Ifg Events Podcast

Boris Johnson's 2019 pledge to ‘level up’ the UK has become his government’s flagship agenda. But this is not the first government aiming to reduce regional economic disparities, and the Johnson administration will need to learn from the experience of past administrations if it is to succeed where others failed. With previous attempts to level up let down by frequent churn in institutions and programmes, as well as a failure to properly evaluate which policies were working, this event will explore what lessons the government can learn from the past. Does the government know which policies will work to level up? How can it overcome barriers to the effective evaluation of any new policies? What other lessons can it learn from previous administrations if it is to make levelling up a success? The Institute for Government was delighted to bring together the following panel to discuss these issues: Ruth Kelly, Chief Analyst at the National Audit Office Danielle Mason, Head of Policy at the What Works Centre fo

At the 2019 general election, the Conservative Party won votes in many places that had not traditionally voted Tory - with the promise to 'level up' the UK seen as a key factor. A recent white paper finally set out the government’s plan to turn the levelling up slogan into reality, including 12 missions to be achieved by 2030. But with the general election due in no more than two years, will the government be able to demonstrate sufficient levelling up progress before voters return to the polls? Has it set its expectations too high? What do voters want to see from levelling up? This event, held in the week after the local elections, asked what the public expects of levelling up and whether and how the government can deliver against public expectations before April 2024. On our panel to discuss these issues: Viki Cooke, Founding Partner at Britain Thinks Andrew Lewer MP, Member of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Select Committee and Vice-President of the Local Government Association Alex Norris M

From attending parties during the Covid-19 lockdown to taking payment for lobbying, some MPs seem to think the rules they set for others should not apply to them. Their procedures are complex, they are far from representative of the UK population, and many appear detached from the lives led by their constituents. So what can be done to reform the way the House of Commons works? How can MPs make their institution worthy of public trust? And what can parliamentarians do to restore their flagging reputation? To mark the publication of her new book: Held in Contempt: What's wrong with the House of Commons? the IfG's deputy director, Dr Hannah White was joined by an expert panel, including The Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP, Member of Parliament for Staffordshire Moorlands, and Chris Cook from the Financial Times. The event was chaired by IfG senior fellow, Dr Catherine Haddon. #IfGCommons

A decade since Michael Gove passed legislation allowing all schools to convert to academy status, academies make up just under half of all schools in England. The rest are regulated as maintained schools, meaning two parallel systems – with resulting confusion, gaps, and misalignments – now exist. Neighbouring schools can have different rules around admissions, special educational needs provision, or the use of the national curriculum. In a paper for the Institute for Government, Sam Freedman has argued that high-quality multi-academy trusts (MATs) can be the bedrock of the English system, and that it is time for the Department for Education to map a process for moving to a fully academised system. This event explored the proposals in the new education white paper – the first time since 2016 that the government has set out a vision for the future of the system – and what the future schools system should look like, as well as exploring the benefits and drawbacks of making every school an academy. On our pan

Levelling up and net zero are the government’s twin flagship agendas. But how do they align? Where and how can policies complement each other? And what is required to make that happen? While the levelling up white paper acknowledged and explored some of the links between the two agendas, the government has yet to set out a coherent plan for how they will be brought together. On our panel to discuss these issues were: Steve Beechey, Group Public Sector Director at Wates Roz Bulleid, Deputy Policy Director at Green Alliance Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee Julia Goldsworthy, former Director of Strategy at the West Midlands Combined Authority. The event was chaired by Tom Sasse, Associate Director at the Institute for Government. #IfGlevellingup We would like to thank Wates for kindly supporting this event.

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. At this month's event, the 28th in our series, 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: Alison Pritchard, Deputy National Statistician and Director General for Data Capability, Office for National Statistics, on the Integrated Data Service Ed Humpherson, Head of the Office for Statistics Regulation, on how it’s not enough for data to be technically strong, and the need for intelligent transparency based on trustworthiness, quality and value Laura Sandys CBE, Chair of the Energy Digitalisation Taskforce, on the case for limited Public Interest Digital Assets Leanne Summers, Head of AI Strategy at NHS Transformation, on developing a learning health and social care system enabled by data and

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. At this month's event, the 27th in our series, 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: Tina Mermiri, Head of User & Data Insight at Government Digital Service, on data, trends and change on GOV.UK Hannah Spiro, Head of Public Attitudes, and Holly Clarke, Public Attitudes Researcher, at the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI), on the findings of the CDEI Tracker Survey which monitors changing public attitudes to data and AI Charles Price, Deputy Director of the Knowledge Assets Team at BEIS, on public sector knowledge asset management Kathleen Caper, Senior Policy Adviser at the Central Digital and Data Office, on the Data Standards Authority and why data sharing governance is key

After the long years of counter-insurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine means the United Kingdom once again faces a conflict in Europe. At the same time, China is taking an increasingly assertive approach to Taiwan. The government's response to this era of renewed global competition is the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy. One year on from its publication, the Institute for Government was delighted to host MoD Permanent Secretary David Williams alongside Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin to discuss their priorities for the Ministry of Defence and what reforms will ensure the civil service and armed forces are able to meet the threats the UK faces in the world. The event was chaired by Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government #IfGUKdefence

In 2017, Michael Gove called Brexit an ‘unfrozen moment’ which would allow ministers to address long-standing criticisms of the EU Common Agricultural Policy and free the government to radically reform the way it supports farmers. So will redirecting England’s £2.4 billion annual farm budget deliver a substantial Brexit dividend? Will reforms bring about everything farmers, environmentalists and taxpayers expect? And can those changes be delivered while the sector is coping with labour shortages, rising energy prices, new trade deals and post-Brexit regulatory changes? And how can policy on food, farming and land use help the government meet its ambitions on net zero, levelling up and tackling obesity? With post-Brexit agricultural reforms the subject of a new IfG report, Agriculture after Brexit: Replacing the CAP, this event will discussed what needs to be done to ensure a better future for food, farming and land use in England. On the panel: Jonathan Baker, Deputy Director in the Future Farming and Cou

Boris Johnson has set 'levelling up' the UK as the mission for his government, but few in Whitehall or the country can explain exactly what it is, how it will be implemented and what success looks like. Tackling regional inequalities lies at the heart of the Conservative Party's re-election hopes, but relies on the implementation of a complex series of policies across national and local government – so does the UK have the will and the money to see it through? Following the release of the government's levelling up white paper, the Institute for Government welcomed Neil O'Brien, the minister for levelling up, to explore levelling up with Sebastian Payne, Whitehall Editor of the Financial Times and author of Broken Heartlands: A Journey Through Labour's Lost England. The pair were in conversation with IfG director Bronwen Maddox, discussing Sebastian Payne's road trip through parts of England that voted Conservative for the first time in living memory and Neil O'Brien's work on producing the white paper and

COP26 highlighted the critical role business and finance will play in driving the transition to a net zero economy. Businesses made new net zero commitments; regulators discussed how to tighten scrutiny of those commitments; and policy makers announced plans to mandate the publication of climate-related risks to business. So how can finance best help the transition to net zero? What can be done to prevent ‘greenwashing’ and build trust in businesses’ commitment to tackling climate change? And what does government need to do to support green business and finance? With the UK set to continue to play a leading role on green finance, our panel discussed how it can accelerate progress after COP26: Sarah Breeden, Executive Director, Financial Stability Strategy at the Bank of England Anthony Browne MP, member of the Treasury Committee Maria Lombardo, Head of ESG Advisory Sustainable Finance at Standard Chartered Bank Kuangyi Wei, Director, Risk & Regulatory Strategy, UKI at Accenture The event was chaired by Tom

Devolution, levelling up and local leadership As part of a special series of events on devolution and levelling up, featuring local leaders from across England, the Institute for Government was delighted to be joined by Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire and leader of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. After just under a year in office, Tracy Brabin discussed her role as mayor, working with the UK government to make levelling up a reality in West Yorkshire, and how she would like to see the powers of mayors evolve. Tracy Brabin was in conversation with Akash Paun, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. This event was broadcast live from Leeds in front of an invited audience. There was an opportunity to put questions to the mayor from both the online and in-person audience. Tracy Brabin was elected as MP for Batley and Spen in October 2016. She was appointed Shadow Minister for Early Years in 2017; Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in January 2020 and Shadow Mi

The norms and conventions of the UK’s uncodified constitution are being pushed to their limits – and sometimes beyond. In the absence of clear legal rules, the constitution relies on a shared understanding of what constitutes good behaviour in public and political life, and trust that people in positions of power will abide by that understanding. The constitutional historian Peter Hennessy describes as this as the “good chaps” theory of UK government. However, the Brexit process saw conflict between different branches of government – parliament, the government and the courts – while Westminster has been rocked by a recent series of scandals around the behaviour of ministers and MPs. So is this a temporary aberration or a deeper problem? Is greater codification needed to regulate the behaviour of constitutional actors? Can the UK rely on “good chaps” or is more needed to ensure norms and conventions are followed? As part of our review of the UK constitution, the Institute for Government and the Bennett Inst

Devolution, levelling up and local leadership event series As part of a special series of events on devolution and levelling up, featuring local leaders from across England, the Institute for Government was delighted to be joined by Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region and leader of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. After nearly five years in office, Steve Rotheram discussed his role as mayor, how he is working with the UK government, what his priorities are for the Liverpool City Region and how he would like to see the powers of mayors evolve. Steve Rotheram was in conversation with Akash Paun, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. This event was broadcast live from Liverpool in front of an invited audience. There was an opportunity to put questions to the mayor from both the online and in-person audience. Steve Rotheram started his political career in 2002 as a Labour councillor on Liverpool City Council and served as Lord Mayor from 2008 to 2009. He was elected MP for

The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome Sir David Norgrove, Chair of the UK Statistics Authority. Sir David’s term as chair of the Statistics Authority, which oversees the UK’s statistical system (including the Office for National Statistics, the Office for Statistics Regulation, and the Government Statistical Service), has taken in a Census, the coronavirus pandemic, technological progress and other developments in how data and statistics are used in decision making. As his term comes to an end, he reflected on his experiences in conversation with Gavin Freeguard, Associate at the Institute for Government. #IfGNorgrove Sir David Norgrove is Chair of the UK Statistics Authority. Sir David began his career as an economist at the Treasury and worked in a Chicago bank before becoming Private Secretary to the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. He spent 16 years with Marks & Spencer between 1988 and 2004 and became a member of the Board there. Since leaving M&S he has chaired the Low Pay Com

After a turbulent decade in British politics and government, the civil service faces a crisis of authority. Politicians question its legitimacy and effectiveness, permanent secretaries have been summarily dismissed and officials have been drawn into “partygate” and procurement scandals. A new paper from the Institute for Government will argue that the civil service needs a new statutory role to underpin its constitutional position and improve its accountability and effectiveness. Government reform also creates an opportunity to improve policy making in the UK. Chronic policy problems like housing supply, social care and regional inequality have been left untackled for too long. A second IfG report, also to be published on 3 March, will set out ways for the civil service to be held more accountable for the standards of its policy advice and the expertise of its staff. Our panel to debate these new papers: The Rt Hon The Lord Herbert of South Downs, former Minister of State for Policing and Social Justice Th

The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome Andy Haldane, the Permanent Secretary for Levelling Up. On a six-month secondment from the RSA, Andy Haldane was assigned a key role in defining and delivering one of the flagship policies of Boris Johnson’s government. In conversation with Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government, Andy Haldane discussed the recently published levelling up white paper, the challenges to the white paper’s ambitions, and how to turn those ambitions into reality. Andy Haldane was Chief Economist at the Bank of England from 1989 to June 2021. He was appointed Chief Executive of the RSA in September 2021. #IfGlevellingup

The future of the protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland remains uncertain, a year after it came fully into force. The arrangements continue to be a major source of tension in the post-Brexit UK-EU relationship and within Northern Ireland, with the first minister citing the DUP’s objections to the protocol for his recent resignation. The ongoing uncertainty around the protocol is having a real impact on business and society. And with the May 2022 elections to the Northern Ireland assembly approaching and a question mark over Stormont’s future, the UK and the EU are under pressure to reach agreement on the future of the protocol. What lessons are there from the protocol’s first year? Why does the protocol continue to be a source of tension in the UK-EU relationship and such a divisive issue in Northern Ireland? Are attitudes changing? Where are the sticking points, and where is the protocol working well? What challenges are coming down the track and where can compromise be found? Set against the results of new

The Institute for Government recently published the ninth edition of our annual Whitehall Monitor report on the government’s size, shape and performance. This report launch explored what Whitehall Monitor 2022 reveals about the way the pandemic has changed how the government works and how the Covid-19 response will sit alongside ministers’ wider agenda for the second half of the parliament. How has the Omicron variant complicated the government's attempts to move away from crisis management mode? What will increases to departmental spending mean for pandemic backlogs? And what do civil service staff cuts mean for government capability - including its ambitions for civil service reform? On our panel to discuss these issues were: Matthew Holehouse, British political correspondent at The Economist Charlotte Pickles, Director of Reform Dame Glenys Stacey, Chair of the Office for Environmental Protection William Wragg MP, Chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee The event

The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome Sir John Major KG CH to give a keynote speech on the issue of trust and standards in a democracy. It was chaired by Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government. Sir John Major was Prime Minister from 1990 to 1997. He served as MP for Huntingdon from 1979 to 2001. #IfGJohnMajor