Institute for Government

Keir Starmer used his first speech as prime minister to declare that the “work of change begins immediately”. But how will the Labour government approach the complex policy challenges that it has inherited? And how will it start making progress on new promises? From freeing up space in crowded prisons to turning around struggling public services, delivering clean energy and kickstarting economic growth, the government’s to-do list is daunting. Labour has promised to “change how Britain is governed” in order to deliver its aims in government – but how will this work in practice? What does Labour’s ‘mission-led’ approach mean for the way government operates? How will central government work with locally elected mayors? And what do Keir Starmer’s cabinet appointments – and the way he has structured his centre of government – tell us about how his plan for government will work? This Institute for Government webinar will look at what Keir Starmer’s first week as prime minister tells us about how he intends to govern Britain. To explore these questions and more, we were joined by an expert panel, including: Emma Norris, Deputy Director of the Institute for Government Joe Owen, Director of Impact at the Institute for Government Jen Williams, Northern England correspondent at the Financial Times The event was chaired by Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.

Follow our live-blog for all our general election coverage: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/live-blog/general-election-2024 We hosted a special livestreamed recording of the Institute for Government podcast, as a team of IfG experts – bleary eyed but full of coffee – gathered in the podcast studio to make sense of a momentous night in British politics. What does the general election result mean for how the UK will be governed? What decisions and duties await the prime minister over the next days and weeks? How are governments formed and what does it mean civil servants? And what are the big challenges facing the government – and how can it meet them? Hannah White, Giles Wilkes, Tim Durrant and Catherine Haddon share their instant reaction, expert analysis, and essential insights.

This Friday will be day one in government for the winner of the general election. But there will be no chance for anyone to catch their breath after a gruelling campaign. The job begins at once. So what should civil servants be braced to expect as ministers are appointed to their new roles? How can special advisers best prepare for that frenetic first 24 hours? And what actually awaits a prime minister as they step through that famous No10 door? This IfG webinar will take you behind the scenes of the first day in government after a general election – and reveals what civil servants, officials and ministers can expect to happen next. Read our explainer on the first 72 hours of a new prime minister here: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/new-prime-minister-first-72-hours-general-election

Episode 6 explores the first days, weeks and months of a new government. We speak to those who've entered No.10 alongside the prime minister on day one, found themselves suddenly running a government department, or have welcomed a brand new political team into office as a senior civil servant, including: Ed Balls, Jonathan Powell, Gus O'Donnell, Harriet Harman, Polly Mackenzie and Nick Macpherson. What actually happens on a prime minister’s first day? How can a new government make the most of the first months in office? And what’s it like for civil servants, adjusting to having a whole new team of politicians in charge?

Episode 5 explores the role that manifestos play in – and after – an election campaign. How do political parties write their manifestos? What does a good manifesto look like? What are the questions that Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer will be considering when signing off on their manifestos for the 2024 general election? And how hard is it to deliver manifesto promises once a government is formed? Packed with insight and revelations from key figures behind past manifestos – including Oliver Letwin, Jonathan Powell and Polly Mackenzie – and former civil servants who were asked to turn manifesto pledges into workable policy, this episode of Preparing for Power reveals the inside story of this key part of a general election campaign.

Episode 4 explores how the governing party prepares for an election while continuing to govern, with ministers, civil servants and special advisers – including Oliver Letwin, Harriet Harman, Gus O'Donnell, Polly Mackenzie and Nick Macpherson – revealing how they approached the work of government during an election campaign. How does a governing party balance a gruelling campaign alongside running the country? What are the advantages of being the party in power as the election approaches? And how can a governing party make the most of those final months before polling day? Veterans of the 2010 and 2015 elections share their stories.

Episode 3 explores how opposition parties prepare for a potential transition of government, with ministers, civil servants and advisers, including Jonathan Powell, Harriet Harman, Gus O’Donnell and Oliver Letwin, revealing how they got ready for the possibility of a change of government. How does an opposition develop policies that would actually work once they are in office? How can shadow teams ready themselves for taking over departments? What is the role of the chief of staff in these preparations? And what lessons could the approaches of Tony Blair and David Cameron provide for opposition parties preparing for the possibility of being in government? Veterans of the 1997 and 2010 transitions share their recollections – and their advice for Keir Starmer’s Labour party as a general election approaches.

Episode 2 explores how the civil service prepares for a potential transition of government, with five former permanent secretaries revealing how they readied themselves and their departments for a potential change in their political bosses. How does Whitehall prepare for a change in the party in power? What can civil servants do to get ready for a hung parliament? And how do they continue to serve the current government while these preparations are going on? In this episode of Preparing for Power, we speak to former senior civil servants to discover how they prepared for that all important election result and its aftermath, hear their secrets, and work out the lessons for 2024.

Whoever forms the next government will need to be prepared. The job begins almost as soon as the votes have been counted. So what is it like to go from opposition to government overnight? How do civil servants get ready for the possibility of a transition of power or a hung parliament? And what is it like for a governing party to continue in power after a bruising campaign? In this six-part series, 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 being in government. We’ll be speaking to former ministers, special advisers and senior civil servants to discover how they prepared for that all important election result and its aftermath, to hear their secrets, and to work out the lessons for 2024.

The Conservatives have been warning voters of the 'dangers' of Labour winning a huge – or 'super' – majority at the general election on Thursday. But what exactly is a supermajority, and do these warnings add up? With just under a week to go until polling day, this Institute for Government webinar explores the Conservatives' claims – and set out what a government with a large majority would mean for parliament and British politics. Does it really make a difference if the government has a majority of 100 or more? How hard is it to be a small opposition party? And what is most important in enabling parliament to scrutinise government properly and hold it to account?