Partygate, revolving doors, freebiegate and cash for questions... stories about misbehaviour in public life are never far away, and this week the government has set out new plans for toughening up the rules. Doug Chalmers, who will chair the new Ethics and Integrity Commission, joins the Inside Briefing team for an exclusive interview.
From setting up new bodies to abolishing existing ones. A new report has been published on the state of the water industry - and it says that Ofwat, the water regulator, needs to be scrapped.
Plus: The reshuffle that wasn’t - and the one that was.
Hannah White presents.
With Tim Durrant and Matthew Gill.
Produced by Candice McKenzie.
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42:07
The scandal and the superinjunction
The Afghan data leak – and the unprecedented superinjunction which followed – has dominated the week in Westminster. The FT’s Lucy Fisher – whose reporting has led coverage of the story – joins the podcast team to discuss who is to blame and what this episode tells us about how the state reacts when mistakes are made.
The story knocked Rachel Reeves off the front pages, but the chancellor has made a big speech this week. We’ll check in with what she had to say.
Plus: The government has just set out some new reforms on voter ID, electoral fraud and, most eye-catching of all, on lowering the voting age. The Inside Briefing team give their instant reaction.
Catherine Haddon presents.
With Gemma Tetlow and Alex Thomas.
Produced by Candice McKenzie.
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48:59
Starmer and Macron: Le Spécial Relationship?
The Prime Minister has racked up the visits, tours and summits over the last year, but this week he turned host and invited President Macron for a state visit. Former Europe minister David Lidington joins the podcast team to assess the state of UK-French relations.
This week has brought us a major new review of criminal courts – with some big recommendations to easing the court case backlog in England and Wales. So what’s the plan - and will it work?
Plus: The government has published a new bill on devolution. And it’s a big one….
Hannah White presents
With Jill Rutter, Akash Paun and Cassia Rowland.
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Ending in tears: Labour’s first year in government
It is one year since the general election brought Labour back to government and since Keir Starmer walked into Number 10.
Instead of a smooth anniversary, the government has been forced to confront a major parliamentary rebellion and roll back on a flagship spending policy.
So how has Labour’s first year in power really worked out for Keir Starmer? What lessons can they learn for the challenges ahead?
Jill Rutter, Claire Ainsley and Sam Freedman join Hannah White to weigh up the government’s highs and lows - and what comes next.
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Starmer vs the Labour rebels
The government’s controversial plans to cut the welfare budget have caused serious disquiet on the Labour benches. Luke Sullivan, former political director to Keir Starmer, joins the IfG podcast to explore how serious a problem this is for Keir Starmer - and how the government got itself into this situation.It isn’t just Labour MPs that are giving No10 a headache. Apparently civil servants are too - because No10 has issued new guidance demanding that civil servants no longer speak on panels at public events. So what’s the thinking behind this heavy handed approach - and does it add up?
Presented by Cath Haddon With Alex Thomas and Tim Durrant.
Produced by Candice McKenzie
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About Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government
The first Labour government in 14 years is facing a daunting to-do list and complex challenges at every turn. Public services are under strain. The civil service is under pressure. And ministers must deliver the government’s missions and milestones. But could Keir Starmer’s plan to “rewire the British state” – through using AI and creating a “start-up” culture – turn these challenges into opportunities?
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? What can Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves do to achieve faster economic growth? What will Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives and the other opposition parties do to hold the government to account? How might Donald Trump shape British politics – and how could the UK’s relations with the EU change in the years ahead?
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 welcomes special guests for a thought-provoking conversation on what makes government work – and how to fix it when it doesn’t.
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