IfG Events

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Where next for special advisers? Dec 05, 2020

Show notes

This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event

Dominic Cummings’s departure from Downing Street gives the government an opportunity to reassess how it uses special advisers. Will this crucial role change now that the prime minister’s chief adviser has left No.10? Should No.10 continue to have direct oversight of SpAds, or should the government return to a system of SpAds reporting directly to their secretary of state? And what else should be done to support – and scrutinise – the work of special advisers?

We were joined by an expert panel to discuss the questions:

Peter Cardwell, former special adviser to four Conservative cabinet ministers and author of The Secret Life of Special Advisers
Salma Shah, former special adviser to Sajid Javid (2014-2019)
John McTernan, former political secretary to Tony Blair
Tim Durrant, Associate Director at the Institute for Government

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

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What next for Scotland? Nov 27, 2020

Show notes

This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event

Support for Scottish independence is rising, with opinion polls showing a clear majority of Scots wanting Scotland to leave the UK.

However, Boris Johnson’s government is committed to holding the union together and does not want to agree to a second independence referendum, although the SNP will try to use the results of the 2021 Scottish parliamentary election to ramp up pressure.

What are the reasons for the growing support for Scottish independence? What would need to happen for a legal, fair and decisive referendum to take place? And what can the UK government do to keep the UK together?

On our panel to discuss these issues were:

Sir John Curtice, Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University and Senior Research Fellow at NatCen
Professor Sionaidh Douglas-Scott, Anniversary Chair in Law at Queen Mary University of London and Law and Public Affairs Fellow at Princeton University; and former special legal adviser for the Scottish Parliament European and External Relations Committee
Andrew Wilson, former Member of the Scottish Parliament and Chair of the Sustainable Growth Commission
Jess Sargeant, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government

The event was chaired by Akash Paun, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government.

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Lockdown compliance and pandemic fatigue Nov 23, 2020

Show notes

This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event

A rise in Covid-19 cases has forced the government to put England into a second national lockdown. But, in contrast with the spring, some experts think people are less likely to follow the rules this time around. Is this due to growing confusion, a loss of faith in what the rules are trying to achieve, or are people simply growing tired of the restrictions on their lives? How should the government respond to any drop in adherence – and where does the balance lie between helping individuals to comply or punishing them when they don’t?

To discuss these issues, we were delighted to welcome:

Chris Cook, Contributing Editor at Tortoise
Ann John, Professor in Public Health and Psychiatry at Swansea University and Chair of the National Advisory Group to the Welsh government
Stephen Reicher, Professor of Social Psychology at the University of St Andrews and member of SPI-B
Anthony Yates, former Professor of Economics at the University of Birmingham

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

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Brexit: The final countdown Nov 19, 2020

Show notes

As the UK-EU negotiations on the future relationship approach the endgame, the Institute for Government Brexit team discuss the latest on the talks, what will change for the UK on 1 January 2021, whether a deal actually makes a difference, and just how ready the UK is for a deal or no deal outcome.

Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government, in conversation with Maddy Thimont Jack (Associate Director), Jess Sargeant (Senior Researcher), and Joe Marshall (Senior Researcher). Audio production by Candice McKenzie.

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Lord Maude in conversation with Bronwen Maddox Nov 12, 2020

Show notes

This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event

The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome the Rt Hon Lord Maude, former Minister of State for Trade and Investment and former Minister for the Cabinet Office.

A long-standing advocate for civil service reform, Francis Maude has been asked by the government to undertake a short review into the performance of the Cabinet Office. This event explored the focus of Lord Maude’s review, what the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis has revealed about the role of the Cabinet Office, and wider questions of civil service reform.

Lord Maude has had a distinguished career in government, serving as Margaret Thatcher's Minister for Europe and Hong Kong and Financial Secretary to the Treasury. He was also the Global Head of Privatisation at Morgan Stanley. As UK Minister for the Cabinet Office from 2010–15, he led an efficiency and reform programme that delivered cumulative savings from the operating costs of government of more than £52 billion. He and his team developed the "functional model" of government to break down the separate silos that in many governments stand in the way of efficient and effective delivery of services.

Lord Maude has recently undertaken a pro bono review of spend controls and the functional model for the British government. He is the Chairman and co-founder of FMA.

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When mega-projects become mega-disasters Nov 11, 2020

Show notes

In his new book, Imperialism and Development – the East African groundnut scheme and its legacy, Dr Nicholas Westcott, Director of the Royal African Society, explores one of the most expensive and disastrous development schemes ever undertaken by a British government. What lessons can be learned, more than 70 years on, from the ill-fated launch of a scheme to grow peanuts in Tanganyika (now Tanzania)? How are major decisions on major projects made today? Who is held accountable if they go wrong? How do civil servants and ministers work together to ensure money isn’t wasted on major projects? What has actually changed, since the groundnut scheme was abandoned in 1951, to ensure mega projects don’t become mega disasters?

Bronwen Maddox, Director at the Institute for Government is in conversation with Dr Nicholas Westcott, Director of the Royal African Society, Rt Hon Baroness Amos, former UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and former Secretary of State for International Development, Professor John Kay, economist and former Financial Times columnist, Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. Audio production by Candice McKenzie

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Communicating Brexit Nov 06, 2020

Show notes

This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event

The end of the Brexit transition period means big changes are inevitable at the end of the year. But despite a £70 million communications campaign many businesses and individuals are still unaware of what they need to do prepare, let alone ready.

As the coronavirus crisis continues to dominate the public’s attention and Brexit fatigue persists, the government’s communications campaign has failed to cut through. Meanwhile recent polls suggest increasing numbers of people may be becoming more sceptical about Brexit itself.

This event explored the challenges facing the government in getting its message across to business and the public: how to persuade business to prepare and how to communicate the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, deal or no deal.

Panellists:

Paul Harrison, Senior Counsel at Lexington Communications and former No.10 press secretary
James Johnson, Founding Partner of J.L Partners and former No.10 political adviser and pollster
Joe Marshall, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government
Lisa O’Carroll, Brexit Correspondent at The Guardian

This event was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government.

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How public services have coped with coronavirus Nov 04, 2020

Show notes

The coronavirus crisis has placed unprecedented pressure on public services, which have had to cope with increased costs, large workforce absences and the difficulties of providing services while maintaining social distancing. In response to the pandemic, the government has pledged £68.7bn since March in support, and suspended governance and regulatory requirements. At the same time services have made greater use of technology, and organisations developed new ways of working.

How successful have these changes been in maintaining the availability of public services? Which changes should continue beyond the crisis? What does the government need to do to make that possible?

This event launched the fifth edition of Performance Tracker, an analysis of the performance of five key public services during the pandemic: hospitals, general practice, adult social care, schools and criminal courts.

Graham Atkins, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government, presented the key findings.

To discuss, our panel included:

Sarah Neville, Global Pharmaceuticals Editor at the Financial Times
Professor Andrew Hardy, CEO of University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust and President of CIPFA

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

Performance Tracker is produced in partnership with Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).

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The implications of the US election for the UK Oct 30, 2020

Show notes

This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event

On 3 November 2020, US citizens will elect their next president. The result will have bearings not only on the US, but also on the rest of the world. This event explored what the US election will mean for the UK–US special relationship, the prospects for a future trade deal and joint action on the global stage.

Panellists:

Rt Hon Tobias Ellwood MP, Chair of the Defence Select Committee
Sophia Gaston, Director of the British Foreign Policy Group
Dr Leslie Vinjamuri, Director, US and Americas Programme and Dean, Queen Elizabeth II Academy at Chatham House
Sir Peter Westmacott, Senior Adviser at Chatham House and former British Ambassador to the US (2012–16)

The event was chaired by Georgina Wright, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government

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The UK Internal Market Bill in the House of Lords Oct 28, 2020

Show notes

This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event

The UK Internal Market Bill has sparked controversy on multiple fronts. It has wide-ranging implications for devolution, placing constraints on the exercise of devolved policy powers. The UK government argues it is simply replacing frameworks that existed in EU law, while the Scottish and Welsh government have argued that the bill is a “power grab” by Westminster. And by the government’s own admission, some provisions, if triggered, would empower ministers to break international law and override elements of the Northern Ireland protocol.

As the bill enters the Lords, peers look poised to make amendments. This event explored issues in the bill, the likely amendments and what this will all mean for the Union.

Panellists:

Rt Hon the Baroness Smith of Basildon, Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
Rt Hon the Lord Bruce of Bennachie, Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson on Scotland
Rt Hon the Lord Dunlop, former Minister for Scotland and Northern Ireland
Jess Sargeant, Senior Researcher, Institute for Government

The event was chaired by Maddy Thimont Jack, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government.

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