

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

Oct 1, 2025 • 36min
Gloves off: Starmer v Reform
The gloves are off. And it's a fight for the soul of our country. So says Keir Starmer. So how is he planning to win it? Sophie Stowers of More in Common joins the IfG podcast team for instant reaction to the Prime Minister's speech in Liverpool - which features praise for the swagger of Oasis - and expert analysis of the Labour Party conference.
So what does Starmer's speech say about his Nigel Farage strategy? Did the PM give any clues about the upcoming budget? And has Andy Burnham overplayed his hand?
Plus: What is going to be the big story at the Conservative Party conference?
Hannah White presents.
With Alex Thomas and Catherine Haddon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 24, 2025 • 32min
Starmer’s Liverpool Drama
Labour is heading back to Liverpool for its annual conference, so what does Keir Starmer need to do to lift the party’s spirits and get some momentum behind his government? Former Number 10 adviser Tom Webb joins the podcast team to preview a massive couple of days for the prime minister and his team.
The November budget will loom large over Liverpool – so how might the chancellor approach the tricky question of raising taxes? A new IfG report has the answers.
Plus: The Liberal Democrat conference saw Ed Davey say a lot about Nigel Farage – but what did we actually learn about where the UK’s third party is trying to position itself?
Presented by Hannah White.
With Tom Pope and Jill Rutter.
Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 17, 2025 • 32min
Trump’s State Visit: The Sequel
The US president is in town. And the timing could probably hardly be worse for a prime minister still reeling from his sacking of Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the US. Michael Martins, a former senior official at the US embassy, joins the podcast team to preview the visit – and what Keir Starmer can actually hope to achieve from Donald Trump’s visit.
Plus: Arriving on a Jet Ski? Ed Davey, Nick Clegg and our Liberal Democrat conference preview.
Presented by Hannah White.
With Catherine Haddon and Alex Thomas.
Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 12, 2025 • 38min
The Mandelson misjudgement
Peter Mandelson has been sacked as the UK’s ambassador the US. But what does his downfall say about Keir Starmer’s judgment in making appointments? The Observer’s Cat Neilan joins the podcast team to weigh up the dramatic end of Mandelson’s time in Washington.
Keir Starmer has a new team in place, with ministers hastily moved around following Angela Rayner’s dramatic departure from the cabinet – so what do all the recent personnel changes mean for where his government goes next?
Plus: Has Starmer done enough to strengthen rules around ethics? And what future headaches are looming?
Presented by Hannah White.
With Jill Rutter and Philip Nye.
Produced by Podmasters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 5, 2025 • 37min
Stand and deliver?
Phase one is complete. Phase two begins. And it’s all about delivery. But just how hard is it for governments to do the delivery bit of governing? The IfG podcast team give their expert view.
Civil servants are key to making a success of the government’s policies and priorities - perhaps none more so than the high flying fast stream. But who are they - and is this cohort doing a good job? A new IfG report reveals all.
Plus: Reform Party conference preview – we speak to former Reform head of press Gawain Towler.
Catherine Haddon presents.
With Hannah Keenan, Rebecca McKee and Teodor Grama Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 28, 2025 • 44min
What really happens at the party conferences…
The party conference countdown has begun, and the Westminster Village is set to decamp to Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Bournemouth and beyond.
But what this the point of the party conference jamboree? What is it really like to spend four days locked inside a windowless conference centre and take yp residence at t a hotel bar? How do civil servants manage this temporary Westminster exodus? And does it really make any difference at all?
Join the IfG on another trip to the Inside Briefing vault, as we dig out a fascinating episode that we recorded in 2022 with political journalist and party conference veteran Michael Crick, journalist and author Marie Le Conte, former special adviser Peter Cardwell, and the IfG’s very own Jill Rutter.
Presented by Alex Thomas and Hannah White.
Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 20, 2025 • 21min
Getting It Right When Things Go Wrong: Ministerial Leadership During Crises
All governments face crises, from floods and diseases to riots and terrorist attacks.
So how can ministers lead during these unexpected events? How can they ensure that everyone in the system – from the first responders to the prime minister – is doing what is needed to respond to the crisis? And what are the best ways to keep the public informed?
With guests including former home secretaries Amber Rudd and Jack Straw, this special Inside Briefing episode dives into the roles ministers play during crises, and looks at how they can prepare for the unexpected.
Read our related report: Ministerial leadership during crises
Presented by Tim Durrant.
Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 14, 2025 • 28min
The secrets of being a government minister
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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 7, 2025 • 43min
Government in summer: who feels the heat?
What is it really like to govern in summer? Who is in charge when ministers leave Westminster? And what happens when, as it so often does, the summer isn’t all that quiet?
The Inside Briefing podcast team have headed into the vaults to dig out a special episode from 2021 featuring Sky’s Sam Coates, former (and future) minister Jacqui Smith, journalist Steve Richards and former No10 adviser Kate Fall.
So join us we return to a time when Boris Johnson was prime minister, Keir Starmer was barely a year into his tenure as leader of the opposition, and Nigel Farage was a few months into his recently announced retirement from politics and busy making Cameo messages.
Presented by Hannah White and Alex Thomas.
Original podcast recording by PodmastersUpdated edits by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 31, 2025 • 36min
The reshuffle revelations
Kemi Badenoch has completed one. Keir Starmer is rumoured to be lining one up. Yes reshuffles, or rumours of ministerial reshuffles, are never far away in Westminster.
So what should ministers fear? What should the prime minister avoid? When do reshuffles go right? And why do they sometimes go wrong?
With special guests Cleo Watson and Helen Macnamara, who have had front row seats alongside prime ministers for countless reshuffles, this special Inside Briefing episode takes you behind the No10 front door to reveal the inside story of one of Westminster’s favourite – and most feared – events.
Presented by Cath Haddon. With Tim Durrant.
Produced by Milo Hynes.
Cleo Watson is a former special adviser to Boris Johnson.
Helen MacNamara was Director General of Propriety and Ethics and then Deputy Cabinet Secretary .
Tim Durrant leads the IfG’s ministers work.. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices