Really proud of the whole team at @futuregovforum.bsky.social for being highly commended as 'One To Watch' at the inaugural @smartthinking.bsky.social awards last night. A real achievement less than two years after we launched. And congrats to @britishprogress.org who took home the award!

Plummeting levels of public trust and a government operating model that is not fit for purpose are not unique problems of a Labour government. But it is a Labour government that needs to fix them. Me in today's @labourlist.bsky.social labourlist.org/2025/11/depa...

ICYMI, this week @futuregovforum.bsky.social published our latest report, the result of an in-depth investigation into how the centre of govt operates. Today our director @yeowell.bsky.social writes for @labourlist.bsky.social on our key findings & recommendations: labourlist.org/2025/11/depa...

This is exactly the kind of sober, radical rethink we need, focused on redistributing power so the government can, y'know, Do Things. I've been involved in a small way, and am finishing a companion paper, on which more soon.

Incredibly proud of our new @futuregovforum.bsky.social report on how to reform the centre of govt. 'Transforming Downing St' is the culmination of a huge amount of team work and 100+ interviews with a range of experts throughout 2025 www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/resource/in-...

OUT NOW – In Power 01: Transforming Downing Street New FGF report urges the Prime Minister to create a dedicated ‘Downing Street’ department equipped to drive his agenda. Full report ⬇️ www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/resource/in-...

Ahead of Budget, where do voters stand on tax and the dilemmas facing government? Big new @persuasionuk.bsky.social report out today on this. TL;DR as risky as breaching the manifesto is for Lab - failing on public services, cost of living and child poverty is *far riskier* for Lab. 🧵

How Labour can attack deportation plans, by Phil Tinline

“We don’t regulate just for the sake of it … Effective regulation should be something to be proud of.” @futuregovforum.bsky.social Chief Economist @danrcorry.bsky.social writes for @civilserviceworld.bsky.social on how to think harder about regulation www.civilserviceworld.com/news/article...

"Let's not forget, when we remember the service and the sacrifice with this poppy, that the people who bled and died for our democracy and our freedom, weren't just my grandfather who looked like me & worshipped the same God, but people across Empire & Commonwealth, who were Muslim, Sikh & Hindu'

"Unfortunately it's not in our strategic interests to say the racist part out loud" is quite the advice.

If you're not yet subscribed to @pollymackenzie.bsky.social's wonderful new 'How to run a country' Substack... well, then, for goodness' sake get on it. This week: what if we were honest and optimistic about the fact the UK is getting older? open.substack.com/pub/howtorun...

Great to see Ben meeting with my @futuregovforum.bsky.social colleagues @emilyagraham.bsky.social and @bethgardiner-smith.bsky.social to talk reform of the asylum system. Ben wrote a great essay for our recent collection 'A vision for renewal': www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/resource/the...

This Party Conference season, through 1️⃣1️⃣ fringes and 3️⃣ receptions, we've put practical delivery at the heart of the political debate. A huge thank you to all those who participated, attended and partnered with us. Until next year 👋

Fairness matters: in every part of our system. Good to meet Emily and Beth from the @futuregovforum.bsky.social today to talk about how we make asylum and immigration fair, transparent and humane. Read more in The Future of Asylum: www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/wp-content/u...

'The British public is far more sympathetic and generous than recent headlines might suggest' ICYMI, @alfdubs.bsky.social wrote for @labourlist.bsky.social last week on the divide between Labour and Tories/Reform on asylum & the balance the govt needs to strike: labourlist.org/2025/10/brit...

My hero is a farmer, not a duck. Which will only make sense if you read this new piece by me, the start of a new substack which I am bravely calling How To Run A Country. howtorunacountry.substack.com/p/its-the-de...

'Every government has some kind of industrial policy' @futuregovforum.bsky.social Chief Economist @danrcorry.bsky.social takes a look under the bonnet of this govt's Industrial Strategy to see what it tells us, and where there are Qs to be answered at the Budget blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...

Just ahead of Labour Conference, the govt announced a major new initiative: the £5bn 'Pride in Place' programme, billed as 'a new way for government to work in partnership with communities and neighbourhoods'. It's a really significant new programme: www.gov.uk/government/p... [1/2]

OUT TODAY: @futuregovforum.bsky.social Research Fellow Alex Bevan has written his first report for us: 'Impactful Devolution 03: A toolkit for regional growth and industrial strategy' looks at how to make sure place is central to the government's mission to raise growth and living standards [1/5]

Really timely piece from Akiko Hart, Director of @libertyhq.bsky.social, on the ECHR: context about what it does (and does not) do, options for reform at both UK and European level, and - most importantly of all - how progressives should talk about it futuregovforum.substack.com/p/rewrite-th...

This @civilserviceworld.bsky.social piece is a great primer on some of the major announcements in the recent Comprehensive Spending Review: on govt efficiency, the £3.25bn Transformation Fund and review of the HMT 'Green Book' www.civilserviceworld.com/in-depth/art...

Last month Jon Cunliffe's review of the water sector recommended a regulatory change-up, including scrapping Ofwat. My colleague @danrcorry.bsky.social - who knows a thing or two about regulation - sets out some of the Qs this now poses for the govt: futuregovforum.substack.com/p/how-govern...

Read a new article by FGF Chief Economist @danrcorry.bsky.social which analyses government plans to reform our water sector and big questions about what a new regulatory system should look like ⬇️⬇️⬇️ futuregovforum.substack.com/p/how-govern...

ICYMI, @futuregovforum.bsky.social had a fantastic blog last month from Emma de Closset at @ukcf.bsky.social‬ reflecting on her move from civil service to civil society [1/3] www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/2025/07/16/o...

On Times Radio @harrywallop.co.uk show - @philtinline.bsky.social explains FGF’s proposal to improve the asylum system by setting up Asylum Management Centres in France. Listen from 1hr, 38mins 55 secs ⬇️ @emilyagraham.bsky.social @bethgardiner-smith.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/radio/show/2...

Last month was the first meeting of our @futuregovforum.bsky.social Business Panel - alongside our civil society and local/regional govt networks, this is a chance for business leaders, policymakers & experts to talk tackling the UK's big challenges futuregovforum.substack.com/p/fgfs-new-b...

John Lehal is Convenor of FGF’s Business Panel and has written an excellent article about its work bringing business leaders & policymakers together to tackle the country’s big challenges. Read John’s article here ⬇️⬇️⬇️ futuregovforum.substack.com/p/fgfs-new-b...

Among the flurry of 'end of term' govt announcements, last week saw a particularly exciting one for those of us who want to see the state become more innovative and agile: @georgiagould.bsky.social and the Cabinet Office published the new Public Design Evidence Review www.gov.uk/government/p...

Last week saw two big steps in the Starmer govt's determination to govern differently: On Weds we had the next stage of the Cabinet Office's 'Test, Learn, Grow' programme and then on Thu a No.10 summit to launch the new 'Civil Society Covenant' www.gov.uk/government/n... [1/4]

"Young people are not asking for perfection; they are asking for honesty, engagement and respect." Fantastic piece by my colleague @shuab.bsky.social on the battle for 16-18 yr old votes and why progressives shouldn't assume they're in the bag observer.co.uk/news/opinion...

V fascinating insights, especially for the political debate re: asylum - Asylum is top 3 issue for voters so 'do nothing' is not an option But how Labour communicates about asylum & what they're doing matters. Actively seeking conflict & attention risks increasing salience which benefits Reform 👇

New UK-France deal on asylum is groundbreaking - moves towards both *deterring* small boat crossings & *diverting* ppl onto safer routes. My colleagues @bethgardiner-smith.bsky.social and @emilyagraham.bsky.social have written for @labourlist.bsky.social this morning: labourlist.org/2025/07/keir...

I've been reflecting on @adamterryfgf.bsky.social's key lesson from Labour's first year in office: the urgency of thinking long-term There's a particular relevance for asylum policy - particularly that 'tension of time horizons' between immediate challenges & longer-term solutions 👇

Last week saw another govt '10 year plan': after infrastructure and industrial policy, this was for the NHS. Writing a guest blog for @futuregovforum.bsky.social , @e17chrisfleming.bsky.social offers 5 tips for making the digital transformation elements work: substack.com/home/post/p-...

Me for @futuregovforum.bsky.social on the Starmer government's first year in office: futuregovforum.substack.com/p/the-urgenc... (1/2)

Exceptionally good piece here from @mds49.bsky.social, tracing the evolution of Blue Labour from the seminar rooms of Oxford to Glasman's new home on "MAGA square" www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/703...

There were, um, a lot of things going on in the world yesterday. But one of them was the UK govt publishing its 10-Year Industrial Strategy. Following on from the Comprehensive Spending Review and the Infrastructure Strategy, it's another plank in the govt's long-term economic approach (1/2)

Yesterday's 10-year infrastructure strategy was a welcome focus on the long-term future of our public realm. And it included the govt making a commitment to consider where public-private partnerships might be the best way of funding some new projects www.gov.uk/government/p... (1/3)

Comedy's loss was think tanks' gain! A great piece from @adamterryfgf.bsky.social and well worth a read if you want to find out more about what it is *actually* like to work in a senior role in a think tank! bit.ly/4kOVn9m

I spoke to @smartthinking.bsky.social about a day in the life of a think tank director: plate spinning, teeth brushing, and swapping the life of a would-be stand-up comedian for the glamorous world of policy and politics... smartthinking.org.uk/day-in-the-l...

Great to see ‪@georgiagould.bsky.social call for government to be “turned inside out” to drive Keir Starmer’s missions. Georgia is completely right to want to bring policymakers together with those who deliver & use public services - for better outcomes all round www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Really encouraging from @georgiagould.bsky.social today. It's about more than just 'mission hubs' in the regions; it's about making public services more responsive to people's needs, bringing together the policy and the delivery. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Alongside the big investment figures in this week's spending review was an intervention about where that £ might get spent: the review of HMT's 'green book'. @futuregovforum.bsky.social chief economist @danrcorry.bsky.social looks at the implications: futuregovforum.substack.com/p/green-book...

Good analysis from the very smart people at FGF.

The govt's Green Book Review this week won praise from England’s metro mayors, long frustrated that investment favours London and the South East. But will a few tweaks to Treasury rules really move the dial? Chief Economist @danrcorry.bsky.social takes a look >> open.substack.com/pub/futurego...

Almost a year in to a Labour administration committed to 'mission-driven government', what does that term mean and how is it being implemented? It's a Q the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee is asking, and one @futuregovforum.bsky.social has thought about a lot. (1/3)

FGF’s team of experts analyse what the #SpendingReview means for: * The government’s economic agenda * Local and regional government * Infrastructure * Mission-driven government * Transformative technology * Asylum. Read more ⬇️ www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/2025/06/11/w...

Lots to chew over in today's #SpendingReview - one of the defining moments in this govt's time in office so far. An active statement of what this govt chooses to do that its predecessors wouldn't/couldn't. And a welcome commitment to "renewing the nation". (1/2)

Interested in how the government is going to govern over the next 4 years and the future of its 5 national missions? Read this ‪@labourlist.bsky.social‬ article by our Chief Economist ‪@danrcorry.bsky.social‬ about the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review ⬇️ labourlist.org/2025/06/spri...