Being a minister is a job like no other. No briefing, no training and, sometimes, no warning – from day one a new minister could find themselves making high-stakes decisions with huge consequences for the country.

So getting some advice from people that have been a minister can be useful – and the IfG’s Ministers Reflect series is the place to start.

Over the past 10 years, the Institute for Government has interviewed more than 170 former ministers from the UK and devolved governments about their time in office

To mark the 10th anniversary of Ministers Reflect, this special edition of Inside Briefing, featuring guests including Jeremy Hunt, Una O’Brien and Marie Le Conte, takes a look at what former ministers have told us in the last decade. Essential listening for anyone wanting to understanding what it is like to be a minister – and especially for anyone who might want to become one.

Presented by Sachin Savur and Paddy McAlary

Produced by Candice McKenzie

Additional recordings by Milo Hynes

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The secrets of being a government minister