appointments. So the IfG team wolfed down their breakfasts, raced to the office, and assembled in the podcast studio for an emergency recording of Inside Briefing. Who is in and who is out? What does this reshuffle tell us about how Rishi Sunak wants to govern - and how he plans to fight the general election? And is David Cameron’s return to the Cabinet...
The Suella/Sunak Stand-Off
November 11, 2023 08:38 - 36 minutesThe King’s Speech on Tuesday meant a day of dashing uniforms and galloping horses, but was there anything of substance behind the pomp and ceremony? The Sun’s Noa Hoffman is this week’s podcast guest as the Inside Briefing team weigh up the legislative agenda on offer from Rishi Sunak. The home secretary is in the news. When isn’t she? We unpick Suella Braverman’s rows with the country’s most senior policeman and ask how Rishi Sunak handles an increasingly outspoken member of his cabinet. And...
Boris Johnson's orgy of narcissism
November 03, 2023 12:42 - 39 minutesAstonishing revelations and appalling language made for a gripping week at the Covid inquiry, with Dominic Cummings dominating headlines once again with his account of Boris Johnson’s chaotic No10. The BBC’s health reporter Jim Reed joins the podcast team to work out what we’ve learnt from the evidence sessions, Whatsapp messages, witness statements and diary entries. The autumn statement is looming, and chancellor Jeremy Hunt is under pressure to come up with some additional funding for st...
Inside Briefing Extra: Where next for English devolution?
November 01, 2023 09:00 - 48 minutesWhat progress has the government made in devolving power across England? Has it been a success? And what would a Labour government do differently? In this special episode of Inside Briefing, Akash Paun, the Institute for Government’s devolution watcher-in-chief, travels across England to find out whether a devolution revolution – promised by George Osborne back in 2015 – is really taking place. Join Akash as he takes a journey on Manchester’s new Bee Network buses, heads to the Conservative...
250th EPISODE: Many unhappy returns? Rishi Sunak one year in
October 27, 2023 10:39 - 37 minutesRishi Sunak has clocked up 365 days as Prime Minister – but is the anniversary a cause for celebration or just a moment of relief? Politico’s Dan Bloom joins the podcast team to weigh up Sunak’s first year in the job, assess his achievements and failures and how he has surprised us, and explore what might come next. From the man in Number 10 to a woman who might fancy a tilt at the top job… Rachel Reeves enjoyed a successful Labour conference, and this week the Shadow Chancellor launched her...
Rishi Sunak's double trouble
October 20, 2023 13:08 - 42 minutesLabour's double by-election win has sent shockwaves through Westminster. So what does it mean for Keir Starmer? What does Rishi Sunak do now? And what might it tell us about the battleground on which the general election might be fought? The FT's Lucy Fisher joins the pod team to react to the results. Talking of the general election… everyone is guessing when it might be held. Could it be next May? Early Autumn. Late Autumn? Maybe as late as January 2025? We plot the paths and game the scenar...
Mystery date: when is the right time to call a general election?
October 17, 2023 06:00 - 34 minutesWill it be May? Maybe October? Perhaps November? Surely not January 2025? Yes, everyone is talking about when the next general election is going to be held – and speculating when Rishi Sunak will decide to go to the country. So is it right for the prime minister to have the power to choose the date of a general election? What are the key considerations to make when looking at the polls – or the weather forecast? And what does history tell us about when is the right time to call an election ...
Keir Starmer’s Mersey Mission
October 13, 2023 09:12 - 34 minutesParty conference season is nearly over and the IfG podcast crew have made their way back to London after their trips to Manchester and Liverpool. But which politicians will be returning to parliament battling new headaches? Has Rishi Sunak done enough to shake off the Conservatives’ post-Truss era hangover? And did Keir Starmer give Labour reason to believe that a new dawn might be about to break? The Guardian’s Kiran Stacey joins the team to take stock of the post-conference landscape, pick ...
The Start of the Keir Show
October 06, 2023 12:44 - 44 minutesHow will Keir Starmer respond to Rishi Sunak’s ambitious pitch to be the “change” candidate at the next general election? The New Statesman’s Anoosh Chakelian and Josh Simons, director of Labour Together, are the guests on this week’s Inside Briefing as the podcast crew preview Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool. Will the Labour leader add detailed policies to his big five missions? Will there be policy u-turns - or will we see more barnacles being carefully removed from the boat? And w...
Rishi Sunak's Conference Call
September 29, 2023 10:54 - 34 minutesWhen you put a load of ministers and MPs in a conference centre for four days, without enough sleep, and very little natural light, something unexpected – at least for the government – always happens. So what – and who – should we be keeping an eye on as the Conservatives decamp to Manchester for their annual conference? Will Suella Braverman – or maybe Liz Truss – create a storm on the fringe? What should Keir Starmer be worried about as he watches on from afar? And is this really a sink or ...
Rishi Sunak's Seven Deadly Bins
September 22, 2023 09:12 - 42 minutesRishi Sunak has ripped up the UK's net zero plan - but did the prime minister's emissions statement make sense and will it win him votes? Daily Telegraph political editor Ben Riley-Smith, the author of a new book on the last 13 years of Conservative government, is this week's podcast guest. Liz Truss returned to the political fray with a big speech at the IfG on Monday - with the former PM mounting a defence for her doomed mini-budget. Is anyone convinced? PLUS: The tumultuous last 8 year...
Plane speaking with the PM
September 15, 2023 10:27 - 32 minutesThe podcast team dissect Rishi Sunak's appearance at the G20 summit in India - and Daily Mirror political editor John Stevens reveals what it's really like to join the prime minister on the plane for a foreign trip. Westminster has been rocked by a spy scandal - but should MPs really be that surprised? Plus: Is central government set up to deliver the government's 'levelling up' pledge - or Labour's plans for 'real life levelling up'? A new IfG report has the answers - and passes judgment. ...
Concrete Evidence
September 09, 2023 10:04 - 29 minutesKeir Starmer has reshuffled his team of shadow ministers. So who’s up? Who’s down? Is this the march of the Blairites? And what does the reshuffle reveal about Starmer’s plans for the general election campaign – or for government should Labour win? The Guardian’s Aletha Adu joins the IfG podcast team to run the rule over the new shadow cabinet. The concrete crisis in schools has placed education secretary Gillian Keegan under pressure – with the education secretary’s comments also landing h...
Special: Becoming A Minister Part 6 - Parliament
September 07, 2023 10:17 - 23 minutesThere is no job quite like that of a government minister – and no training manual for how to do it. So what happens on the first day in the job? How can ministers manager the demands on their time? Are particular skills needed to get the best out of civil servants? Is there a trick to working with Number 10? What is the best way to handle a multi-billion pound departmental budget? And how can ministers master the art of navigating parliament? In this special six-part series from the Institute...
The Rishi Reshuffle
September 01, 2023 11:48 - 30 minutesSummer is nearly over. Parliament is set to return. And the Inside Briefing team is back to take stock of the last few months – and look ahead to what a lively couple of months might bring. Ben Wallace is out, Grant Shapps is the new defence secretary, and Claire Coutinho has become the youngest member of the cabinet. But what does Rishi Sunak’s mini-reshuffle tell us about his priorities for government – and is there a better way to go about appointing government ministers? What should w...
Special: Becoming A Minister Part 5 - Managing budgets and working with the Treasury
August 31, 2023 17:22 - 19 minutesThere is no job quite like that of a government minister – and no training manual for how to do it. So what happens on the first day in the job? How can ministers manager the demands on their time? Are particular skills needed to get the best out of civil servants? Is there a trick to working with Number 10? What is the best way to handle a multi-billion pound departmental budget? And how can ministers master the art of navigating parliament? In this special six-part series from the Institute...
Special: Becoming A Minister Part 4 – Working with Number 10
August 25, 2023 03:00 - 16 minutesThere is no job quite like that of a government minister – and no training manual for how to do it. So what happens on the first day in the job? How can ministers manager the demands on their time? Are particular skills needed to get the best out of civil servants? Is there a trick to working with Number 10? What is the best way to handle a multi-billion pound departmental budget? And how can ministers master the art of navigating parliament? In this special six-part series from the Institute...
Special: Becoming A Minister Part 3 – Working with the civil service
August 18, 2023 03:00 - 24 minutesThere is no job quite like that of a government minister – and no training manual for how to do it. So what happens on the first day in the job? How can ministers manager the demands on their time? Are particular skills needed to get the best out of civil servants? Is there a trick to working with Number 10? What is the best way to handle a multi-billion pound departmental budget? And how can ministers master the art of navigating parliament? In this special six-part series from the Institute...
Special: Becoming A Minister Part 2 – The day-to-day reality
August 11, 2023 03:00 - 18 minutesThere is no job quite like that of a government minister – and no training manual for how to do it. So what happens on the first day in the job? How can ministers manager the demands on their time? Are particular skills needed to get the best out of civil servants? Is there a trick to working with Number 10? W hat is the best way to handle a multi-billion pound departmental budget? And how can ministers master the art of navigating parliament? In this special six-part series from the Institut...
Special: Becoming A Minister Part 1 – The first day
August 03, 2023 08:56 - 16 minutesThere is no job quite like that of a government minister – and no training manual for how to do it. So what happens on the first day in the job? How can ministers manager the demands on their time? Are particular skills needed to get the best out of civil servants? Is there a trick to working with Number 10? What is the best way to handle a multi-billion pound departmental budget? And how can ministers master the art of navigating parliament? In this special six-part series from the Institute...