What is the relationship between government, parliament and the monarchy? Read our latest explainer by @rebeccamckee.bsky.social and @aliceolilly.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/mo...

If you would like to know more about the crown and parliament @rebeccamckee.bsky.social and I explain all here www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/mo...

This piece is right to point out that the monarchy still plays an important constitutional role in UK government. But it seems to rather conflate government and parliament and is quite a lot less clear on the (complicated but crucial) constitutional relationship between Parliament and the Crown

What is the relationship between government, parliament and the monarchy? Our latest explainer takes a closer look at the monarch's powers and role in relation to parliament and the legislative process, and whether parliament can remove royal titles www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/mo...

Have you seen @ifgacademy.bsky.social Support for MPs webpages, packed with super useful guides and explainers to help MPs understand parliament and government? Perfect for MPs and their staff! www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ifg-academy/...

The mistaken release of Hadush Kebatu is a symptom of a failing system⛓️ The dramatic rise in prisoners released in error is just one aspect of a collapsing criminal justice system, argues @cassiarowland.bsky.social Rowland www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/pris...

New from me and @aliceolilly.bsky.social 👇

Rachel Reeves' failure to manage her housing arrangements properly is another reminder that Keir Starmer’s team need to take standards seriously, says @timdurrant.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/rach...

New role for Tom Riordan as envoy for northern growth, a new x government role working with mayors to 'co-develop' a plan for growth and investment in the north Interesting to see how this docks into existing work mayors are doing e.g. 'the Great North' www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...

IfG DevoLab #3: How devolution can improve transport connectivity 📍This time our DevoLab will take place in Leeds, and will explore how mayors and local leaders can use devolved powers to improve regional transport connectivity. 🎟️ www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/devola...

I spoke to BBC Verify this afternoon about the state of our prison system and how the mistaken release of Hadush Kebatu, the former asylum seeker convicted of sexual assault in Essex over the summer, might have happened

New @instituteforgovernment.org.uk comment from me The chaos surrounding the grooming gangs inquiry last week highlights much deeper problems with the way the government sets up public inquiries www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/groo...

EVENT | The government's digital ID plan: why now and what for?💳 @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social, @bigbrotherwatch.bsky.social, @labourtogether.bsky.social, @timdurrant.bsky.social discuss the advantages and challenges of implementing digital IDs. 🎟️ www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/govern...

My thoughts on the recently shared Nick Timothy review for the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/shab...

🎧NEW @instituteforgovernment.org.uk podcast - Royal trouble - Inquiry woe - Prisons crisis @dannyshaw.bsky.social joins @cathhaddon.bsky.social @cassiarowland.bsky.social & @alexgathomas.bsky.social to make sense of it all www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/pris...

Some - cautious - good news on the govt’s civil service gagging rules Nick Thomas-Symonds has written to us rowing back on the worst aspects: “it is important for civil servants to speak in public about matters for which they have responsibility” www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/welc...

The problem with having so many inquiries is the many different ways they can go wrong & so many more opportunities for that to happen This week the chair of the Sheku Bayoh inquiry in Scotland quit amid Scottish Police Federation concerns of his impartiality after private meetings with the family

CQC boss Julian Hartley has resigned from CQC in the wake of the Govt announcing an inquiry into maternity at his old trust. This was always going to be a problem for him - he had recused himself of any decisions on Leeds while at CQC but it was getting more difficult. 1/2

So, realistically, while any MP could try and table a substantive motion for the Commons to discuss, it would be up to the government to decide whether to make time for it to discuss it. Relevant section of Erskine May here erskinemay.parliament.uk/section/4873...

To explain this a bit: as the Speaker says- and as is set out in Erskine May- "unless the discussion is based upon a substantive motion, drawn in proper terms, reflections must not be cast in debate upon the conduct of the Sovereign, the heir to the throne, or other members of the royal family"

NEW REPORT Criminal justice is coming apart at the seams. Police, criminal courts & prisons can’t cope with the level of demand and performance keeps spiralling downwards. Early positive steps from the government won't be enough to turn things around www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

Pleased to be quoted in The i Paper on this, which has picked up the story I posted yesterday. inews.co.uk/news/politic...

The government has announced public inquiry into maternity failings at Leeds NHS Trust, after years of campaigning by families and repeated failings in maternity care This follows reviews into failings at Shrewsbury & Telford, and Nottingham (ongoing) NHS Trusts by Donna Ockenden

NEW: Part 1 of the brilliant @instituteforgovernment.org.uk Performance Tracker @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social & @amberdellar.bsky.social have dug deep into local government services & finances It’s.. gloomy As @theguardian.com @kiranstacey.bsky.social reports www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

PSA: We have a new (and long) @instituteforgovernment.org.uk explainer out on the immigration and asylum policies of the major parties (of England...) following a flurry of announcements all year and around conference season, in particular. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/im...

Good opportunity to bump our @instituteforgovernment.org.uk explainer on public inquiries. CO advising on whether to create an inquiry as well as on ToR reduces political impulse to create one just because it is the easiest immediate action to take. tinyurl.com/trfwv7z2

On Monday the government announced updates to the ministerial code 👀 One change is the Cabinet Office will now advise the PM before any decision to establish a public inquiry is taken, and before the ToRs are agreed

The new Ethics and Integrity Commission has launched today, with a shiny new website (outside the gov. uk brand!) We spoke to its chair, Doug Chalmers, earlier in the year about the new body and its work... eic.independent-commission.uk

If we can’t even talk in general terms about MPs’ workload- which MPs of all parties agree is v casework- heavy and getting heavier- without a lot of responses being to assume that MPs are not telling the truth/just whinging/ working on the wrong things etc- then I think we’re in a bad place

The government will consult on whether children aged between 13 and 16 years old should be included in the roll-out of digital IDs. Our explainer takes a closer look at how digital ID works and why it's back on the political agenda www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/di...

🧵🚨 The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news. Today our report is published! www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n... 1/11

And here's a new @instituteforgovernment.org.uk explainer by @jillongovt.bsky.social on how stamp duty works (and whether Kemi Badenoch's plan to abolish it is sensible..) www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/st...

I hate this about myself but I think it's finally time to admit that I am the type of person who writes better/more in the evening Are there any self help books out there for recovering academics?

Feeling very alienated over here with my 27 tabs open across 3 windows on my laptop I'm currently working on 3 different projects, so one window for each helps to keep me organised *or that's what I tell myself

Come for the fantastic title, stay for the excellent discussion My @instituteforgovernment.org.uk have excelled themselves this week! 👇

Last week the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk travelled north to Liverpool for the Labour Party Conference 2025. At our event on the Monday, with @uniofsurrey.bsky.social & chaired by @tompope.bsky.social we explored how local places can maximise the benefits of devolution to drive growth

A the end of last month @instituteforgovernment.org.uk headed to Bournemouth for the Liberal Democrat Party Conference 2025 We held an event in partnership with @uniofsurrey.bsky.social exploring how local places can ensure devolution delivers economic growth, chaired by @tompope.bsky.social

Live on BBC news now. @tompope.bsky.social of @instituteforgovernment.org.uk giving his instant reaction to shadow chancellor Mel Stride’s speech at Conservative Party Conference

But now we're back to this sort of nonsense I'm sure public toilets are needed. But why put up more barriers to accessing funding? And then there's this baffling array of funds worth tiny amounts of money. All designed with good intentions, but why not just increase LAs grant funding instead!

The govt published its strategy to revitalise local communities last week There is a heavy focus on directing funding to high streets and community spaces, which is part of the reason for declining "pride in place" But it seems misguided for a few reasons Short thread www.gov.uk/government/p...

If (shock horror) you managed to miss @instituteforgovernment.org.uk at Labour conference then have no fear. Audio from all our events is now online. This includes 3 events I chaired: implementing govt's health reforms, delivering preventative healthcare, and rebuilding the criminal justice system

“The lion’s share of spending in the early years system is directed at growth, not the opportunity mission” says @nehaldavison.bsky.social who describes the ambition of Best Start as “similar-ish” to that of Sure Start. Read the interview here: www.civilserviceworld.com/in-depth/art...

Recording a Labour Party Conference Inside Briefing special in Liverpool. Watch out for our instant reaction to Keir Starmer's #Lab25 speech with special guest @sophiestowers.bsky.social and the IfG's @drhannahwhite.bsky.social @cathhaddon.bsky.social @alexgathomas.bsky.social 👀🎧

As trailed in the papers earlier, Reeves's speech did roll the pitch for tax rises in the Budget - pointing to 14 years of weak growth creating a fiscal problem and the foolhardiness of simply ignoring fiscal constraints (she said there was "nothing progressive" about that)...

I really enjoyed this, great discussion with an excellent panel. If you didn't make it there'll be a recording on our website soon! Lots on how places can keep momentum up and deliver on economic growth strategies

This interview is so much worse than the headline lets on

Fortunately @jillongovt.bsky.social has just written us an excellent explainer on digital ID cards! Everything you need to know here… www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/di... www.thetimes.com/article/3fed...

Seems that the ONS data below is the Annual Population Survey The Office for Statistics Regulation suspended the accredited status of that data last year i.e. @thetimes.com chart is almost certainly wrong. The number of doctors working in the NHS increased since 2021, and they're ~80% of doctors

NEW REPORT: @instituteforgovernment.org.uk finds that confused missions, pervasive risk aversion, poor data quality, insufficient commericial capability, and a failure to focus on outcomes means that govt is failing to make the most of £400bn+ a year it spends on procurement

Making this taskforce 'internal' rather than independent (unlike e.g. sentencing) was a choice, presumably for greater control over recs. So is this just pitch rolling? Or evidence that an 'internal' review of controversial policy doesn't necessarily mean control? www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...