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IfG Events

by Institute for Government · English · News

The Labour government has a huge majority in parliament – but Keir Starmer’s administration is also facing an incredibly complex set of policy challenges. So how can the prime minister and his team turn around public service performance? What can chancellor Rachel Reeves do to get the economy growin

New episodes: Daily
Typical length: 1 hr 2 min
Latest: 9 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026 · 56 min

Leaders of tomorrow: How can the UK develop politicians fit for the future?

This discussion was part of the Institute for Government's programme of events at the Conservative Party Conference 2026. Speakers: Heather Blundell, CEO of Grayling Rt Hon Baroness Thérèse Coffey, former Deputy Prime Minister Rt Hon Lord Michael Gove, Editor of The Spectator This event was chaired by Vicky Elliott, Director at the Institute for Government This event was in partnership with The Spectator. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

6 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
Social security, disability and health-related inactivity: What is the Conservative case for reform?
This discussion was part of the Institute for Government's programme of events at the Conservative Party Conference 2026. Speakers: Helen Whately MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Helen Barnard, Director of Policy and Research at Trussell Fraser Nelson, Columnist at The Times Ben Paxton, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government This event was chaired by Thomas Pope, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government. This event was in partnership with Trussell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5 Oct 2026 · 47 min
In conversation with Baroness Bennett, former Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales
This event took place at the Green Party Conference. Dr Catherine Haddon, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government was joined by Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle, former Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales (2012–16). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5 Oct 2026 · 34 min
How can digital public services be made a reality?
This discussion was part of the Institute for Government's programme of events at the Labour Party Conference. Speakers: Mallory Durran, Chief Technology Officer at Nesta Cllr Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council and Cabinet Member for Innovation at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Cassia Rowland, Associate Director at the Institute for Government Rachel Taylor, UK Government & Health Industries Leader and Global Government & Public Sector Leader at PwC This event was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. This event was in…
5 Oct 2026 · 39 min
In conversation with Alex Burghart MP, Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party
This discussion was part of the Institute for Government's programme of events at the Conservative Party Conference. Speakers: Alex Burghart MP, Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party This event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Executive Director at the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
Should ministers have more power over public bodies?
This discussion was part of the Institute for Government's programme of events at the Conservative Party Conference. Speakers: Baroness Neville-Rolfe, Shadow Minister (Treasury) Henry Hill, Editor of The Critic Rt Hon Lord Maude of Horsham, Founder and Chairman of Francis Maude Associates Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King's Fund This event was chaired by Dr Matthew Gill, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
Governing in a fractured Britain: How should the Conservatives rethink their approach to power?
This discussion was part of the Institute for Government's programme of events at the Conservative Party Conference. Speakers: Baroness Finn of Swansea, Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office Dr Patrick English, Head of Elections and Political and Social Data at YouGov Lucy Harris, former MEP and Conservative Special Adviser Salma Shah, IfG Senior fellow and former Conservative Special Adviser Tom Skinner, former Conservative Special Adviser This event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Executive Director at the Institute for Government. This event was in partnership with YouGov. Learn more about…
30 Sep 2026 · 1 hr
How can Labour’s early years agenda better support boys from low-income families?
This event was part of the IfG's programme of events at the Labour Party Conference 2026. Speakers: Paul Waugh MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Early Education) Lynn Perry MBE, Chief Executive Officer at Barnardo's Sarah Ronan, Executive Director at the Early Education and Childcare Coalition Matt Towner, Director of Programmes at Impact on Urban Health Alistair Strathern MP, Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Labour Group for Men and Boys This event was chaired by Nehal Davison, former Programme Director at the Institute for Government. This event was in partnership with…
30 Sep 2026 · 59 min
Where next for English devolution under Andy Burnham?
This event was part of the IfG's programme of events at the Labour Party Conference 2026. Speakers: Mayor Kim McGuinness, Mayor of North East England Cllr Fran Belbin, Leader of Sheffield City Council Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor at The University of Manchester Mark Rogers, Interim Chief Executive, Sussex & Brighton Strategic Authority This event was chaired by Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. This event was in partnership with The University of Manchester. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
29 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 13 min
How can Labour build an affordable welfare system that supports sick and disabled people?
This event was part of the IfG's programme of events at the Labour Party Conference 2026. Speakers: Dame Meg Hillier MP, Chair of the Treasury Select Committee Rt Hon Alan Milburn, Chair of the Young People and Work Review Ben Paxton, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government Dr Kate Summers, British Academy Post Doctoral Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science This event was chaired by Thomas Pope, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government. This event was in partnership with the London School of Economics and Political Science. Learn more about your ad…
29 Sep 2026 · 59 min
Getting things done: How can government deliver policy priorities?
This event was part of the IfG's programme of events at the Labour Party Conference. Speakers: Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State (Home Office) David Pinto-Duschinsky MP, Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions, and former Special Adviser in the Home Office and Treasury James Reeve, Partner at PA Consulting Felicity Slater, former special adviser in No.10, Cabinet Office, and HM Treasury Jack Worlidge, Associate Director at the Institute for Government This event was chaired by Hannah Keenan, Associate Director at the Institute for Government. This event was in…
29 Sep 2026 · 56 min
Leaders of tomorrow: How can the UK develop politicians fit for the future?
This event was part of the IfG's programme of events at the Labour Party Conference 2026. Speakers: Sam Carling MP, Member of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs CommitteeChris Murray MP, Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeDr Sofia Ropek-Hewson, Senior Research Fellow and Interim Head of Decade of National Renewal Programme at IPPRJoel Spreadborough, Head of Policy and Impact at the Chartered Management Institute This event was chaired by Vicky Elliott, Director of the IfG Academy at the Institute for Government. This event was…
21 Sep 2026 · 50 min
In conversation with Daisy Cooper MP
Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government was joined by Daisy Cooper MP, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats. Hannah Marwood, Head of Government Affairs at The Investment Association made opening remarks. This event was in partnership with The Investment Association. This event was part of the IfG's programme of events at the Liberal Democrat Conference 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
21 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
Does the UK do enough to guard against corruption in public life?
High-profile incidents of misconduct, political donations, and freebies have all raised concerns about standards and integrity in UK public life – so what more can be done to tackle corruption in national and local government? In his new book Corrupted Kingdom, Robert Barrington argues that corruption in Britain is not just a matter of isolated scandals but reflects deeper systemic vulnerabilities that risk undermining trust in democratic institutions. This Institute for Government event will bring together a panel of experts – including Robert – to explore the scale and nature of corruption…
17 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
Andy Burnham: How can the prime minister meet the government’s biggest challenges?
The new prime minister has appointed his ministers and put his No.10 team in place. He has created a new Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet. And set out some immediate policy changes while promising a 10-year plan later in the year. So what happens now? Having spent the summer setting out the new government's direction, how will Andy Burnham meet the challenge of being prime minister? How will he respond to parliamentary scrutiny? What do his spending choices mean for his fiscal policy? How might a challenging global situation impact his domestic policy? And what are his priorities at…
16 Sep 2026 · 59 min
What Happened to Liberal Democracy?
The Institute for Government was pleased to welcome Daron Acemoglu, the Nobel Prize-winning co-author of Why Nations Fail, to discuss his new book: What Happened to Liberal Democracy? Remaking a Politics of Shared Prosperity. In his latest book, Daron Acemoglu, a Nobel Prize winner in economics, documents the rise and, some would argue, fall of liberal democracy, recounting how liberal democratic institutions plunged themselves into crisis over the last several decades. Looking at rapid advances in technology, shifts in regulatory environments, global political history, and economics,…
15 Sep 2026 · 59 min
The government's local government reorganisation strategy: What went wrong and what comes next?
Angela Rayner, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, has put plans to restructure local government on hold. So what went wrong and what happens next? The government’s ambitious local government reorganisation (LGR) programme, which affects around 41% of the population, aims to replace all county and district councils with a single tier of unitary local government. This would make it the largest LGR wave since 46 unitary authorities (UAs) were established between 1995 and 1997. Angela Rayner has now launched a full review of her predecessor’s decisions on…
11 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
How can government help deliver a globally competitive AI infrastructure for the UK?
The government believes access to sufficient AI infrastructure and compute capacity will be critical for the UK’s economic growth, productivity and global competitiveness – but the UK is in a global race for investment, talent and consequential technological breakthroughs. So how can ministers and civil servants deliver the government’s ambitions? Last June, the government announced over £1bn of investment in the UK’s compute capacity, while the government’s Compute Roadmap outlines its strategic approach to building world-class compute infrastructure in the UK. But will this infrastructure…
10 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
Andy Burnham, Manchester and No.10 North: How can the prime minister make his devolution agenda succeed?
The first days and weeks of Andy Burnham's premiership have seen the prime minister promise to accelerate the devolution agenda, with the launch of Number 10 North demonstrating his commitment to take power away from London. But what can the prime minister do to make his devolution agenda succeed? How will No.10 North work constructively with the new Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet and other Whitehall departments? What does devolution mean for the government's public service agenda? And how will the rest of the country benefit from Burnham's plan to send more power from London to…
8 Sep 2026 · 1 hr
Reform UK Party Conference 2026: What is the Reform UK vision for devolution and local government in England?
Speakers: Cllr Stephen Atkinson, Leader of Lancashire County Council and Leader of the Local Government Association's Reform UK Group Justin Galliford, Chief Executive Officer at Norse Group Cllr Linden Kemkaran, Leader of Kent County Council Akash Paun, Programme Director (Devolution) at the Institute for Government Cllr Daniel Sutherland, Leader of Calderdale Council This event was chaired by Dr Hannah White, CEO of the Institute for Government. This event was in partnership with Norse Group. This event was part of the Institute for Government's programme of party conference events at the…
4 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 3 min
Reform UK Party Conference 2026: In conversation with Danny Kruger MP
Alex Thomas, Executive Director at the Institute for Government, was joined by Danny Kruger MP, head of Reform UK’s unit for preparing the party for government. This event was part of the Institute for Government's programme of party conference events at the Reform UK Party Conference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
16 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 36 min
IfG DevoLab #6: How can mayors support a just climate transition?
We were at the Institute for Government for the sixth event in the IfG DevoLab series, held in partnership with the JUST Centre, at which speakers from three regions with devolved powers set out how mayors and strategic authorities can use their powers, funding and influence to support a just climate transition. The three case studies presented at IfG DevoLab #6 were: ‘The Local Net Zero Accelerator programme in the West Midlands’ by Barbara Leach, Programme Manager at West Midlands Combined Authority ‘Devolution and local power for communities in the North West of England’, by James…
16 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 10 min
Creating a regulatory system that attracts investment
This event was part of the IfG's half-day conference, Regulation in a changing world: How to meet the needs of the future? Panellists discussed how the design of a regulatory system can best build investor confidence and encourage good long-term outcomes. Rt Hon George Eustice, former Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2020–22) Mark McAllister, Chair of Ofgem Stefanie Voelz, Senior Credit Officer at Moody’s This session was chaired by Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
16 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
Delivering government policy through regulation
This event was part of the IfG's half-day conference, Regulation in a changing world: How to meet the needs of the future? An expert panel explored the purpose of regulation, and particularly its relationship to government policy. How can strategic direction from government, regulatory independence and consistency across sectors be balanced in a period of rapid change? Caleb Deeks, Director General for Competition, Markets and Regulatory Reform at the Department for Business and Trade Lord Michael Gove, Editor of The Spectator and former Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural…
16 Jul 2026 · 52 min
A keynote speech by Blair McDougall MP, Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation
This event was part of the IfG's half-day conference, Regulation in a changing world: How to meet the needs of the future? Welcome Opening remarks from Dr Hannah White OBE, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government. The minister delivered a keynote speech, and was then in conversation with Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government and David Henderson, Chief Executive Officer of Water UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
15 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
In conversation with Sir Ed Davey MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats
The IfG was pleased to welcome Sir Ed Davey MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, to set out his priorities for political and constitutional reform. In March, Ed Davey set out proposals for a “new Magna Carta” – a written constitution to safeguard fundamental British rights and freedoms. He expanded on those plans and talk about how the Liberal Democrats are continuing their campaign to secure proportional representation in the age of multi-party politics. And with Andy Burnham’s announcement of Number 10 North pushing devolution up the political agenda, Davey set out his approach to…
7 Jul 2026 · 47 min
In conversation with Richard Tice MP, Deputy Leader of Reform UK
Following the May 2026 local and devolved UK elections, Reform UK is running over 20 local authorities, has two regional mayors, and is the second-largest party in the Welsh parliament. But how would a Reform UK government in Westminster approach complex challenges like rewiring the state, boosting public service productivity, and growing the British economy? On 7 July, the IfG welcomed Richard Tice MP, Reform UK’s Deputy Leader and the party’s business, trade and energy spokesman, to discuss Reform UK’s vision for government. What has the party learned from its experiences in local…
3 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 28 min
IfG DevoLab #5: How can mayors and local leaders create a shared vision for regional growth?
The IfG DevoLab is dedicated to exploring the innovations enabled by devolution, learning from the results, and sharing the lessons so that places can take better decisions about how to use devolved powers and budgets. We were in Sheffield for the fifth DevoLab event, where three speakers set out how mayors and local leaders can build and sustain a shared vision for growth across their regions. The three case studies presented at IfG DevoLab #5 were: ‘Developing a shared vision for growth in South Yorkshire’, by Kate Josephs CB, Chief Executive of Sheffield City Council ‘Corridors of Growth…
2 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 7 min
Integrating diplomacy and development: How does the Foreign Office set itself up for success?
Five years on from the merger of the Foreign Office and the Department for International Development, this is a pivotal moment for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The government is managing the reduction in the international aid budget, the department is undergoing a major restructuring, and its permanent secretary was sacked by the prime minister. With fewer resources, evolving security threats and diplomatic challenges, the government should be seizing this moment to integrate diplomacy and development. Recent research from the HALO Trust and the Eleanor Crook…
1 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
The NHS 10-year plan one year on: Is the government shifting the health service towards prevention?
The worthy aims of the NHS’s prevention shift include reducing childhood obesity, cutting the prevalence of smoking, and tackling harmful alcohol consumption. But previous Institute for Government work shows that shifting to prevention is incredibly difficult, with successive governments’ actions rarely meeting lofty rhetoric. So, one year on from the launch of the 10-year health plan, how much progress has the government made on its prevention goal? This event brought together a panel of experts to discuss the following questions: What has the government done to shift the NHS towards…

About IfG Events

IfG Events is a English news podcast from Institute for Government. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Institute for Government
Language: English
Category: News
New episodes: Daily
Typical length: 1 hr 2 min
Latest episode: 9 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1503524246
Rights: Institute for Government

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