Excellent thread from my colleague and co-author below on our new report!! @meganbryer.bsky.social sets out the key themes from our research here 👇

So how should ministers approach this challenge? Our report draws lessons from case studies where ministers have successfully driven public service reform in the past, including Nick Gibb’s school reforms, Jacqui Smith’s work on neighbourhood policing, and the Sure Start programme.

And you can read this joint blog from @rebeccamckee.bsky.social and @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social where they argue that the government should learn the lessons of past public service reform programmes. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/gove...

A new report from the IfG published today sets out 4 key lessons for ministers on how they can be effective leaders of public service reform. A thread of our main findings below… www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

NEW BLOG: a year ago, the government announced the abolition of NHS England and the reorganisation of integrated care boards (ICBs) What has happened since then? And how is that decision affecting the NHS and other services? www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/one-...

WEBINAR | A state rewired? Civil service size, shape, and turnover Tuesday 7 April, 12:30– 13:15 Join us for the first in a series of webinars exploring the findings of Whitehall Monitor 2026 and the context in which much needed strategic workforce planning should be taking place.

Fantastic new opportunity to join the IfG - our brilliant research internship is now open for applications, with the start date in September. Check out all the details below - and get in your applications by the morning of 7 April!

PODCAST 🎙️ Can the UK weather the Middle East storm? The IfG team review the prime minister's response to rising energy bills and assess the UK's resilience. PLUS: Rachel Reeves's Mais lecture. And Reform UK's civil service plans www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/insi...

The cancellation then reinstatement of this year’s local elections in 30 council areas highlights that ministers have too much power over local democracy. This should change, argue @akashpaun.bsky.social and @matthewfright.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/mini...

Another great reason why proper induction and ongoing professional development for MPs matters! (And as somebody who has also had to refresh their understanding of what gilt yields mean in the last 24 hours, this isn’t a criticism of MPs, who also have far bigger demands on their time than I do)

This would obviously be very bad for state capacity. The binding constraint on civil servants getting stuff done is, very clearly, not their belief in the political project. Have tried to capture some of this - while obvious it still bears saying. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/refo...

The Good, the Bad and the Unrealistic in Rachel Reeves's second Mais lecture @gilesyb.bsky.social dissects the chancellor’s growth plan – and says that Reeves’s consistency is admirable but tough choices are unavoidable www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/rach...

Big change at Cabinet Office in the last quarter - down 885 people. Likely voluntary exit schemes, as Dan says. CO said they wanted to lose 1,200 staff by 2026/27, this is quite a big chunk of that, and most of it is from the actual CO itself (so not e.g. the fast stream)

What can the Foreign Office actually do when British nationals are caught up in a crisis overseas? @hcdunlop.bsky.social and @howesdaniel.bsky.social break down the support the UK can - and can’t - provide, and why expectations often exceed reality. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/article/expl...

The government has made a major step towards addressing the sharp criticism that digital ID has faced so far, but it still has work to do to persuade the public Read our comment piece here: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/gove...

How should the Treasury handle the risk of rising energy bills? Our comment piece argues that Rachel Reeves shouldn’t be pushed into hasty action, and sets out why preparation now is essential for future shocks. Read more: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/rach...

I have a British constitution joke but I didn't write it down.

Is this a sign the government is planning a reshuffle, and/or some other restructure of departments and ministerial responsibilities? We shall see. In the meantime, check out @meganbryer.bsky.social's @instituteforgovernment.org.uk explainer on ministerial limits here

Shortly the Commons will (presumably) approve new legislation expanding the number of ministerial paid posts, in practice only creating new paid roles in the Lords (there is a separate cap on the number of ministers allowed in the Commons, paid or unpaid, and that's not changing)...

A big moment. As @rebeccamckee.bsky.social outlines the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk and others have long argued for stronger fiscal devo. The Chancellor's proposals for a roadmap for fiscal devo creates real opportunities for improved economic outcomes.

A genuinely big announcement on English devolution from Rachel Reeves today! As we at @instituteforgovernment.org.uk alongside others have argued fiscal devolution was a missing piece of the puzzle in the government's devolution white paper.

Last week - among everything else - the government commissioned @ethicsandintegrity.bsky.social to review the system around lobbying and direct ministerial appointments, as part of the ongoing response to the Mandelson affair A few thoughts... www.gov.uk/government/n...

Really interesting to see more detail on how the 'people's panel' will be used 2 stage process alongside a public consultation The government is using a lot of the 'right' language to explain what this is and set reasonable expectations about what it will do - seems well thought through...!

And if you're interested in seeing what a citizens' assembly can be like for participants there is a really great documentary about the experience of some of those involved in the UK parliament's climate assembly It's no longer available on BBC but you can watch it on Vimeo vimeo.com/578471867

Darren Jones is due to announce a citizens' assembly as part of the government's consultation on digital ID cards What is a citizens' assembly and how have they been used before? See our handy @instituteforgovernment.org.uk explainer ⬇️

On our International Women's Day special podcast, Karen Bradley, @elliechowns.bsky.social and @drbeccycoopermp.bsky.social reveal the inside story of life as an MP in parliament. Listen to the full episode 👇🏼 #IWD2026

Work with us! Applications are open to join our Communications team as a Marketing Executive. You'll be responsible for the day-to-day running of our CRM, delivery of email communications, and helping us to achieve wider audience engagement www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/about-us/car...

PODCAST 🎙️ International Women's Day special: The inside story of life as an MP Dame Karen Bradley MP, Dr Ellie Chowns MP and Dr Beccy Cooper MP join us to explore the challenges, surprises and perhaps frustrations of life in parliament. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/insi...

I absolutely loved listening to this podcast! Such an interesting discussion about what it's like being in parliament from three women with some different experience but lots in common too!

The Standards Committee proposal to redact the names of MPs' staff on the register is back in the news An unsatisfactory result for transparency especially as it isn't being accompanied by anything else e.g. a full list of all job titles that all MPs employ But it's a difficult balance...

Josh Simons’ resignation last week has brought Starmer’s govt up to a total of 13 ministerial resignations – the highest number of any recent PM at this stage of their tenure. Who has been appointed to replace Simons and how many ministers are there now in total…? 🧵

An excellent thread from my colleague @meganbryer.bsky.social ahead of #IWD2026 this Sunday Lots below including quotes from some of the women who have served as government ministers, reflecting on their time in office

But it's a missed opportunity to better consider how many ministers we actually need, and what they do. In 10 or 20 years time, will a govt need to do the same again, because they've accumulated another dozen unpaid ministers in the Lords? (there are also a few in the Commons...)

This is interesting - on the one hand, makes sense given how much is expected of ministers in the Lords (who don't have a base salary, just an allowance) But I do think this is a failing to be more innovative about what ministers are for... www.politicshome.com/news/article...

"...sticking to one major fiscal event a year gives the government more time and space to make better policy decisions." @danhaile.bsky.social, IfG senior economist, reacts to today's 'low-key' spring forecast. More analysis to follow soon www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/spring-forec...

Rachel Reeves has resisted the temptation to use today's spring forecast to tinker with the tax system. @jillongovt.bsky.social says the chancellor has made the right choice. Keep an eye on our spring forecast 2026 page for more analysis soon www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/spring-forec...

What did we learn from the OBR's forecast? @danhaile.bsky.social gives his reaction to the 2026 spring forecast and tells us why the chancellor was right to preserve a buffer against her fiscal rules. More analysis to follow www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/spring-forec...

Interested in a career in communications? We are looking a Communications Intern to join us on a full-time, fixed-term contract starting in September 2026. Applications close on Monday 9 March - find out more www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/about-us/car...

PODCAST 🎙️ Trump vs Iran: Is the UK ready for war? Sir Alex Younger, former head of MI6, joins us to discuss what the US strikes on Iran mean for the UK and global security. PLUS: Spring forecast fall-out? We assess the chancellor's plan www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/insi...

🚨 Results from the 2025 Civil Service People Survey have been published Last year these showed deteriorating morale at the Office for National Statistics – especially around change management The 2025 results show a slight further dip in overall morale - but bad results again on change mgmt (1/3)

Yesterday, the Gorton and Denton by-election saw the Green Party claim victory. But what is a by-election? What triggers one? How do they work? Read our explainer to find out more: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/by...

New comment piece from me and @hcdunlop.bsky.social on independent commissioners. We say that govts fail to recognise the long-term commitment that comes with establishing commissioners. Commissioners need sufficient resources and ongoing engagement from govt to maintain credibility and succeed.

As parliament returns, another outing for my and @rebeccamckee.bsky.social's comment from last week - if ministers are serious about cleaning up politics and public life, they need to lead from the top

Ethics in public life can’t be fixed by rules alone. Our comment, by @timdurrant.bsky.social and @rebeccamckee.bsky.social argues that stronger standards still rely on ministers using good judgement, and knowing when their actions undermine trust. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/ethi...

PODCAST 🎙️ All roads lead to Romeo The IfG's experts are in the studio to discuss what new cabinet secretary Antonia Romeo can do to turn the civil service, and perhaps the government, around. PLUS: Ethics in public life and local elections U-turn www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/insi...

Antonia Romeo appointed as cabinet secretary - @alexgathomas.bsky.social and I wrote last week about the challenges ahead for her and what lessons need to be taken from Wormald's tenure: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/next...

So the new cabinet secretary will indeed be Antonia Romeo Here’s what we think she needs to prioritise www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/next...

The workload facing MPs and their staff is growing, in ways that aren't visible to the public: casework and the inbox. For @thehousemag.bsky.social, I delved into what the workload looks like, why it's growing, and what this means for how MPs can balance the different aspects of their role

Our explainer has all you need to know about ministerial directions - what are they? when have they occurred?which departments have issued the most and why? www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/mi...

Yesterday, the PM issued a ministerial direction to Cabinet Office perm sec Cat Little relating to Chris Wormald's severance package after he stepped down as cabinet secretary. Why was a ministerial direction needed? Thread below and our updated explainer has all you need to know: