Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

The defection of Dover MP Natalie Elphicke shocked both the Conservatives and, it seems, most of the Labour Party. The FT’s Lucy Fisher joined the podcast team to weigh up another a big twist in the Westminster soap opera.Meanwhile a massive government data breach has sent Whitehall into a panic. But how big is the problem, who is responsible and how can this type of thing be stopped?Also, how to complete the half-done job of English devolution? A new IfG report has a plan.Plus: Who really runs Whitehall? Another IfG report reveals everything you need to do know about the country’s top civil servants.Hannah White presents.With Cath Haddon, Matthew Fright and Jordan Urban.Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Conservatives take a pounding in the local elections and Labour are taking councils in former Brexit heartlands. But there’s a crumb of Tory comfort in Ben Houchen’s victory in the Tees Valley mayoral election – and Labour fail to take key target Harlow. As results continue to roll in, what do the last votes before the General Election mean for Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer?Plus we are approaching a cliff-edge moment on departmental budgeting… good job there’s an IfG paper for that. Emma Norris, Akash Paun and Ben Paxton are joined by our special guest, political journalist Rachel Wearmouth, for this week’s pod. Presented by Emma Norris. Audio production by Alex Rees. A Podmasters Production for the IfG. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rishi Sunak’s flagship Rwanda Act is finally on the statute book, and the prime minister has promised that – “no ifs, no buts” – flights will be taking off by the summer. So how much of a triumph is his for Sunak – and what legal challenges could still derail his asylum plan? Political journalist Zoe Grunewald joins the podcast team to weigh up an eventful week for the PM.We’re just days away from a set of crucial local elections. Who is standing and where? What are the contests we need to look out for? And what could it all mean for Sunak and Keir Starmer? Plus: Rising energy bills and rising raw sewage has put regulators like Ofgem and Ofwat in the spotlight, but is parliament doing enough to properly scrutinise the role that over 100 regulators play? A new IfG report has the answers.Hannah White presents.With Jill Rutter, Akash Paun and Matthew GillProduced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Liz Truss is back, with her new book providing journalists with all sorts of extraordinary insights into her retrospective arguments about why her premiership collapsed. But what legacy has Truss left the Conservatives in the polls and what does this tell us about how voters view the party? Polling expert Will Jennings joins the podcast team to take a deep dive into the current state of the polls, how polling works and what the forthcoming election might mean for trust in our politics.Plus: The prime minister’s flagship smoking ban has passed its first parliamentary hurdle, but also exposed some fundamental philosophical divisions within the Conservative Party. What does the bill tell us about political debate and long-term policy making? And what can we take from it about how willing political parties are to use prevention to tackle public health challenges? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Exploring the transformation of the Foreign Office, challenges diplomats face, and the impact of David Cameron's return. Discussing the need for reform in government structures, balancing national interests with democratic decision-making, and the evolving dynamics post-Brexit. Reflecting on the challenges of a foreign policy advisor, the impact of Trump's election on UK foreign policy, and the complexities of global relations.

Is China really launching cyberattacks on British politicians and institutions? If so, then how serious is the threat – and what can the government do about it? Ciaran Martin, the first chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, joins the podcast team to discuss.Two more ministers have quit the government – and announced that they will step down from Parliament. So how dangerous is this exodus for Rishi Sunak, and how has the PM reshuffled his pack?PLUS: Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner launched Labour’s local government campaign with a new plan for devolving power across England. So how will it work – and will it succeed?Hannah White presents, with Cath Haddon, Tom Pope, and Sachin Savur. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Spectator’s Isabel Hardman joins the IfG podcast team to discuss Conservative party plots – and weigh up just how much trouble Rishi Sunak is in. Rachel Reeves has been making headlines with a major speech on the economy. So what did the shadow chancellor say, and does Labour have a plausible plan? Plus: Who wants to be a member of a men-only private members’ club?Hannah White presents, with Jill Rutter and Giles Wilkes. Produced by Candice McKenzie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A general election is getting closer – and whoever forms the next government needs to be prepared. The campaign will dominate time and resources, but the job of being in government begins almost as soon as the votes have been counted. Preparing for Power, a special six-part series from the Institute for Government, takes you behind the scenes to find out how our politicians, their advisers and officials block out the noise of a general election campaign to get ready for what comes next.Episode 6 explores the first days, weeks and months of a new government. What is like to be at a prime minister’s side as they enter No.10 for the first time? Can a new minister ever be properly prepared for the sudden task of running a huge government department? And what is it like to be a civil servant welcoming a brand new political team into office? We speak to the people who have been at the heart of government as a new government is formed, including Ed Balls, Jonathan Powell, Gus O'Donnell, Harriet Harman, Polly Mackenzie and Nick Macpherson.The concluding part of Preparing for Power reveals what actually happens on a prime minister’s first day, explores what it is like for civil servants as a whole new team of politicians – and their advisers – take charge, and shares key lessons for making the most of going into government.Presented by Emma Norris. Produced by Milo Hynes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A weak No.10 Downing Street compulsively micro-manages. The Cabinet Office is bloated and unwieldy. The Treasury dominates decision-making. And prime ministers often find that the levers of power aren’t working.So what is going wrong with the centre of government? What can be done to fix it? And, as a general election approaches, what difference would a re-designed centre mean for either Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer?A new Institute for Government report – the result of a year-long commission on the centre of government – has examined the problem and come up with some radical recommendations for reform. The report was launched was this week, at an event featuring two former prime ministers: Sir John Major and Gordon Brown. So on this special edition of Inside Briefing, the IfG team – with special guest Sally Morgan, Tony Blair’s former political secretary – take a deep dive into the heart of government.Hannah White presents, with Alex Thomas and Jordan Urban. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jeremy Hunt’s budget was a massive day in Westminster – and a big moment for the country. But what difference did it really make to the government’s fortunes – and to people’s pockets? Straight after crunching the numbers, studying the forecasts and making sense – or trying to – of the chancellor’s statement, the IfG public finances team gathered in the studio to record a special livestreamed episode of Inside Briefing. What have we learned from the chancellor’s big announcements and what choices did he make? What did the new OBR forecasts show about the UK’s economic prospects? What did it mean for public services? How did Labour respond? And how might this budget shape the battles on the economy at the next general election – and when that election might be held?Presented by Gemma Tetlow with Giles Wilkes, Jill Rutter and Olly Bartrum. Produced by Milo Hynes and Neil Bowerman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices