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Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government — Government
Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

The first Labour government in 14 years is facing a daunting to-do list and complex challenges at every turn. Public services are under strain. The civil service is under pressure. And ministers must deliver the government’s missions and milestones. But could Keir Starmer’s plan to “rewire the British state” – through using AI and creating a “start-up” culture – turn these challenges into opportunities?
So where is government working well and what is it doing badly? What can be done to make No10, the Treasury and the rest of government function more effectively? What can Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves do to achieve faster economic growth? What will Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives and the other opposition parties do to hold the government to account? How might Donald Trump shape British politics – and how could the UK’s relations with the EU change in the years ahead?
Get behind the scenes in Westminster, Whitehall and beyond on the weekly podcast from Britain’s leading governmental think tank, where we analyse the latest events in politics and explain what they mean. Every week on Inside Briefing, IfG director Hannah White and the team welcomes special guests for a thought-provoking conversation on what makes government work – and how to fix it when it doesn’t.

Copyright: © Institute for Government

Latest Episodes:

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Show notes

It has been a tricky couple of days for the chancellor. But how much trouble is Rachel Reeves really in and how much attention should people be paying to the markets? Politico’s Esther Webber joins the podcast team to look at the challenges facing the chancellor.

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Produced by Candice McKenzie

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Happy New Year, Keir? Jan 10, 2025

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Tricky poll ratings, gloomy economic news, and Elon Musk's online onslaught have made for a tricky start to 2025 for Keir Starmer, but how much should No10 be worrying? Theo Bertram, a former adviser to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown joins the pod team to give his verdict.

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Produced by Candice McKenzie.

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2024 in Review: The Start of the Keir Show Dec 30, 2024

Show notes

It has been quite some year for British politics. Sure, there were no mass-ministerial resignations, rule-breaking No10 gatherings or economy-shaking mini budgets, but July’s general election saw a change of ruling party for the first time in 14 years.

So did Rishi Sunak’s final rolling of the dice really achieve anything? Could the general election ever have turned out differently? And how have Labour adapted to government – and Keir Starmer to the daurning job of prime minister? What was the surprise of the year? What was the moment of election night? And what does it all say about what might come next…?

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Produced by Robin Leaburn for Podmasters

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Christmas Special: IfG Book Club Dec 27, 2024

Show notes

The IfG team has spent the year reading government reviews, white papers, select committee reports, consultations, manifestos plans for change… you get the idea.

But this podcast is going to step away from the treadmill of political news and instead bring the IfG book club to the podcast studio. So put down whichever IfG report you’re reading, get yourself a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie, and join a cast of your IfG favourites to hear their top tips on non-fiction, fiction, biographies, thrillers, science fiction and more.

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Power to the people Dec 20, 2024

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The devolution revolution is in full swing, with Angela Rayner setting out the government’s plans to give power away across England. Former Conservative special adviser Salma Shah joins the podcast team to explore what the plan contains – and whether it stands any chance of working?

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Appetite for Disruption Dec 12, 2024

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Pat McFadden – the minister for the Cabinet Office – is making a plea for an army of disruptors to sign up to the Civil Service and make Whitehall think like a start up. Jess Studdert, director of New Local, joins us to ask whether this is fresh thinking? Plus, Rachel Reeves has another plan to whip Whitehall into shape, and it’s a familiar one. The chancellor is on the hunt for efficiency savings. So where could they be found - and will they really make a difference?

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The Plans they are A-Changing Dec 06, 2024

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Is that sound the heavy thud of a gauntlet been thrown down? The podcast team are joined by Peter Hyman, a former adviser to Keir Starmer – when he was a key player in designing Labour’s missions – and Tony Blair, to make sense of the government’s new Plan for Change.

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The new cabinet secretary: Can Sir Chris Wormald rewire the British state? Dec 03, 2024

Show notes

After weeks of speculation, and many rounds of interviews, Sir Chris Wormald has been confirmed as the UK’s new cabinet secretary. But who is Chris Wormald, why has Keir Starmer appointed him, and how can he succeed as the country’s top civil servant?

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Presented by Emma Norris.

With Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas.

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Cabi-not yet Secretary Nov 29, 2024

Show notes

It’s a competition that has gripped the nation. The candidates have been whittled down. The country is on tenterhooks. Strictly? Of course not. We’re talking about the appointment of the next cabinet secretary. The Guardian’s Rafael Behr joins the podcast team to speculate about who might get the job – and what they need to do.

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Produced by Robin Leeburn for Podmasters

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Starmer’s Farmer Drama Nov 21, 2024

Show notes

Keir Starmer has been on his travels again, but it has been a tricky week at home for the government. Tim Ross and Rachel Wearmouth, the authors of new book Landslide: The Inside Story of the 2024 Election, join the podcast team to discuss how Labour returned to power – and how Starmer and his team are faring.

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PLUS: Labour is promising to set up a lot of new public bodies: 17 and counting. A new IfG report has been tracking their progress, and reveals how to succeed, or not, when setting these bodies up.

Cath Haddon presents, with Giles Wilkes and Matthew Gill. Produced by Jade Bailey for Podmasters and the IfG.

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