

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

Nov 29, 2024 • 43min
Cabi-not yet Secretary
It’s a competition that has gripped the nation. The candidates have been whittled down. The country is on tenterhooks. Strictly? Of course not. We’re talking about the appointment of the next cabinet secretary. The Guardian’s Rafael Behr joins the podcast team to speculate about who might get the job – and what they need to do. How can the government get more people back to work? It has published a new “Get Britain Working” white paper for starters, but what does it set out and is this any different to anything we have heard before? Plus: Does the government have an electric car problem? Hannah White presents.With Alex Thomas and Nehal Davison.Produced by Robin Leeburn for Podmasters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 21, 2024 • 44min
Starmer’s Farmer Drama
Keir Starmer has been on his travels again, but it has been a tricky week at home for the government. Tim Ross and Rachel Wearmouth, the authors of new book Landslide: The Inside Story of the 2024 Election, join the podcast team to discuss how Labour returned to power – and how Starmer and his team are faring. The Budget has gone down very badly with Britain’s farm owners and a private members’ bill on assisted dying is posing a big headache for Starmer. How much worse could things get? And from bruising encounters to a political bruiser, the former deputy prime minister John Prescott, a key figure in the last Labour government, has died. The pod team look back on Prescott’s legacy. PLUS: Labour is promising to set up a lot of new public bodies: 17 and counting. A new IfG report has been tracking their progress, and reveals how to succeed, or not, when setting these bodies up. Cath Haddon presents, with Giles Wilkes and Matthew Gill. Produced by Jade Bailey for Podmasters and the IfG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 15, 2024 • 38min
Donald Trump's Team Calls
We are living in a different world. Donald Trump’s world.Kim Darroch, the UK's former ambassador to the US, joins the podcast team to make sense of what could be some jaw-dropping appointments to the Trump administration.The UK government has been scrambling to make sense of it all too - responding in measured tones while potentially bracing for impact. So how should Keir Starmer handle the new Trump era?Plus: COP29. The prime minister has been on his travels again - this time to Azerbaijan for a major climate change summit. Hannah White presents.With Alex Thomas and Jill Rutter.Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 13, 2024 • 48min
In Conversation with Michael Gove
Michael Gove, a former UK government minister and current editor of The Spectator, reflects on his extensive career in public service. He tackles pressing issues like NHS funding crises and the challenges of healthcare privatization. Gove discusses educational reforms since 2010, stressing the need for strategic leadership consistency. He advocates for integrated approaches to justice system reform and highlights the impact of demographic changes on public services. His insights aim to guide current government efforts and inspire future leaders.

Nov 8, 2024 • 44min
Is the world ready for Donald Trump?
Buckle up everyone. Donald Trump has won the US presidential election and will return to the White House after an extraordinary campaign featuring criminal convictions, assassination attempts, shocking language, and so much more.So what does this tell us about the US? What does it mean for the UK? And how might the world change in the years to come? Scarlett Maguire of JL Partners, the pollsters that called the numbers right, and Michael Martins, a former US Embassy adviser, join the podcast team to explain an extraordinary week.Plus: Kemi Badenoch is the new leader of the Conservative party. We’ll take a look at what this means for the opposition.And finally: another huge story - well, at least for some parts of the IfG. A new ministerial code has been published. We’ve read it and will give you the lowdown.Alex Thomas presents.With Cath Haddon and Sachin Savur.Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 1, 2024 • 41min
Rachel Reeves' Halloween budget: trick or treat?
Budget day is over and Halloween is here - and Rachel Reeves certainly came up with some pretty scary numbers. Stewart Wood, a former adviser to Gordon Brown at the Treasury and No10, joins the podcast team to make sense of the chancellor’s statement. Will her plans - this is one of the biggest tax raising budgets in modern history - come back to haunt her? Will her new rules for borrowing spook the markets? Or will her announcements begin the process of bringing economic growth back from the near-dead?Hannah White presents.Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 30, 2024 • 46min
What did Rachel Reeves’ budget reveal about the government’s priorities?
Join Tom Pope, Deputy Chief Economist at the Institute for Government, Giles Wilkes, an adviser on industrial strategies, and Stuart Hoddinott, a senior researcher in public services. They dive into the significant implications of Rachel Reeves' budget, dissecting the largest tax increase in over 30 years. The panel reflects on new fiscal rules, the impact on local government funding, and how increased capital spending aims to revitalize public services. Discover what this budget reveals about the government's priorities and growth mission.

Oct 25, 2024 • 43min
Donald Trump and the politics of interfere
If there’s one thing we’ve learned about US politics in recent years, it’s this: don’t fall out with Donald Trump. So how have Keir Starmer and the Labour government ended up being dragged into a big row with the former - and maybe future - president? Foreign policy expert Sophia Gaston joins the podcast team to make sense of an unexpected twist in the US presidential election.The PM is in Samoa for a meeting of Commonwealth leaders. But what can the UK hope to achieve at this gathering?Plus: It has been a frenetic week of government activity, with reviews announced on the NHS, sentencing, water and more. But does this type of approach really make any difference?Emma Norris presents.With Alex Thomas and Stuart Hoddinott.Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 18, 2024 • 47min
Saturday Night's Alright for Investing
This week was all about the launch of Invest 2035. Invest what? The Guardian's City Editor Anna Isaac joins the podcast team to get behind the scenes for the big government day - complete with an exclusive Elton John concert - at the Guildhall.The glitz and the glamour was designed to provide some soothing mood music ahead of the Budget - now fast approaching. We preview the latest pitch rolling. Plus: what are private members’ bills all about?Hannah White presents.With Giles Wilkes, Tom Pope and Finn Baker.Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 11, 2024 • 39min
Gray goes out of fashion
Chiefs of staff aren’t meant to become the story. But Sue Gray most definitely did - until she wasn’t. So what does Keir Starmer’s No10 reset mean for how he wants to govern – and what should Labour be doing to turn around those plummeting poll rates? More in Common’s Luke Tryl joins the podcast team to explore the Downing Street job moves and examine what voters want this government to get on and deal with. Plus: For all the drama in government, it’s the Conservatives who have stunned everyone with the latest round of their leadership contest. James Cleverly is out. Which means Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick are through to face the members. So what on earth is going on…? Hannah White presents.With Nehal Davison and Jordan Urban.Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices