IfG Events

Latest Episodes:

In conversation with the Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP Jul 05, 2023

Show notes

Over many years Sajid Javid held some of the most senior roles in British government, serving as a secretary of state in six different departments under three different prime ministers – including as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Home Secretary. Javid, who will stand down from parliament at the next election, is now a commissioner on the Institute for Government’s Centre Commission. At this ‘in conversation’ event he shared his experiences at the heart of government to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses at the centre and how they could be fixed. What are the biggest problems with the centre of government? What are the tensions between No.10 and the Treasury? How does the centre work with the rest of government? And how can the priorities of a prime minister best be delivered?

To discuss these questions and more, Sajid Javid was in conversation with Dr Hannah White, Director of the Institute for Government, followed by a Q&A.

The Institute for Government’s Commission on the Centre of Government is looking at why No.10, the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury do not always work as well as they should and what could be done to radically improve the centre of UK government.

The Centre Commission’s purpose is to produce concrete recommendations for a confident, proactive, coherently-structured centre of government equipped to meet the challenges and take the opportunities of the 21st century and deliver for the people of the UK. The Commission will report in February 2024.

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In conversation with Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Jun 21, 2023

Show notes

Northern Ireland has had no ministers since October. The DUP is refusing to re-enter into power-sharing arrangements in protest over the Northern Ireland protocol; despite the new Windsor Framework agreement, the party has still not returned to Stormont. The Secretary of State has had to set a budget for Northern Ireland, and civil servants are obliged to make difficult decisions to balance the books.

To discuss the ongoing governance challenges in Northern Ireland, reflect on the impact of the Windsor Framework, and set out the Northern Ireland Office’s approach to restoring power-sharing, Chris Heaton-Harris MP, the Northern Ireland Secretary, spoke at the Institute for Government.

The event was chaired by Emma Norris, Deputy Director at the Institute for Government.

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How is WhatsApp changing government? Jun 16, 2023

Show notes

With the government taking the Covid inquiry to court to protect WhatsApp messages, the use of WhatsApp is in the spotlight. It has become fundamental to the way Westminster and Whitehall works – but is this way of communicating good for government?

It has been reported that key decisions during the pandemic were taken in WhatsApp groups – made up of the prime minister and a handful of advisers. While some messages have been leaked, much of the content may never see the light of day – particularly with some users setting their messages to ‘disappear’ within days or even hours.

So is WhatsApp changing the way decisions are made or is it just the 21st century equivalent of an informal conversation in a corridor, a bar, or on a phone? What can be done to ensure decisions taken on WhatsApp are shared and scrutinised? And how much has changed in government since the app was first launched?

To discuss all this and more, the Institute for Government brought together an expert panel:

• Dr Alice Lilly, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government

• Emily Walch, former special adviser to Vince Cable and Senior Counsel at Grayling

• Matt Warman MP, former Minister of State in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

• Henry Zeffman, Associate Political Editor at The Times

This event was chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

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What makes a successful special adviser? Jun 15, 2023

Show notes

Special advisers ("SpAds") play a hugely important role in government, and successful ones are key to helping a minister achieve his or her priorities. The number of SpAds has more than doubled since 2010, but the job is not well understood by the public – or, in some cases, by special advisers themselves. So what do SpAds do on a day-to-day basis? How do they interact with ministers and the civil service? And what does it mean to be good at the job?

Building on IfG research from 2020, this event will consider how the role has evolved over recent decades. What skills and capabilities are needed to be an effective SpAd? How should potential future SpAds approach the role? And how does the UK compare with other countries in the way its political advisers operate?

To explore these questions, the IfG brought together an expert panel including:

Sonia Khan, Associate Director at Cicero and former special adviser to Philip Hammond and Sajid Javid
Jennifer Lees-Marshment, Associate Professor at the University of Auckland, focusing on the political adviser role in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
Liz Lloyd, former Chief of Staff to Nicola Sturgeon
Baroness Sally Morgan, former Director of Government Relations for Tony Blair and Chair of Ofsted

The event was chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

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How can different levels of government work together to deliver levelling up? Jun 09, 2023

Show notes

The government’s Levelling Up the United Kingdom white paper contained ambitious proposals to deliver a devolution deal to every area of England that wants one by 2030, but the proliferation of regional authorities and directly elected mayors across England alongside different arrangements in the devolved nations can make co-operation and co-ordination difficult. This event will consider what structures and ways of working could help support cross-government action on levelling up.

How well have mayoral combined authorities (MCAs) worked with central government? Do mayoral combined authorities need a single point of contact in Whitehall or is it better to work directly with different departments? Have MCAs successfully encouraged cross-council working on levelling up? How can the UK government work more effectively with the devolved nations?

To explore these questions, the IfG brought together an expert panel including:

Councillor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council
Professor Francesca Gains, Professor of Public Policy at The University of Manchester
Dr Jack Newman, Research Associate at The Productivity Institute and the Department of Politics at The University of Manchester
Joe Rossiter, Policy and External Affairs Manager at the Institute of Welsh Affairs

The event was chaired by Thomas Pope,Deputy Chief Economist at the Institute for Government.

This event was kindly supported by Policy@Manchester, The University of Manchester's policy engagement unit.

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How can government deliver its priorities while preparing for future shocks? Jun 08, 2023

Show notes

In recent years, government has had to contend with multiple crises, from the Covid pandemic to major increases in energy costs. Ministers and civil servants have often had to work in crisis mode – making major policy decisions at speed, rapidly deploying staff, and developing new systems. But the potential for further crises looms large, especially given continued international instability. And government is still dealing with the lingering effects of previous shocks, particularly Covid, on key public services. This means that government must be ready for future shocks, while managing the impact of previous ones – and it must do all of this while continuing to deliver on day-to-day priorities.

So how can government do this? What lessons should it learn from the experience of recent crises? Is it effectively identifying and managing risk, so that it stands ready to address future shocks? And what does government need to ensure that it can still make progress on its day-to-day priorities?

To discuss these questions, the Institute for Government brought together:

Alex Chisholm, Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary for the Cabinet Office

Dame Meg Hillier MP, Chair of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, whose seventh Chair's Annual Report examining these themes was published the morning of 6 June.

This event was chaired by Dr Hannah White, Director of the Institute for Government.

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Has civil service impartiality had its day? May 25, 2023

Show notes

Has civil service impartiality had its day?

Recent events in government, including the circumstances following Dominic Raab’s resignation as justice secretary, have at least on the surface deepened a divide between ministers and officials – and civil service morale has dropped as the strained relationship between ministers and officials deteriorates.

With Raab complaining of “increasingly activist civil servants” and warning that it had become “almost impossible for ministers to deliver for the British people”, there have been increasing calls to give more powers to ministers to bring their political allies into Whitehall.

So has civil service impartiality had its day? Is it time to allow more political appointments into civil service roles? What would this mean for the civil service’s ability to give good advice and effectively implement government policy? What other changes would help the civil service recruit people with the skills and specialisms that ministers want and the public need? And what else can be done to restore the fractured relationship between ministers and officials?

To explore these questions, the IfG bought together an expert panel including:

George Eustice, Conservative MP and former Environment Secretary
Ayesha Hazarika, Times Radio presenter and a former civil servant and special adviser
Lord O’Donnell, former Cabinet Secretary
Rachel Wolf, Founding Partner at Public First, a former adviser at 10 Downing Street and co-author of the Conservative Party's 2019 election manifesto

This event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

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How can NHS procurement be improved? May 18, 2023

Show notes

The NHS spends over £30bn a year through procurement, on critical clinical services, medicines, equipment, IT, building maintenance, catering and cleaning. But does it spend this money well? During the pandemic questions were raised about value for money and transparency.

With NHS England recently creating a new central commercial function to coordinate the work of the more than 4,000 staff working on NHS procurement and supply chain, how can the NHS make the most of its collective buying power and ensure money isn’t wasted? What lessons can be learned from NHS procurement during the pandemic? How can the NHS create more resilient supply chains? What role can procurement play in tackling health inequalities and the NHS’s commitment to reach net zero by 2045? And how can the NHS take advantage of the changes proposed in the Procurement Bill?

To answer these questions, the Institute for Government convened an expert panel including:

Jacqui Rock, Chief Commercial Officer at NHS England

David Hare, Chief Executive of the Independent Healthcare Providers Network

Patrick Parkin, Partner at Burges Salmon

Luella Trickett, Director, Value and Access at the Association of British HealthTech Industries

The event was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

We would like to thank Burges Salmon for supporting this event.

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Where next for levelling up? May 16, 2023

Show notes

A commitment to level up the country was at the forefront of the Conservative Party’s 2019 manifesto, but how much progress can the government make on its flagship agenda with no more than 18 months remaining until the next general election? Is substantial progress on regional inequalities possible over the next few years given the broader economic circumstances? And should this and future administrations prioritise specific aspects of the agenda, such as skills? This event, which took place shortly after the 2023 local elections were held, assessed what comes next for levelling up.

To explore these questions and more, our expert panel included:

Debbie Abrahams MP, Member of Parliament for Oldham East and Saddleworth
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
Andy Westwood, Professor of Government Practice and Vice Dean of Humanities at The University of Manchester
Jennifer Williams, Northern England Correspondent at the Financial Times

The event was chaired by Thomas Pope,Deputy Chief Economist at the Institute for Government.

This event was kindly supported by Policy@Manchester, The University of Manchester's policy engagement unit.

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What lessons should the Treasury learn from the pandemic? May 15, 2023

Show notes

HM Treasury – the UK’s economics and finance ministry – played a crucial role in the government’s response to the Covid pandemic. While the crisis was fundamentally one of public health, shutting down the country saw the government pay the wages of around a third of the workforce and spend billions supporting businesses.

So how successful were the Treasury’s policies and how well did it work with the rest of government? What lessons should the Treasury learn from its pandemic response? How can the department be better prepared to handle future crises? And what can be done to improve how the Treasury operates in normal times?

This event presented and discussed the findings of a new report from the Institute for Government which examines how the Treasury implemented labour market and business finance support schemes, delivered an unprecedented amount of support to the country at incredible speed and under huge uncertainty, and worked with other government departments during the crisis.

To explore these questions, the IfG brought together an expert panel including:

Rushanara Ali MP, Member of the Treasury Select Committee
Olly Bartrum, Senior Economist at the Institute for Government
Prof Sir Charles Bean, former member of the Budget Responsibility Committee at the Office for Budget Responsibility (2017–21)
Tracey Brown, Director of Sense about Science
Sir Charles Roxburgh, former Second Permanent Secretary of HM Treasury (2016–22)

The event was chaired by Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government.

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