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 servic...
As Donald Trump pauses his trade war (well, except in the case of China) the podcast team are joined by economist and author Duncan Weldon to make sense of the president’s wild economic rollercoaster ride – and the uncomfortable choices it means for Keir Starmer.
The PM and his team have some levers to pull, and this week they eached for a familiar one labelled ‘Quango Bonfire’. So what has been announced, and will it work? Plus: What does the government want to do about immigration? A white paper is on the way. But an IfG paper is out now.
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40:06
Trump Declares War: Tariff Liberation Day
The rules of global trade have been dramatically ripped up by Donald Trump. So what is the US president’s tariff plan actually meant to do? Has a global trade war started? How big a hit will the UK economy take? And what options does Keir Starmer have to fight back?
The government urgently needs to inject some growth into the economy, but can Whitehall make that happen? Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, joins the podcast to argue for more powers to be given away by London.
Plus: Who reviews the reviews? The government has launched a lot of them. But will they succeed? A new IfG report has set out its verdict. We’ll talk to its authors.
Tim Durrant presents.
With Giles Wilkes, Jill Rutter and Ben Paxton.
Produced by Milo Hynes
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40:51
Will Trump rip up Reeves’s rebalanced books?
Spring has nearly sprung, but the fiscal forecasts made for a rather gloomy spring statement for Rachel Reeves. Stewart Wood, a Labour peer and former adviser to Gordon Brown, joins the podcast team to assess the state of the economy - and Reeves’s attempts to turn it around.
How much will welfare cuts upset Labour backbenchers? What could Donald Trump's tariffs mean for Reeves's plans? And just how difficult are the choices awaiting the chancellor as the spending review approaches?
Plus: New IfG research focuses on left behind groups - and sets out some of the tensions in how the government is approaching one of its missions and milestones.
Presented by Alex Thomas.
With Jill Rutter, Gemma Tetlow and Sophie Metcalfe.
Produced by Candice McKenzie.
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48:53
Will Rachel Reeves and Darren Jones’ sums add up?
With Rachel Reeves just days away from setting out her spring statement to parliament, chief secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones MP drops into the podcast studio to discuss the Treasury’s new plans for watching the pennies.
So what could the chancellor do? What shouldn’t the chancellor do? The podcast team weigh up her options - and analyse the government’s controversial welfare reforms.
Plus: IfG senior fellow and public policy expert Nick Timmins gives his expert take on the big decision to abolish NHS England.
Presented by Emma Norris.
With Cath Haddon and Tom Pope.
Produced by Candice McKenzie.
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45:23
Keir Starmer rewires the state: An interview with the prime minister
Minutes after setting out his plans for reforming the civil service, abolishing NHS England, and ending ministerial reliance on quangos, Keir Starmer joined Inside Briefing for an exclusive interview with IfG director Hannah White.
So what type of civil service does the PM need to deliver his missions? Why does he want to close down NHS England? And what should officials and ministers prepare for as the PM’s reform agenda becomes reality?
Following the prime minister’s interview, Hannah was joined by Alex Thomas, Emma Norris, Stuart Hoddinott and former cabinet secretary Gus O’Donnell for expert analysis of the PM’s speech and his interview.
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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.
Listen to Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government, Global Security Briefing and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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