Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

Institute for Government
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Nov 1, 2023 • 48min

Inside Briefing Extra: Where next for English devolution?

Charlotte Aldritt, Chief Executive of the Centre for Progressive Policy, and Adam Hawksbee, Deputy Director of Onward, delve into the progress and challenges of devolution in England. They discuss the effectiveness of the devolution revolution and examine its impact on local governance, particularly in the West Midlands and Greater Manchester. The conversation also addresses Labour's potential approach to enhancing devolution and the importance of clear objectives for power transfer, local accountability, and sustainable funding to ensure inclusive growth.
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Oct 27, 2023 • 38min

250th EPISODE: Many unhappy returns? Rishi Sunak one year in

Rishi 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 new book – which has already caused some controversy – at the IfG. The podcast team take a look at Reeves’s ambitions and challenges, as well as an increasingly complicated party problem for Keir Starmer.With Hannah White, Cath Haddon and Giles Wilkes. Produced by Milo Hynes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Oct 20, 2023 • 43min

Rishi Sunak's double trouble

Labour'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 scenarios.Could a second referendum on Scottish independence be back on the cards? The SNP think they have come up with a route. So what is it and could it work?Presented by Hannah White.With Cath Haddon, Alex Thomas and Jess Sargeant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Oct 17, 2023 • 34min

Mystery date: when is the right time to call a general election?

Will 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 – and when is the wrong time to stick rather than twist? This special episode of Inside Briefing brings together three veterans of elections that were – or maybe weren’t – to look back on their experiences and discuss what might happen next.  Former Labour MP Jacqui Smith was home secretary when Gordon Brown chose not to call a general election in the autumn of 2007. Katie Perrior was working as the Number 10’s director of communications when Theresa May decided to call a snap election in 2017. Political adviser and pollster James Johnson worked in No10 as a strategic adviser to Theresa May between 2016 and 2019.  Presented by Tim Durrant.Produced by Milo Hynes and Podmasters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Oct 13, 2023 • 34min

Keir Starmer’s Mersey Mission

Party 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 apart the Labour leader’s speech, and look ahead to the renewal of parliamentary hostilities.Presented by Hannah White.With Emma Norris and Cath Haddon.Produced by Milo Hynes.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Oct 6, 2023 • 45min

The Start of the Keir Show

How 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 what challenges - or traps - has Rishi Sunak set out for Labour on HS2 and net zero? Presented by Hannah White. With Emma Norris.Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Sep 29, 2023 • 34min

Rishi Sunak's Conference Call

When 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 swim conference for Rishi Sunak? The Spectator’s political correspondent James Heale and Robert Colville, director of the Centre for Policy Studies, join the podcast team for a special party conference preview podcast. Hannah White presents. With Cath Haddon. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Sep 22, 2023 • 42min

Rishi Sunak's Seven Deadly Bins

Rishi 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 years in British politics have stretched the UK constitution to - and sometimes beyond - breaking point. How can it be strengthened? The author of a new IfG report sets out a plan.Hannah White presents.With Jill Rutter and Jack Pannell.Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Sep 15, 2023 • 33min

Plane speaking with the PM

The 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.Hannah White presents. With Alex Thomas and Rebecca McKee.Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Sep 9, 2023 • 29min

Concrete Evidence

Keir 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 her in hot water. So who is to blame, how has the government handled the fall-out, and how could the problem be fixed? PLUS: A very bad week for Birmingham City Council. So why are city councils running out of money? What does it mean for the people who live there? And how can the government make sure this doesn’t happen again? Hannah White presents. With Nick Davies and Sam Freedman. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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