Institute for Government

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 this row mean for relations between civil servants and ministers?

An IfG expert webinar answered these questions and more.

The webinar featured:

Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government
Hannah Keenan, Associate Director at the Institute for Government
Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government
Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.

Improving productivity is at the heart of the government’s plans for public services, underpins the ‘strategic and agile state’ and is a critical enabler for many of its ambitions for the future.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury has been drawing on experience from the public and private sector to make sure the 2027 spending review consolidates and furthers the government’s productivity drive.

This builds on the work already underway within the government through the Office for Value for Money and its departmental target of 2% productivity, efficiencies and savings.

But what has the government achieved so far? How is HM Treasury supporting productivity improvements across government and monitoring departmental efficiency plans? What is the Chief Secretary doing to push this agenda on?

To explore these questions and to discuss his priorities and approach, the Institute for Government was pleased to be hosting Rt Hon James Murray MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Professor Andy Westwood, Policy Director at The Productivity Institute made opening remarks. James Murray was then in conversation with Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.

This event was kindly supported by The Productivity Institute (TPI).

The second webinar in our three-part series focusing on the findings of Whitehall Monitor 2026.

The webinar featured:

Heloise Dunlop, Researcher at the Institute for Government and co-author of Whitehall Monitor 2026

Becky Noble, Public Services AI Lead at PA Consulting

Jack Worlidge, Senior Researcher at the IfG and co-author of Whitehall Monitor 2026

The event was chaired by Hannah Keenan, Associate Director at the IfG and lead author of Whitehall Monitor 2026.

Whitehall Monitor 2026, the IfG’s annual data-led assessment of the size, shape and performance of the civil service, examines how the workforce changed in 2025.

We would like to thank PA Consulting for kindly supporting this event.

Our first webinar in a three-part series focused on the findings of Whitehall Monitor 2026.

The first Whitehall Monitor webinar – kicking off a three-part series exploring the IfG’s annual flagship report on the civil service – looked at the context in which much needed strategic workforce planning should be taking place: how the size and shape of the civil service has changed in the past year, against a backdrop of multiple exit schemes and a complex recruitment landscape.

The webinar featured:

Heloise Dunlop, Researcher at the Institute for Government and co-author of Whitehall Monitor 2026

Daniel Howes, Research Assistant at the IfG and co-author of Whitehall Monitor 2026

Liz Tolcher, Associate Partner – Skills & Workforce Transformation Expert at PA Consulting

The event was chaired by Hannah Keenan, Associate Director at the IfG and lead author of Whitehall Monitor 2026.

Whitehall Monitor 2026, the IfG’s annual data-led assessment of the size, shape and performance of the civil service, examines how the workforce changed in 2025.

We would like to thank PA Consulting for kindly supporting this event.

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 objectives on inflation and growth? Has the government learned the lessons from the response to the 2022 price shock?

And do events in the Middle East accelerate or slow the transition to net zero? Should they lead to a rethink on North Sea licensing?

This webinar featured:

Nick Butler, former Head of Strategy for BP and then senior policy adviser to Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Dan Haile, Senior Economist at the Institute for Government
Emma Pinchbeck, Chief Executive of the Climate Change Committee and former CEO of Energy UK
Andrew Sissons, Director, Sustainable Future Mission at NESTA

This webinar was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government.