IfG Events

Latest Episodes:

How to fix local government? Jan 25, 2025

Show notes

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)

Chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

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How to embed a mission-led approach in the spending review Jan 25, 2025

Show notes

As the spending review approaches, IfG experts – along with 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

Chaired by Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government.

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Daisy Cooper MP: A keynote speech by the Liberal Democrat deputy leader Jan 24, 2025

Show notes

No other party leader enjoyed themselves as much as Ed Davey did during the 2024 general election campaign. Rollercoasters, paddleboards, slides – the list goes on.

And then general election night was full of cheer for the Lib Dems too – with the party winning a record number of seats and reclaiming its status as Westminster’s third biggest party.

But how can those 72 MPs actually have an impact on a government with a huge majority? And how can the Lib Dems use parliament to scrutinise legislation and shape policy?

Deputy Lib Dem leader Daisy Cooper’s speech was followed by a Q&A with IfG deputy director Emma Norris

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Alex Burghart MP: In conversation with the shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Jan 24, 2025

Show notes

How have the Conservative party adapted to opposition? What lessons has it taken from its 14 years in power – and its big defeat at the general election? And what is it thinking about the way government should work – and could work better? Shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Alex Burghart was in conversation with Hannah White.

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Six months on: How is the Labour government performing? Jan 23, 2025

Show notes

An exclusive poll for the IfG has revealed just how people are thinking about this Labour government, how optimistic they are about Keir Starmer’s policies working, and what issues are giving them most concern. So what does this all say about how the government has performed since taking office and what challenges and opportunities might the year ahead hold?

Joe Twyman, Director of Deltapoll

Claire Ainsley, Director of the Project on Center-Left Renewal at the Progressive Policy Institute

Anushka Asthana, Deputy Political Editor at ITV News

Dr Danny Sriskandarajah, Chief Executive of the New Economics Foundation

Chaired by IfG deputy director Emma Norris

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US Election: The night after President Trump’s inauguration Jan 23, 2025

Show notes

The world was watching as Donald Trump returned to the White House. So what clues did his inauguration speech give us about his plans for the presidency? How should Keir Starmer handle this most unpredictable of leaders? And how might British politics be shaped decisions and statemens made in Washington?

Mark Landler (New York Times’ London Bureau Chief)

Dr Leslie Vinjamuri (Director of the US and Americas programme at Chatham House)

Chaired by IfG programme director Catherine Haddon

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What does Labour’s devolution white paper mean for England? Dec 19, 2024

Show notes

The government’s devolution white paper – published on 16 December – sets 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 Institute for Government’s online expert briefing on 18 December discussed the answers to these questions and more.

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

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In conversation with Cat Little, Civil Service Chief Operating Officer Dec 05, 2024

Show notes

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.

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What next for standards in public life? Nov 22, 2024

Show notes

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.

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In conversation with Kate Forbes MSP, Deputy First Minister of Scotland Nov 21, 2024

Show notes

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.

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