Institute for Government

What will the return of Donald Trump to the White House mean for Keir Starmer, the government and British politics? - Mark Landler, London Bureau Chief at The New York Times - Dr Leslie Vinjamuri, Director, US and the Americas Programme at Chatham House This panel was chaired by Catherine Haddon, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

As the spending review approaches, this session, featuring IfG senior fellow Sam Freedman, explored how the government can best use its missions – and milestones – to shape its spending choices. - Nehal Davison, Programme Director at the Institute for Government - Cassia Rowland, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government - Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government This panel was chaired by Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government.

Local government has faced huge financial pressures, leaving residents across England struggling to access services. Featuring presentations from council leaders, this panel explored what can be done to turn around performance.  Presentations from: - Jenny Rowlands, Chief Executive of Camden Council - Claire Taylor, Chief Operating Officer, Sheffield City Council Panel: - Hilary Cottam, author, innovator and change maker and Honorary Professor at the Institute of Innovation and Public Purpose at UCL - Florence Eshalomi MP, Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee - Jim McMahon MP, Minister of State (Minister for Local Government and English Devolution) This panel was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

Two of England’s elected mayors join an expert panel to explore how well mayors are working with central government – and what powers they need. - Ben Houchen, Mayor of Tees Valley - Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands This panel was chaired by Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

The government’s devolution white paper – published on 16 December – will set out the detail of Labour’s promised ‘devolution revolution’. Ministers plan to further empower England’s existing 12 metro mayors, to extend devolution to the whole of England, and to reorganise local government. But what exactly will the white paper commit the government to do? Which powers will be devolved, to where? How will mayors be involved in delivering the government’s growth, energy and public service missions? How will the proposed reforms to local government work? And what challenges lie ahead for the government in implementing this ambitious agenda? The panel: Matthew Fright, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government Rebecca McKee, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government Thomas Pope, Deputy Chief Economist at the Institute for Government

The government has set out its intention to support the civil service with the necessary tools to deliver for the public. As the IfG has argued, reforms to improve the capability of the civil service are needed – particularly in a tight fiscal situation where efficient and effective government is essential. We believe there are a variety of areas for attention. These include reducing staff churn, improving external recruitment, and seizing the opportunities of new technology. How is the civil service planning to address these questions while supporting the government’s agenda and delivering the prime minister’s promise to build a ‘government of service’? How can issues, like pay and lower morale, be addressed? And what will the civil service look like in 2030? We were delighted to host Cat Little, Civil Service Chief Operating Officer and Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary, to discuss these questions and more. She was in conversation with IfG Director and CEO Dr Hannah White.

The government has set out its intention to support the civil service with the necessary tools to deliver for the public. As the IfG has argued, reforms to improve the capability of the civil service are needed – particularly in a tight fiscal situation where efficient and effective government is essential. We believe there are a variety of areas for attention. These include reducing staff churn, improving external recruitment, and seizing the opportunities of new technology. How is the civil service planning to address these questions while supporting the government’s agenda and delivering the prime minister’s promise to build a ‘government of service’? How can issues, like pay and lower morale, be addressed? And what will the civil service look like in 2030? We were delighted to host Cat Little, Civil Service Chief Operating Officer and Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary, to discuss these questions and more. She was in conversation with IfG Director and CEO Dr Hannah White.

Following weeks of interviews and much speculation, Sir Chris Wormald has been confirmed as the new cabinet secretary. After a long civil service career, including stints as permanent secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education and Skills, Wormald will succeed Simon Case and begin work as the country's most senior civil servant. Keir Starmer has said that it “will require nothing less than the complete rewiring of the British state to deliver bold and ambitious long-term reforms” – so how can Wormald meet that challenge? What is the best way for the new cabinet secretary to work with Keir Starmer and other senior ministers? How does a strong cabinet secretary add to the effectiveness of a government? How can Wormald change the way the civil service works so that it can best deliver the government's priorities? What steps can he take to restore civil service morale? And how might his experiences leading government departments help him approach the job of cabinet secretary? This special IfG webinar answered these questions – and yours – with a brilliant panel featuring: Dr Catherine Haddon, Programme Director at the Institute for Government Sir David Lidington, Cabinet Office minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, 2018–19 Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government The event was chaired by Emma Norris, Deputy Director of the Institute for Government.

Thirty years ago, following a series of high-profile political scandals, John Major set up the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL) to advise him – and future prime ministers – on ethics and behaviour. So has the CSPL been a success – and what might come next for standards in public life? Over the last three decades the committee has been an influential voice on the standards expected of people in public office, including setting out the seven principles of public life that apply to politicians, public officials and frontline staff and the establishment of standards regulators including the parliamentary commissioner and the Electoral Commission. However, recent scandals like ‘partygate’ and controversies over the acceptance of gifts, alongside reports from the infected blood and Grenfell inquiries, demonstrate that work on embedding transparency and ethical behaviour remains unfinished. How can the committee respond to challenges posed by increased use of AI in the public sector? What more could be done to build greater trust in politicians and public services? And what difference could the Labour government’s planned Ethics and Integrity Commission make? To answer these questions, and more, we were joined by: Doug Chalmers CB DSO OBE, Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life Pippa Crerar, Political Editor at The Guardian Daniel Greenberg CB, Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Dame Glenys Stacey, Chair of the Office for Environmental Protection The event was chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

The Institute for Government was pleased to welcome Kate Forbes MSP, Deputy First Minister (DFM) of Scotland and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic, for an 'in conversation' event on 18 November 2024. The DFM reflected on the 10th anniversary of the Scottish independence referendum and the 25th anniversary of Scottish devolution. She also discussed the state of Scotland's economy and public services in light of the UK budget, and the Scottish government's policy and legislative agenda. The DFM was in conversation with Akash Paun, Programme Director for Devolution, which was followed by Q&A with the live and online audience.