Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jul 25, 2025 • 42min
STARMER LAYS DOWN THE RULES
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 18, 2025 • 49min
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 11, 2025 • 50min
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 4, 2025 • 58min
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 27, 2025 • 36min
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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 20, 2025 • 46min
What do the Nolan Principles mean today?
To conclude the IfG’s conference on the Nolan Principles, our panel will discuss the impact of the Nolan Principles in public life today. How have they changed the standards landscape in the UK? What do the public think about standards in public life? How useful are standards and principles to leaders in government? And how can a strong standards system support a government’s wider objectives?
Speakers:
Doug Chalmers, chair, Committee on Standards in Public Life
Chris Morris, CEO, Full Fact
Sachin Savur, researcher, Institute for Government
Rowena Mason, Whitehall Editor at the Guardian
This session was chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 20, 2025 • 48min
Iran-Israel conflict: Will Trump (and Starmer) go to war?
With conflict in the Middle East is dominating the headlines, the New Statesman’s Rachel Cunliffe joins the podcast team to explore Keir Starmer’s attempts to influence Donald Trump and ask whether the UK has a role to play beyond that of a concerned bystander.
There is plenty of domestic politics around too, with the prime minister announcing an inquiry into grooming gangs - having said, only a few months ago, that he wouldn’t – and the government trying to face down a rebellion over its welfare budget cuts.
Plus: John Major at the IfG and what comes next for government standards and ethics.
Presented by Hannah White.
With Catherine Haddon.
Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 12, 2025 • 44min
The morning after the Spending Review before
It’s the morning after one of (perhaps the) most significant days in this government’s lifetime to date. Gideon Skinner of IPSOS joins the podcast team to weigh up what Rachel Reeves’ Spending Review told us about the government’s priorities – and how it has landed with the electorate.
Which departments will be happy and which will be feeling hard done by? What does it mean for public service performance across the country? Has the much-heralded vision of mission-led government survived? And how many levers does it leave chancellor – and, of course, for Keir Starmer – to pull if things don’t work out?
Presented by Hannah White, with Tom Pope and Giles Wilkes. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 11, 2025 • 49min
What choices did the government make in the 2025 spending review?
Join IfG experts for instant analysis of the 2025 spending review – a critical moment for Keir Starmer’s government.
Were the spending allocations sufficient to improve public services, deliver growth and make progress on the government’s other missions? Which departments will be pleased – and which lost out? And did this multi-year spending review reveal a coherent strategy for the government over the next few years?
To answer these questions and more, IfG experts convened shortly after the chancellor’s announcement to provide their initial analysis.
The webinar was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government, with a panel including:
Nick Davies, Programme Director for Public Services at the Institute for Government
Ben Paxton, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government
Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 10, 2025 • 32min
In conversation with Jeremy Hunt MP: Britain's place in the world
Britain has been through a difficult period since the global financial crisis, leading many to conclude the country is doomed to inevitable decline. But Jeremy Hunt, who was at the top of government as both Foreign Secretary and Chancellor, disagrees. In his new book, Can We Be Great Again?, he sets out to rebut those who think Britain is no longer capable of shaping the world we live in.
With the election of president Trump, a world that was already becoming more dangerous has also become more unpredictable. But when it comes to the big challenges facing the world – whether on European security, the future of democracy, migration, trade and climate – the UK remains one of the most influential countries and should, Hunt says, use that influence wisely. Hunt does not shy away from the UK’s weaknesses but argues that they should be considered in perspective and without underestimating this country’s many strengths.
To discuss his new book and the questions it raises, Jeremy Hunt was in conversation with Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
