Institute for Government

IfG Events

The Labour government has a huge majority in parliament – but Keir Starmer’s administration is also facing an incredibly complex set of policy challenges. So how can the prime minister and his team turn around public service performance? What can chancellor Rachel Reeves do to get the economy growing again? What will mission-driven government actually mean in practice? Who should be making the key decisions in Westminster – and beyond? And what will the appointment of a new cabinet secretary mean for the future direction of the civil service? From reforming how the centre of government works t...

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Institute for Government

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Government

Latest episode

Jul 7, 2026

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Episodes

Leadership change in the civil service: How can new permanent secretaries deliver for government? 06.11.2025

As well as the election of a new government, the last year has seen the appointment of a new cabinet secretary and eight new permanent secretaries to lead departments.   How will this new leadership cohort change the civil service? What should they prioritise as they get to grips with their new departments? And how can they build the most talented teams to deliver the government’s priorities? To e...

Productivity Pitches #8: Spreading innovation across public services 23.10.2025

Productivity in public services has never been more important. Most services are struggling to return to pre-pandemic performance levels, and the new Labour government has indicated that spending will remain tight. Improvements in performance will likely come from frontline workers finding new, innovative ways of delivering services.   So what can be done to improve productivity? By highlighting o...

IfG DevoLab #2: How can mayors and strategic authorities secure investment into regional economies? 22.10.2025

The IfG team headed to Birmingham to explore how mayors can secure and deliver private investment into their regions in pursuit of growth and regeneration. The IfG DevoLab is a new initiative from the Institute for Government dedicated to exploring the innovations enabled by devolution, learning from the results, and sharing the lessons so that places can take better decisions about how to use dev...

Local government reorganisation and public service delivery: What are the options and challenges? 17.10.2025

The government’s major restructuring of local government will be a formidable challenge for local officials and political leaders in 164 district councils across 21 English county areas and 19 small neighbouring unitary authorities. For local government reorganisation to truly act as a catalyst for local public service reform, as envisaged by central government, services currently delivered by out...

How can changes to NHS incentives help deliver the 10 Year Health Plan?   16.10.2025

The government’s ambitious vision for the health system can only be delivered by changing the behaviour of thousands of different organisations and hundreds of thousands of people working across health and care. To do this, the 10 Year Health Plan proposes some major changes to how funding flows through the system and how providers and individuals are held to account. This includes multi-year budg...

What is the Conservative route to fiscal sustainability? 15.10.2025

Speakers: Richard Fuller MP, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Thomas Pope, Deputy Chief Economist at the Institute for Government Ryan Shorthouse, Executive Chair at Bright Blue Trinh Tu, Managing Director, Public Affairs at Ipsos UK   This event was chaired by Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoic...

How should devolution across the North of England be successfully implemented and enhanced? 15.10.2025

Speakers: David Simmonds MP, Shadow Minister for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Dr Tom Arnold, Research Associate at the Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place Cllr Abi Brown OBE, Deputy Leader of the Local Government Association Conservative Group Helen Gbormittah, Regional Director, North West at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)   This event was chaired by Ak...

How should governments rewire the state to get things done? 14.10.2025

Speakers: Rt Hon Jesse Norman MP, Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Caroline Elsom, Head of Reshaping The State at Onward Eve Norridge, Head of Research at Onward Dr Hannah White, Director of the Institute for Government   This event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.   This event was held in partnership with Onward. Learn more about your ad choices...

How can mayors improve skills and productivity to drive regional growth?   14.10.2025

Speakers: Mayor Paul Bristow, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester Cllr Louise McKinlay, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities, Economic Growth and Prosperity at Essex County Council   This event was chaired by Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.   This event was held i...

How should the Conservative Party rethink its vision for public services? 14.10.2025

Speaker: Baroness Barran MBE, Shadow Minister for Education Dr Kieran Mullan MP, Shadow Minister for Justice Cllr Abi Brown OBE, Deputy Leader of the Local Government Association Conservative Group   This event was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Industrial strategy, tariffs and global trade: Is the government's strategy working? 14.10.2025

Speakers: Rt Hon Lord Willetts, Chair of the Regulatory Innovation Office and former Minister for Universities and Science Helen Bower-Easton CBE, Director of Communications at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Professor Nigel Brandon OBE, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Professor of Sustainable Development in Energy at Imperial College London Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute...

Should public sector pay and pensions be reformed? 05.10.2025

Speakers:    Tim Leunig, Chief Econonist at Nesta Dave Penman, General Secretary at the FDA Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government Paul Whiteman, General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers   This event was chaired by Ben Paxton, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government.   This event was held in partnership with the FDA. Learn more about your a...

How can local places maximise the benefits of devolution to drive economic growth? 05.10.2025

Speakers:   Maya Ellis MP, Member of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee Mayor Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Professor Lisa Collins, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Research and Innovation at the University of Surrey Dr Rebecca McKee, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government   This event was chaired by Thomas Pope, Deputy Chief Economist at the Institu...

How can technology support place-based public services? 04.10.2025

Speakers:   Rt Hon John Denham, former Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Council & Corporate Portfolio Holder at City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council Katie Johnston, Devolved and Local Government Lead at PwC UK Jessica Studdert, Chief Executive of New Local    This event was chaired by Stuart Hoddinott, Associate Director at the Ins...

How can industrial strategy drive growth? 04.10.2025

Speakers:   Lisa Bungeroth, Director of Public Affairs at Imperial College London Thomas Cawston, Corporate Affairs Lead at Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Louise Hellem, Chief Economist at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Pranesh Narayanan, Senior Research Fellow at IPPR Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government   This event was chaired by Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist...

How can the government make its health reforms a success? 03.10.2025

Speakers:   Alex McIntyre MP, Member of the Health and Social Care Select Committee Kevin McKenna MP, Officer of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Health Professor Nicola Ranger, General Secretary and Chief Executive of the Royal College of Nursing Thea Stein, Chief Executive of the Nuffield Trust   This event was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.   Th...

How can the government rebuild the criminal justice system? 03.10.2025

Speakers:    Jake Richards MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Ministry of Justice Deputy Mayor Kate Green, Deputy Mayor for Safer and Stronger Communities, Greater Manchester Clare Moody, Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon & Somerset Cassia Rowland, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government Fiona Rutherford, Chief Executive of JUSTICE   This event was chaired by Nick Davies, Prog...

How should the government successfully implement and enhance devolution across the North of England? 03.10.2025

Speakers:    Katherine Fairclough, Chief Executive of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Council & Corporate Portfolio Holder at City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council Sue Jarvis, Co-Director at Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place Dr Henry Kippin, Chief Executive of North East Combined Authority   This event was chaired by Akash...

How can government use leadership and innovation to deliver for the public? 03.10.2025

Speakers:   Chris Ward MP, Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office Kelly Beaver MBE, Chief Executive of Ipsos, UK and Ireland Conrad Thompson, Public Sector Lead for Innovation at PA Consulting Moira Wallace, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government   This event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.   This event was held in partnership with PA C...

How can mayors improve skills and productivity to drive regional growth? 03.10.2025

Speakers:    Alison McGovern MP, Minister of State in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester Bassam Mahfouz AM, Chair of Greater London Authority Oversight Committee Deputy Mayor Nadine Peatfield, Deputy Mayor of East Midlands Combined Authority Cllr Bella Sankey, Leader of Brighton & Hove Cit...

Political leadership and communities in times of crisis (reception) 02.10.2025

Speakers:    Dan Jarvis MBE MP, Minister for Security at the Home Office and Minister of State at the Cabinet Office Emma Hardy MP, Minister for Water and Flooding Béatrice Butsana-Sita, Chief Executive at British Red Cross Dr Hannah White OBE, Director & CEO, at the Institute for Government   This event was held in partnership with the British Red Cross. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit po...

Is Labour’s clean power mission on track? 02.10.2025

 Speakers:    Michael Shanks MP, Minister for Energy at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Sam Alvis, Associate Director for Environment, Energy Security and Nature at IPPR Sam Peacock, Managing Director for Corporate Affairs, Regulation and Strategy at SSE Dhara Vyas, Chief Executive Officer of Energy UK This event was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Govern...

How could the UK take a prevention-led approach to healthcare? 02.10.2025

The Liberal Democrat manifesto committed to keeping people out of hospital by investing in public health and early access to community services. Prevention is also central to the government’s plans for improving healthcare. But meaningfully shifting care from treatment to prevention is easier said than done.    So how could the UK take a prevention-led approach to healthcare?   We discussed at the...

How can local places ensure devolution delivers economic growth? 02.10.2025

The government’s devolution plans are centred on devolving more powers out of Whitehall into the hands of the local leaders, and giving local places control of key policy areas like skills, transport, and housing. But questions remain about how this will work in practice.   At the 2025 Liberal Democrat Party Conference in Bournemouth we explored the key steps that local places need to take to deve...

Boosting trade and unlocking investment in an uncertain world 02.10.2025

President Trump’s return to the White House has reshaped the world trade order – posing risks, but also offering opportunities, for the UK.   What can be done to make the UK become a more attractive destination for foreign investment? How should the UK deal with the US - and approach its relationship with China? How can the government help UK businesses and will its new industrial and trade strate...

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