IfG Events

This special event considered the recommendations of the Institute’s 2024 Commission on the Centre of Government in light of our analysis of the Labour government’s first year in office and the prime minister’s agenda to reform public services and rewire the state.   The Chair of the Institute, Lord Sainsbury of Turville, spoke on government reform and the civil service – offering his valedictory...

Almost 15 years on from the coalition government’s white paper Universal Credit: Welfare that Works, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has finally concluded that its overhaul of the benefits systems is nearly complete. A few thousand people are yet to be transferred from tax credits, income support and Jobseeker’s Allowance, and a rather larger numbers are still on Employment and Support...

Keir Starmer has said that “nothing less than the complete re-wiring of the British state” is needed for the public sector – and in particular the civil service – to deliver the government’s agenda. So what should this transformation look like – and how can it be made to last?   As the government’s former lead Non-Executive Director, Michael Jary CBE worked closely with the Chancellor of the Duchy...

Elections were held across England on 1 May, with votes cast for four regional mayors, in 24 of England’s 317 councils and to decide the new MP for Runcorn and Helsby. So who are England’s newly-elected mayors and what might they do with the power they wield? What impact will the elections have on the Labour government's devolution agenda? And what happens next with its plans to reorganise local g...

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...

The IfG was delighted to welcome Rt Hon Darren Jones MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, to set out how smarter decision-making methods in government can reduce waste and deliver for the taxpayer.   In a speech at the IfG, Darren Jones set out his plans to reform government financial systems to achieve better strategic financial decision making going forward. This comes after the prime minister l...

This Institute for Government webinar brought instant expert analysis of the prime minister’s plans to radically overhaul the British state.   Ahead of his speech, Keir Starmer told officials he wants to unshackle them from bureaucracy to stop their talent being "constrained”, and to create an “agile, mission-focused and more productive” civil service.   But planned job cuts across the civil servi...

Keir Starmer commissioned a number of high-profile reviews into difficult policy areas on taking office, but the prime minister seems to have become more sceptical about their value in recent weeks.   At this event, to mark the launch of a new IfG report on lessons from past policy reviews, a panel of former reviewers and commissioners of reviews explored when reviews can lead to real change – and...

The IfG was pleased to welcome Rt Hon Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, who delivered a keynote speech on how the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) plans to use its expanding powers and spending freedoms.   From April 2025, Greater Manchester will be funded by a new ‘integrated settlement’ that gives the mayor and other local leaders far greater control of spending in areas suc...

The new public sector Probation Service was created in 2021 to unify the outsourced management of low- and medium-risk offenders with the public sector management of high-risk offenders.   While the initial transition went well, four years on probation still faces deep structural challenges – as do other public services. The government is committed to public service reform and a ‘mission-driven’ a...

Whitehall Monitor 2025 – the Institute for Government’s flagship annual report on the civil service – found that high staff turnover, confused workforce planning, slipping morale and uncompetitive pay will hinder its ability to deliver Labour’s missions, even with an increased headcount and a relentless pressure for greater efficiency and productivity   Keir Starmer and Cabinet Office minister Pat...

This special event to mark International Women’s Day, saw Lucy Powell, Leader of the House of Commons, discuss the modernisation of Parliament and how the Modernisation Committee can help make the House more accessible, effective and inclusive. Lucy Powell has served as the MP for Manchester Central since 2012 and became Leader of the House after the 2024 election. In this role, she represents the...

Whitehall Monitor 2025 – the Institute for Government’s flagship annual report on the civil service – found that high staff turnover, confused workforce planning, slipping morale and uncompetitive pay will hinder its ability to deliver Labour’s missions, even with an increasing headcount and a relentless pressure for greater efficiency and productivity   Keir Starmer and Cabinet Office minister Pa...

The Labour government wants mayoral combined authorities (MCAs) to play a leading role in delivering faster economic growth – so what can ministers do to help MCAs achieve success in this mission?     With an expanding set of devolved transport, skills, housing and planning powers, MCAs are well-placed to drive regional growth – but success is not a given. To capitalise on their potential, MCAs ne...

Whitehall Monitor 2025 – the Institute for Government’s flagship annual report on the civil service – found that high staff turnover, confused workforce planning, slipping morale and uncompetitive pay will hinder its ability to deliver Labour’s missions, even with an increased headcount and a relentless pressure for greater efficiency and productivity   Keir Starmer and Cabinet Office minister Pat...

As part of its mission to make the UK the fastest-growing economy in the G7, the government has embarked upon a new industrial strategy. Science and innovation feature prominently, with life sciences identified as holding “enormous potential to drive economic growth and productivity” in the decades ahead. So how can this potential be fulfilled?   The next few months present a window of opportunity...

With an aim of delivering ‘simpler, more sustainable local government structures, alongside a transfer of power out of Westminster through devolution’, the government has formally invited proposals for local government reorganisation from all two-tier and small neighbouring unitary authorities in England.   Delivering this ambitious agenda will be complex, time-consuming and challenging as local a...

Keir Starmer has promised to introduce legislation to parliament – before this April’s anniversary of the Hillsborough football stadium disaster – that would extend a statutory duty of candour to public authorities and officials.   Starmer hopes that the new Hillsborough law, which will require government organisations and officials to be truthful and to proactively co-operate with investigations...

Tamara Finkelstein, Permanent Secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Head of the UK Civil Service Policy Profession, is clear that generalist skills are essential but questions whether it is time to move away from generalists as roles sitting outside of professions. Tamara set out current plans for the Policy Profession, which provides a professional home a...

Decarbonising the power system by 2030 and accelerating to net zero is one of Labour's five key missions. But this extremely ambitious target means moving much faster than the previous government managed. So how much progress has the Labour government already made, and what more could it do to speed up delivery? The government’s first weeks in office saw it remove restrictions on onshore wind farm...

As Sir Chris Wormald starts his new job as cabinet secretary, two panels – one from Singapore – brought together civil service leaders from other countries to explore how they approached the job and what the UK could learn from their experiences.   Speaking at the IfG:  Pamela Dow, Chief Operating Officer at Civic Future and a former UK civil servant Leslie Evans, Permanent Secretary to the Scotti...

Two of England’s elected mayors join an expert panel to explore how well mayors are working with central government – and what powers they need. Ben Houchen, Mayor of Tees Valley Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands Chaired by Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Local government has faced huge financial pressures, leaving residents across England struggling to access services. Featuring presentations from council leaders, this panel explored what can be done to turn around performance.    Presentations from: Jenny Rowlands, Chief Executive of Camden Council Claire Taylor, Chief Operating Officer, Sheffield City Council   Panel: Hilary Cottam, author, inno...

As the spending review approaches, IfG experts – along with senior fellow Sam Freedman – explored how the government can best use its missions – and milestones – to shape its spending choices. Nehal Davison, Programme Director at the Institute for Government Cassia Rowland, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government Chaired by Gemm...

No other party leader enjoyed themselves as much as Ed Davey did during the 2024 general election campaign. Rollercoasters, paddleboards, slides – the list goes on.  And then general election night was full of cheer for the Lib Dems too – with the party winning a record number of seats and reclaiming its status as Westminster’s third biggest party.  But how can those 72 MPs actually have an impact...