Ifg Events Podcast

There has been no shortage of central government attempts to support regional development over past decades, but these have been insufficient to close the widening gaps in geographical disparities, with efforts lacking scale, coordination, data and effective oversight, and policies ultimately proving short lived. So what can be done to fix the problem? The Levelling Up White Paper proposed several reforms to 'rewire Whitehall' to ensure the government delivered more effective regional policy, including the creation of a Levelling Up Advisory Council (LUAC) – an expert group reporting to the levelling up secretary of state – to provide insight, challenge, and advice to the government on its design and delivery of the levelling up policy agenda. This event will also consider how central government can best be organised to deliver effective long-term regional policy, whether the white paper’s reforms are the right ones, what difference structures like the Advisory Council make, and what else is needed. So what

How to restore trust in politics by strengthening standards in public life has been in the spotlight in recent years. The Labour Party has proposed a new, independent Ethics and Integrity Commission to “stamp out corruption in government, strengthen the rules and ensure they are enforced.” But how would that commission work in practice? If Labour forms the next government, what powers would the commission have to investigate alleged poor behaviour? How will it enforce its judgements? Who would sit on the commission and how will it work with government ministers? To answer all these questions and set out her vision for how to make politics work better at a time of depleted trust, the Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, Labour’s Deputy Leader and Shadow Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, gave a keynote speech at the Institute for Government. The event was chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. Following her speech, Angela Rayner took part in a Q&A with the in-person and onli

Impartiality is a defining feature of the UK’s civil service – and one if its ‘core values’ – but the future of civil service impartiality is in the spotlight. Brexit, and the strained relationship between ministers and civil servants that characterised the Johnson and Truss governments, have seen ministers accuse officials of obstructing their agendas, with Dominic Raab attacking “increasingly activist” civil servants when he resigned from government. The ability of an impartial civil service to serve governments of any political persuasion has been widely acknowledged as one of its strengths for generations, but recent tensions have led to calls for more political appointees in government. So what can the UK learn from other countries? How do different governments approach the question of civil service impartiality? What are the benefits – and risks – of political appointments? And what is the right balance between impartial officials and political appointees? To explore these questions, and identify an

Better use of data is key to more effective government. Across government, teams are doing fascinating work with data. But those projects don’t get the attention they deserve. Data Bites aims to change that. This event was the 44th in our series, where the speakers presented their work in an exciting, quickfire format. Each speaker had eight minutes, followed by eight minutes of questions from the audience.  This month's speakers were:  Stan Gilmour, National Risk Technology Lead at the Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser, National Police Chief’s Council, to provide an update from his discussion at Data Bites #8 on the progress towards a Common Data Platform for cross-agency data collaboration in support of public health approaches to serious violence prevention and the potential for wider support to ‘whole of society’ change programmes Lex Jones, Chief Executive of the Registry Trust, on using better data to make better decisions Michał Poręba, Head of Profession for Data Architecture and Data Enginee

The rule of law is a fundamental principle of a constitutional democracy – but in recent years it has been the subject of much debate. What role should the rule of law play? What is the government’s commitment to the rule of law? And what part should public law play in solving political disputes? As Attorney General, Victoria Prentis KC MP acts at the intersection of politics and the law. She is Chief Legal Adviser to the Crown and advises the government on both domestic and international law. The Attorney General's Office oversees the Law Officers’ departments, which include the Crown Prosecution Service, the Serious Fraud Office, and the Government Legal Department, where the Attorney General was herself a government lawyer for 17 years before being elected as an MP. She gave a keynote speech at the Institute for Government. The event was chaired by Emma Norris, Deputy Director at the Institute for Government. Following her speech the Attorney General took part in a Q&A with the in-person and online

Devolution deals have transferred control of various budgets and functions – including over transport, skills, housing and planning – from central government to metro mayors and combined authorities in many parts of England. The devolution process is continuing. Five new mayors are due to be elected in 2024 – in the East Midlands, North East, York and North Yorkshire, Suffolk and Norfolk – and additional powers are being devolved to Greater Manchester and the West Midlands. A further wave of deals is expected before the 2024 general election, with Labour also committed to extending devolution if it forms the next government. So how can England’s cities and counties best negotiate and implement devolution deals? How should they establish effective new combined authorities to run devolved functions? And what lessons can be learnt from the past decade of devolution? The Institute for Government – in partnership with the University of Nottingham’s Institute for Policy and Engagement – hosted a launch event in

Tackling climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing governments across the world. With both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer pledging to hit ambitious emissions targets and make the UK a clean energy ‘superpower’, the net zero agenda will be a major issue at the next general election. So what needs to be done to switch the UK from being an economy powered by carbon to one that is near emissions free, and does the UK have a credible plan to hit its net zero targets? To explore these critical questions, and examine what government needs to do to meet its climate objectives, the Institute for Government brought together leading politicians and experts from the UK and beyond for a special net zero conference. The morning focused on whether the UK government has the right policies in place to cut emissions. And in the afternoon we examined government’s role in supporting green industries, following major subsidies announced by the US and the EU. This event explored how the UK should respond as other co

At this session, the Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Net Zero, joined Emma Norris, IfG Deputy Director, to discuss how a Labour government would do net zero differently. This event was part of the IfG's Net Zero Conference. Tackling climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing governments across the world. With both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer pledging to hit ambitious emissions targets and make the UK a clean energy ‘superpower’, the net zero agenda will be a major issue at the next general election. So what needs to be done to switch the UK from being an economy powered by carbon to one that is near emissions free, and does the UK have a credible plan to hit its net zero targets? To explore these critical questions, and examine what government needs to do to meet its climate objectives, the Institute for Government brought together leading politicians and experts from the UK and beyond for a special net zero conference. The morning focused on whether the UK government ha

Tackling climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing governments across the world. With both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer pledging to hit ambitious emissions targets and make the UK a clean energy ‘superpower’, the net zero agenda will be a major issue at the next general election. So what needs to be done to switch the UK from being an economy powered by carbon to one that is near emissions free, and does the UK have a credible plan to hit its net zero targets? To explore these critical questions, and examine what government needs to do to meet its climate objectives, the Institute for Government brought together leading politicians and experts from the UK and beyond for a special net zero conference. The morning focused on whether the UK government has the right policies in place to cut emissions. And in the afternoon we examined government’s role in supporting green industries, following major subsidies announced by the US and the EU. At this session we explored whether the government has a

The Rt Hon Chris Skidmore MP joined Dr Hannah White, IfG Director, to discuss his Independent Review of Net Zero. This event was part of the IfG's Net Zero Conference. Tackling climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing governments across the world. With both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer pledging to hit ambitious emissions targets and make the UK a clean energy ‘superpower’, the net zero agenda will be a major issue at the next general election. So what needs to be done to switch the UK from being an economy powered by carbon to one that is near emissions free, and does the UK have a credible plan to hit its net zero targets? To explore these critical questions, and examine what government needs to do to meet its climate objectives, the Institute for Government brought together leading politicians and experts from the UK and beyond for a special net zero conference. The morning focused on whether the UK government has the right policies in place to cut emissions. And in the afternoon we exam

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. Follow us on Twitter @ifgevents and join the conversation using #IfGCentre.

Improving economic performance outside London and the South East is a core aim of the government’s levelling up agenda. Drawing on past IfG research, this event explored what policies, and policy approaches, would best support economic performance outside London and the South East and compare these with the government’s current policies. Our panel discussed: What policies would be most effective to achieve the government’s productivity mission and what should the government prioritise? What will the Sunak government do differently to the Johnson government and where can it make improvements? Are there lessons from the way other countries have attempted to level up? And how important are the economic aspects of levelling up, as opposed to other missions to increase pride in place and wellbeing? To explore these questions, the IfG brought together an expert panel including: Adam Hawksbee, Deputy Director at Onward Ruth Kelly, Chief Analyst at the National Audit Office Thomas Pope, Deputy Chief Economist at t

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.

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

The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome Sir Jon Thompson, Chief Executive of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) and former permanent secretary at the Ministry of Defence and HMRC. Sir Jon has led the FRC – which oversees audit and corporate governance reform of the UK's largest companies – through a period of major transformation, and last year the FRC issued record fines, including for misconduct at KPMG following its audits of Regenersis and Carillion. Ahead of standing down from leading the FRC, Sir Jon reflected on his experience of being a regulator and the role that the audit watchdog plays. How far should regulation prevent corporate failures? What is the future of audit reform? And how can regulation keep pace with technological and social change? To discuss these questions and look ahead to some of the key challenges facing regulators in the UK, Sir Jon was in conversation with Dr Matthew Gill, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. Sir Jon Thompson has been CEO of t

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

Westminster’s relationship with the UK’s nations and regions has changed radically over the last 25 years. Powers have been devolved, and new institutions in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have been created. But does the UK’s constitution still work for these new arrangements or is reform needed? In Scotland, the question of independence looms large. In Northern Ireland, the future of power-sharing is in doubt. In Wales, there is growing interest in federalism. And in England, the pursuit of economic development is driving regional devolution. There are shared challenges too, including relationships with the central UK government and the lack of constitutional protection for devolved powers. This event – part of the IfG and the Bennett Institute Review of the UK constitution – brought together reflections from four roundtables held across the UK to discuss these issues, in partnership with the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace at Queen’s University Belfast, the Royal Socie

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 considered 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, Profess

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

Better use of data is key to more effective government. Across government, teams are doing fascinating work with data. But those projects don’t get the attention they deserve. Data Bites aims to change that. This event was the 43rd in our series, where the speakers presented their work in an exciting, quickfire format. Each speaker had eight minutes, followed by eight minutes of questions from the audience. This month's speakers were: Kris De Meyer, Science Communication Fellow at University College London, on turning climate change data into useful metrics Matt Lowe, Manager of FCA Innovation Lab, and Simran Singh, TechSprint Lead at FCA Innovation Lab, Financial Conduct Authority, on The Experimentation Wing of the Financial Conduct Authority: How the FCA’s Digital Sandbox and TechSprint initiatives enable the regulator to collaboratively explore and test out new technologies Teresa Soter, Senior Policy Adviser at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, on conducting a public dialogue o