It’s the morning after one of (perhaps the) most significant days in this government’s lifetime to date. Gideon Skinner of IPSOS joins the podcast team to weigh up what Rachel Reeves’ Spending Review told us about the government’s priorities – and how it has landed with the electorate.
Which departments will be happy and which will be feeling hard done by? What does it mean for public service performance across the country? Has the much-heralded vision of mission-led government survived? And how many levers does it leave chancellor – and, of course, for Keir Starmer – to pull if things don’t work out?
Presented by Hannah White, with Tom Pope and Giles Wilkes. Produced by Candice McKenzie
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43:59
What choices did the government make in the 2025 spending review?
Join IfG experts for instant analysis of the 2025 spending review – a critical moment for Keir Starmer’s government.
Were the spending allocations sufficient to improve public services, deliver growth and make progress on the government’s other missions? Which departments will be pleased – and which lost out? And did this multi-year spending review reveal a coherent strategy for the government over the next few years?
To answer these questions and more, IfG experts convened shortly after the chancellor’s announcement to provide their initial analysis.
The webinar was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government, with a panel including:
Nick Davies, Programme Director for Public Services at the Institute for Government
Ben Paxton, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government
Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government
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49:01
In conversation with Jeremy Hunt MP: Britain's place in the world
Britain has been through a difficult period since the global financial crisis, leading many to conclude the country is doomed to inevitable decline. But Jeremy Hunt, who was at the top of government as both Foreign Secretary and Chancellor, disagrees. In his new book, Can We Be Great Again?, he sets out to rebut those who think Britain is no longer capable of shaping the world we live in.
With the election of president Trump, a world that was already becoming more dangerous has also become more unpredictable. But when it comes to the big challenges facing the world – whether on European security, the future of democracy, migration, trade and climate – the UK remains one of the most influential countries and should, Hunt says, use that influence wisely. Hunt does not shy away from the UK’s weaknesses but argues that they should be considered in perspective and without underestimating this country’s many strengths.
To discuss his new book and the questions it raises, Jeremy Hunt was in conversation with Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.
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32:13
Keir Starmer gets ready for war
The newly-published Strategic Defence Review sets out how the UK can fight and win a full-scale war. So what is it recommending and just how dangerous is the world right now? Tom Newton Dunn, presenter of The General and the Journalist podcast, joins the podcast team to make sense of an ever-shifting – and alarming – defence landscape.
Plus: Spending Review countdown. This Wednesday will see Rachel Reeves reveal how much money government departments will be given for the next few years. So what choices are facing the chancellor? How much money does she have to play with? And what will her decision reveal about the government’s priorities?
Presented by Hannah White.
With Alex Thomas and Gemma Tetlow.
Produced by Milo Hynes.
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37:07
How will Starmer rate his ministers
It is one year since the 2024 general election campaign kicked off and already reshuffle rumours are doing the rounds. Adam Payne, Editor of PoliticsHome, joins us to discuss whether a reshuffle is a good way to inject energy into a not-so-new government or risks knocking it off course.
The spending review is looming, and in time-honoured tradition the final negotiations are playing out in the media. We will look at what lies behind these stories and what being in a spending review is really like.
Plus: We look back at some of the ministers who left government in 2024, who shared their reflections with us in our latest Ministers Reflect interviews.
Presented by Hannah White
With Tim Durrant, Gemma Tetlow and Patrick McAlary
Produced by Candice McKenzie
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About Inside Briefing with the 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.
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