

Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 30, 2022 • 38min
Gilt trips & bank statements
The fallout from Kwasi Kwarteng's budget continues, so what can the chancellor do to calm the nerves? Guest Soumaya Keynes of the Economist joins the IfG podcast team to discuss what has gone wrong for Kwarteng and Liz Truss, and the lessons to be learnt from a week of economic turmoil. No drama for Starmer? We take a look back at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool and what Keir Starmer's speech tells us about the direction of travel for His Majesty's Opposition. And as the Conservative Party assembles in Birmingham, we look ahead to what could be a lively few days for Liz Truss - and what awaits at her first party conference since becoming PM. Presented by Hannah WhiteWith Giles Wilkes and Tom Pope Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 28, 2022 • 47min
Europe's Energy Crisis
With winter fast approaching, politicians across Europe have been taking dramatic steps to address the ongoing energy crisis. The IfG team are joined by Alice Hancock from the FT and Elisabetta Cornago from the Centre for European Reform to assess different countries’ responses. Is Europe ready for the winter ahead? Why is the UK’s support package so expensive? Are the public up for cutting their energy use? And what should countries be doing to tackle the crisis in the longer term? Presented by Tom Sasse with Olly Bartrum Produced by Candice McKenzie https://www.cer.eu/insights/eus-energy-plan-difficult-winter-what-are-options https://www.bruegel.org/dataset/national-policies-shield-consumers-rising-energy-prices https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/tackling-energy-efficiency-problem.pdf https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/Addressing-rising-energy-bills_0.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 23, 2022 • 37min
Gloves off for Truss v Starmer
Liz Truss has been to New York, Keir Starmer is on his way to Liverpool, and the IfG podcast team assemble in the studio to discuss a week where politics began to return to normal – albeit against the unpleasant backdrop of Vladimir Putin’s threat of nuclear war. Guest Ayesha Hazarika dials in to discuss the new prime minister’s first steps on the world stage, some big government policy announcements at home, and what to look out for at Labour’s annual party conference. Plus: If Liz Truss is all about delivery, then how can she make government departments deliver? The team discuss a new IfG report which recommends the step she should – and shouldn’t – take. Hannah White presents. With Alex Thomas and Rhys Clyne. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 15, 2022 • 45min
The Queen, the King and the Constitution
The FT’s Stephen Bush joins the IfG team in the podcast studio, just a few hundred metres away from Buckingham Palace, to make sense of an extraordinary moment in British history. What does the death of Queen Elizabeth II, after a record-breaking 70-year reign, mean for the Royal Family? How will King Charles III approach the role of monarch? And what questions will now be asked about the role of the monarch in the constitution, how the King interacts with politics and how ministers engage with the King? Presented by Hannah White with Catherine Haddon and Maddy Thimont-Jack. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 7, 2022 • 41min
In Liz we Truss?
The epic Conservative Party leadership contest is finally over, and Liz Truss is the new prime minister. After a flight to Balmoral to meet the Queen, and a drive through London in lashing rain, Truss stepped straight from the prime ministerial car to the podium outside No10 and set out her vision for the country So, what happens next and what should we expect from this country’s 56th prime minister? Former special adviser Salma Shah joins the podcast team to weigh up Truss’s Downing Street speech, her Cabinet appointments, and how she might handle a daunting in-tray. Hannah White presents. With Giles Wilkes and Catherine Haddon. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 3, 2022 • 40min
Truss triumph or Sunak surprise?
The long, hot summer of endless Conservative leadership contest hustings is over, and next week the winner will be announced. The FT’s Seb Payne joins the podcast crew to discuss the battle to become PrimeMinister. Will Liz Truss emerge victorious as all the polls predict? Can Rishi Sunak spring a surprise? And just how daunting is the next prime minister’s in-tray? And as Boris Johnson’s premiership comes to an end, how should we look back on a dramatic - and sometimes controversial - stint in No10? With Hannah White, Jill Rutter and Alex Thomas Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 25, 2022 • 45min
WHAT IS THE POINT OF PARTY CONFERENCES?
Every autumn the UK’s political parties decamp from Westminster for the annual party conference season. From Brighton to Blackpool, Manchester to Birmingham, Liverpool to Glasgow, Britain’s cities take turns to host politicians, activists, party members, journalists, and lobbyists for long days (and nights) of keynote speeches, breakfast fringe meetings, endless schmoozing, too much warm white wine and endless political intrigue. Is this where key decisions are taken and political history is made? Or i it just a gossip-soaked get together which serves no value? Michael Crick, a veteran of decades of conferences, joins political journalist Marie Le Conte, former special adviser Peter Cardwell, and the IfG’s Jill Rutter to reminisce about conferences past and weigh up whether party conferences deserve a future. Presented by Alex Thomas Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 18, 2022 • 38min
THE SECRET MAP OF WHITEHALL
Centuries of British political history has played out across Whitehall, with key decisions taken in the many government buildings that line the streets around the Palace of Westminster. But what secrets are contained within their walls and behind their doors? How have the buildings changed over the years? And what secret tunnels lie beneath the basements of Whitehall? Special guest Gus O'Donnell joins the IfG’s Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas to reveal the secret map of Whitehall. Presented by Hannah White Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 11, 2022 • 57min
THE LIFECYCLE OF A MINISTER
From being appointed to the job to that first overwhelming day’s work, from taking key decisions to ultimately being reshuffled back to the backbenches, and with a whole load of unexpected moments along the way, the lifetime of a government minister is a whirlwind of new experiences. From a grip on the levers of power to inevitable disappointment, it is a career like no other. With special guests – and former ministers – Jim Murphy and David Gauke, and featuring original audio from the IfG’s unique Ministers Reflect series, this Inside Briefing summer special goes behind the scenes to explore the twists and turns of serving in government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 4, 2022 • 45min
NUMBER 10 AFTER JOHNSON
Boris Johnson’s Number 10 veered between the anarchic and the chaotic, marked by resignations, sackings, resets, cake ambushes and work events. So, what can the next prime minister do to make No10 work in a way that can deliver their priorities? What are the key decisions they must take on their first day in the job? What appointments do they need to get right? Does it matter where people sit? And is 10 Downing Street really the right building from which to run a government? Sally Morgan, Kate Fall and Giles Wilkes, three veterans of No10, share their experiences of working at the centre of government for three different prime ministers, and give their advice on how to reshape No10 in the post-Johnson era. Presented by Emma Norris. With Cath Haddon. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices


