Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

Following a brutal set of Mid-Term election results for Donald Trump and the Republicans, Ben Judah – who worked as a special adviser to former foreign secretary David Lammy – joins the podcast team to discuss what a night of big wins for the Democrats mean for Trump’s presidency, foreign policy, and the UK.

It has already been a big week on the international front for Andy Burnham, with the prime minister attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and also hinting at a new deal with the EU. We’ll take a look at the PM’s diplomatic...

John Healey’s “breathing space” budget was short on big decisions but big on smaller, immediate measures – so did it all add up? Nick Garland, a former speechwriter to ex-chancellor Rachel Reeves, joins the podcast team to explore the significance of Healey’s big day.

There are always winners and losers in budgets – so who did well? What choices have Healey and Andy Burnham left for another day? And are there really more civil service efficiency savings to be made?

Plus: Ringfencing preventative budgets. One of the IfG’s longstanding recommendations has been taken on by John Healey...

John Healey’s first budget as chancellor on 28 October was a huge moment for Andy Burnham’s government.

A difficult fiscal inheritance, made more challenging still by the war in Iran, means Healey and Burnham faced a series of tough choices.

So what will the chancellor’s spending decisions reveal about the government’s priorities? Will he send a clear signal about the future tax changes that are – or are not – on the table? Can Healey and Burnham show that they are capable of taking the difficult decisions facing government? And will they avoid mistakes made by Keir...

The budget is nearly here. So what is chancellor John Healey going to say at the Despatch Box on Wednesday? The Observer’s Ben Zaranko joins the podcast team to preview the biggest day yet in Andy Burnham’s premiership.

The PM has said he will pull every lever he can to help with the cost of living. The chancellor has said he won’t budge from Labour’s fiscal rules - or its 2024 manifesto pledge not to raise the three main personal taxes. So are Healey’s options and what does he need to do?  

Plus: How...

With Andy Burnham trying to navigate the ever-precarious tightrope that is doing diplomacy with Donald Trump’s White House, Anand Menon joins the podcast team to weigh up the prime minister’s prospects.
Burnham is also exploring a new relationship with Europe, but could that really mean reversing Brexit?
Plus: Can the government fix the criminal justice system. A new IfG report has given its verdict on the performance of prisons, courts, the police and more - some good, some bad, lots of decisions for the PM to make.
Presented by Alex Thomas.
With Jill Rutt...

Another by-election, another win for Andy Burnham - with the Greens defeated in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election. Deltapoll's Joe Twyman joins the pod team to explore what the PM’s by-election double really tells us about his electoral prospects.

It was another bad day for Green leader Zack Polanski, who was already under pressure after a difficult conference in Brighton. 

Kemi Badenoch, on the other, was all smiles in Birmingham - but does the Conservative party really have grounds for optimism?

Plus: How well are s...

No lectern. No tie. And quite a few tears. Andy Burnham promised a different kind of speech. But did the prime minister deliver?

After watching Burnham's first Labour conference speech as party leader and prime minister, Hannah White is joined in the IfG's pop-up studio in Liverpool by the IfG's Alex Thomas, IfG senior fellow (and former executive director of policy to Keir Starmer) Claire Ainsley, and More in Common's Sophie Stowers to share their instant reactions on the big speech, dissect the policy announcements, and explore what the Burnham agenda means for government. 

From meeting Donald Trump in New York to heading to his first Labour conference as prime minister, it's quite some week for Andy Burnham - so what does he need to do to make a success of Labour's Liverpool gathering? LabourList editor Emma Burnell joins the podcast team to review Burnham's Trump test and preview his conference challenge. 

Plus: We take a closer look at an issue that saw Keir Starmer stumble badly, and that’s benefits reform. How could Burnham approach this thorniest of issues? A new IfG report has the answers.

Alex Thomas pre...

With Westminster been rocked by the news of a record-breaking – and maybe game-changing – £72 million donation to Reform UK, new Lib Dem peer Tim Leunig joins the podcast team to assess how the government might respond, and what comes next for party political donations.

Next up on the conference circuit are the Liberal Democrats. So how much pressure is leader Sir Ed Davey under as his party gather in Brighton this weekend?

Plus: These are uncertain times... but just how uncertain are they?

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Foreign secretary Ed Miliband has announced UK sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. So what does this change of position say about UK foreign policy under Andy Burnham - and what are the possible consequences for UK domestic policy? The i's Kitty Donaldson joins the podcast team to assess the PM's big move.

On the domestic front it was chancellor John Healey’s turn to make headlines, with a big pre-Budget speech on growth and the economy. So does this mark the dawn of a new economic policy?

Plus: Angela Rayner has hi...

The summer recess is over. Parliament is up and running. And the new prime minister gave a mammoth statement in the Commons. There were no new policy announcements, but there was a promise to do things differently. Henry Hill joins the podcast team to make sense of Andy Burnham's first day back in Parliament.Kemi Badenoch has been busy too, with the Conservative leader reshuffling her top team and bringing in, amongst others, a new chancellor and foreign secretary. So what is she trying to do and what difference could it make?Plus: Farewell to Keir Starmer. As the...

Andy Burnham has clocked up a month mark in Number 10. As the long recess draws to a close and Parliament prepares to return, the Guardian's Kiran Stacey joining the podcast to look back on a summer of speeches, policy announcements, guitar-playing and a lot of social media game. 

How has Burnham handled the familiar problem of prison capacity and the headache of early release schemes? Do his devolution plans really add up and will Number 10 North make any difference to government? Is this PM's plan for social care finally going to deliver reform? And a...

Every new prime minister arrives in No.10 with a view about what brought down their predecessor as well as a ringside seat to the downfall. So after convincing their colleagues why a change of PM is necessary, what happens when the new PM's belief in his or her skills and talents meet the reality of the biggest job in British politics?

How easy it is to learn on the job? What is the right balance between continuity and reinventing the government? And how good is the UK at preparing for mid-term changes of PM?

In...

Becoming prime minister is a job like no other. The arrival of Andy Burnham is the latest in the UK’s recent history of prime ministers coming to the job mid-way through a parliament. Mid-term prime ministers often take over after crisis, political upheaval or the sheer weight of the job have put paid to their predecessor. And mid-term prime ministers come to the job through very different means – a leadership contest rather than a general election, or sometimes even without that. They have less time to make a difference, a party looking for change, and a policy platform that...

Becoming prime minister is a job like no other. The arrival of Andy Burnham is the latest in the UK’s recent history of prime ministers coming to the job mid-way through a parliament. Mid-term prime ministers often take over after crisis, political upheaval or the sheer weight of the job have put paid to their predecessor. And mid-term prime ministers come to the job through very different means – a leadership contest rather than a general election, or sometimes even without that. They have less time to make a difference, a party looking for change, and a policy platform that...

Our first episode explores the recent history of mid-term changes of prime minister from John Major to Rishi Sunak. Speaking to senior officials and advisers involved, we go behind the scenes of the preparation and leadership contests, the context in which they took over, and find out what kind of experience makes a difference when inheriting the top job in UK politics.

Featuring Gus O’Donnell, Mark Sedwill, Helen MacNamara, Simon Case, Stewart Wood, Salma Shah, Lee Cain, Asa Bennett and Rupert Yorke.

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One week on from becoming prime minister, Andy Burnham has now appointed his cabinet, reshuffled ministers, launched a series of machinery of government changes, and set out a range of immediate policy decisions.

So what have these early choices revealed about the way Burnham wants to govern? How will his restructured No10 make a difference to the way Burnham leads? What does his reshuffled cabinet reveal about the PM's priorities? And how will the new prime minister set about delivering a "new political model and a new economic model" for the UK?

An expert IfG...

Andy Burnham finally takes over No.10 with promises to focus on the cost of living and to make politics better. Can he succeed? Is he the ruthless leader portended by his clearout of Starmerites, or someone more conciliatory? And how will unexpected new Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and surprise Chancellor John Healey work out alongside Shabana Mahmood, who’s staying at the Home Office? Plus, Burnham takes the IfG’s advice by finally creating a new Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet. How will that work out? 

IfG associate director Hannah Keenan and our devolution ex...

Keir Starmer has bowed out of his final PMQs. Andy Burnham is about to become Britain's next prime minister. But after two turbulent years in Downing Street, what went wrong for Starmer? Can Burnham avoid the same mistakes? And will a change of leader be enough to turn Labour's fortunes around?

Keir Starmer's former director of communications, Steph Driver, joins the podcast to reflect on the outgoing prime minister's biggest successes and failures - and what Burnham must do differently from day one.

Plus: can the next government finally fix England's broken SEND system? We...

Reform UK may have dominated the headlines this week, but Westminster's attention is already turning to a far bigger political moment: the arrival of Britain's next prime minister. Mirror political editor Lizzy Buchan joins the podcast team to explore who Andy Burnham might appoint to his cabinet, the priorities that will define his first weeks in office, and whether he can succeed where Keir Starmer could not.

As the Prime Minister attends his final NATO summit, we ask what mark he is trying to leave on foreign affairs and how much of Burnham's time will be consumed...

The King of the North says he will remain - for some of the time - in his kingdom, but how will Andy Burnham's vision for a devolution circuit breaker - powered by a new Number 10 in Manchester - really work? Former de facto deputy prime minister David Lidington joins the podcast to discuss the would-be PM's big speech.

How would No.10 North work alongside the original? Who calls the shots? Who is in charge? And what does it mean for the balance of power across the centre of government?

Plus: Keir Starmer’s parting gi...

A decade after the UK voted to leave the EU, the IfG's Jill Rutter and UKICE's Anand Menon are joined by the BBC's Adam Fleming - the former Brussels correspondent and Brexitcast presenter who followed every twist and turn of the UK's EU drama - to share their front row experiences of some of the most significant events in recent British and European political history. 

From the night of the referendum to the painful Brexit deal negotiations, the endless parliamentary votes and the rapid turnover of prime ministers, Jill, Anand and Adam get together for this special j...

Keir Starmer has resigned. Andy Burnham is preparing for power. But what will a mid-parliament change of prime minister mean for the government?

How should an incoming prime minister prepare for the biggest job in government? What can an outgoing leader do to ensure a smooth transition? And after seven prime ministers in a decade, could another change at the top finally bring greater stability to British politics—or is volatility now the new normal?

The Economist's Hugo Gye joins the podcast to discuss what happens when power changes hands mid-parliament, and what Burnham's arrival co...

As Andy Burnham returns to Parliament after winning the Makerfield by election, the Guardian's Rafael Behr joins the podcast team to discuss a huge week for British politics.

How should the prime minister - who insists he would compete in any leadership contest - respond? What does this period of volatility mean for how government works? And what would a prime minister Andy Burnham mean for the way Britain is governed? 

Hannah White presents.

With Giles Wilkes and Cath Haddon.

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There is just a week to go until the people of Makerfield vote in what could turn out to be the most important by election in decades. More in Common's Luke Tryl joins the podcast from Makerfield to discuss the mood on the ground – and how this peculiar by-election, with both local and national consequences, is shaping how voters are thinking.

Burnham is, presumably, both campaigning to win the seat and preparing for government if he makes it to Westminster. So how should he, Keir Starmer and others be thinking about what a transition of...

With the murder of 18 year old Henry Nowak sending shockwaves through Westminster and beyond, IfG senior fellow - and former BBC home affairs correspondent - Danny Shaw joins the podcast team to discuss a fraught week for the police and for politics.

What questions do the police need to answer? What could an inquiry explore - and what might need to change? And how could the events of this week shape British politics in the months ahead?

Plus: The footage of the riots in Southampton has knocked the Mandelson files off the front pages, but th...

With a promise to abolish the position of Cabinet Secretary and scrap the Cabinet Office, Reform UK’s Danny Kruger has launched his party’s plans for reforming the civil service.  IfG senior fellow Henry Hill joins the podcast team to explore the Kruger blueprint for government. 

Tony Blair has entered the Labour leadership race! Well, sort of. The former PM's 5000 word essay sets out his vision for government. But is it a sensible plan for the current - or future - prime minister to follow?

Plus: Everyone is talking about Brexit again. Weeks away from t...

How has England’s political landscape changed after the May 2026 elections? How will new local leaders go about their new roles? And what does this mean for the delivery of the government’s local government reorganisation (LGR) agenda?  

In this special episode of Inside Briefing, Matthew Fright, the Institute for Government’s LGR anorak, has been gathering views across three areas - Surrey, Essex and Kent – at the forefront of LGR delivery to see how the government’s aims to remove two-tier local government will be impacted by May’s elections. 

PLUS: An expert panel to unpick the election results and co...

With Andy Burnham inching closer to a return to Westminster, Sam White, Keir Starmer's former chief-of-staff, joins the podcast team to explore what happens next - and what the prime minister can do while this drama plays out around him.

If Burnham makes it to Number 10, then he will follow a path once trodden by Boris Johnson  in being a mayor turned prime minister. So what skills does the mayoralty provide - and how might they be transferable to Downing Street?

Plus: What is in Rachel Reeves's economic support package and will it meet the s...

With Keir Starmer's premiership on the rocks, Claire Ainsley - a former adviser to Starmer in opposition - joins the podcast team to make sense of an explosive week in Westminster. 

Can the PM reassert his authority? How could a leadership contest play out? And what have the bust-ups of the last few days revealed about the failings of Starmer’s premiership - and what can he, or someone else, learn from these mistakes?

Plus: On a day of pomp and pageantry, what stood out in the King’s Speech - and how much of it wi...

Keir Starmer and Labour government have just faced their biggest electoral test since the 2024 general election. Reform are on the rise. The SNP have made big gains. And Plaid Cymru are making history in Wales. The consequences for British politics could be huge. So what happens next?

What will results mean for who governs in Holyrood? Is Wales ready for a whole new governing party? What will the changes - big changes - to England's electoral map mean for Keir Starmer's prospects? And how significant will Thursday night's votes be for the future of the United Kingdom?<...

After avoiding an ethics inquiry into the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal, what can Keir Starmer do to get the government agenda back on track? James Lyons, former director of communications in Number 10, joins the podcast team to assess the Prime Minister's options as the days count down to a big set of big local and devolved elections. 

For lessons on relationship rebuilding - and delivering the positive vibes - perhaps the PM should turn to King Charles? The monarch is over in the US, where he seems to be doing a good job of flattering Donald Trump. S...

Seven days in, Westminster is still consumed by the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal. The PM has had his say. Olly Robbins - the permanent secretary that Starmer dismissed - has also given his account. So where does this leave Keir Starmer?  Foreign Office permanent secretary Peter Ricketts joins the podcast team to work out where a week of blame and counter-blame has left the government - and what it means for an already damaged relationship between civil servants and ministers.

Plus: new IfG research on how civil servants should handle policy making in major crises.

H...

The government is reeling from the revelation that Peter Mandelson was appointed as UK ambassador to the US despite having failed a security vetting process.

With the blame-game dominating the week in Westminster, what will we learn from Keir Starmer's 'judgment day' Commons statement? What will Olly Robbins – who was sacked by the PM as Foreign Office permanent secretary – reveal in a crucial select committee appearance? What has the vetting row shown about the way decisions are made at the top of government? How should the vetting and appointments process be overhauled? And what does...

"We are underprepared. We are underinsured. We are under attack. We are not safe." George Robertson, former defence secretary and co-author of the government's strategic defence review, has issued a stark warning about Britain's national security. So how serious is it - and what should Keir Starmer do?

PLUS: From defence to employment. A new IfG paper argues the government should go further and faster on devolving employment support - we talk to its authors about a potentially better route back into work.

Hannah White presents.

With Jill Rutter, Ben Paxton and Martha For...

Oil is in short supply as the Middle East conflict continues. Donald Trump has told the UK to “build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.” Economist Duncan Weldon joins the pod team to discuss what the government can actually do to respond to rising energy prices.

The message to consumers so far is keep calm and carry on as usual. But will this messaging hold - and, if not, how bad could things get - and how quickly? 

And finally: It’s a long time since we first heard about Uni...

What should the government do about overseas election funding and cryptocurrency donations? Philip Rycroft, who ran the newly-published Rycroft Review into foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics, joins the podcast team to explain the problem and how it could be fixed.

From election funding to funding public services. Labour came into power with a promise to reform the way public services are delivered. But what has actually been done, and is it working? The IfG has issued our verdict.

Plus: Energy bills. Rachel Reeves has been issuing frequent updates on what the government...

As war in the Middle East disrupts energy markets across the world, what are the implications for households and businesses in the UK and how should government respond to the price shock?

This IfG webinar explored Rachel Reeves’s options for supporting consumers – and what the ongoing conflict could mean for energy policy, the transition to net zero and for the public finances.

What are the implications of different scenarios for oil and gas shipments from the Middle East? What do they mean for the design of support packages? How would different approaches impact government obje...

How prepared is the government - and how healthy is the economy - for dealing with another energy bill crisis? The podcast team review the prime minister's response and assess the UK's resilience.

The chancellor has delivered a big speech promising more financial devolution to English mayors and closer practical alignment with the EU, but do Rachel Reeves's plans add up?

Plus: Should we fire all the permanent secretaries and directors general and replace them with true believers throughout the civil service? No, not a new IfG report but the latest policy from Reform UK. 

The conflict in the Middle East has already seen Keir Starmer fall out with Donald Trump - but will the economic fallout of war cause even bigger problems for the government? 

Former government adviser Tim Leunig joins the podcast to discuss what the prime minister and Rachel Reeves could do to ease a growing cost of living crisis.

In a big week for the government, the controversial courts and tribunals bill returned to the House of Commons. The government is - in its words - “throwing the kitchen sink” at the problems facing the criminal justi...