I'm really delighted to announce that- in a restructure of the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk’s senior team - I've appointed @gemmatetlow.bsky.social to the new role of Executive Director of Research & Innovation & @alexgathomas.bsky.social to the new role of Executive Director of Impact & Influence

So we are already back to the levels of migration of the early 2010s and declining faster... let's hope all those new restrictions, based on previous higher numbers, don't make Britain massively unattractive to those migrants the government DOES wish to attract.

Budget news of international student levy at £925 flat rate, not as % of tuition fees. This is likely better re. reducing no. coming to UK on student visas to work. Flat rate hits so-called "visa farm" HE providers offering cheaper courses, w. less impact on elite, high-fee institutions. 🧵

"Either damaging cuts to unprotected services or fictitious spending numbers" Read @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social verdict on today's budget and what it means for public services on our live blog www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/live-blog/au...

'Little overall sense of what the chancellor wants to achieve with the tax system' @gemmatetlow.bsky.social Read the latest comments from our IfG experts on the Chancellor's budget before our WEBINAR at 4pm! www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/live-blog/au...

Side point, but it can’t be said often enough that so much of today’s political debate is taken up with migration, when it is *plunging* 📉 (from OBR docs):

Pleased to have written an op-ed for @civilserviceworld.bsky.social outlining some of the lessons from our new @instituteforgovernment.org.uk report, Ministers Reflect on the Treasury. www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...

It's a really good episode, Jill's question puts them on the spot

Rachel Reeves told the FT how helpful she's found Jeremy Hunt's advice on being chancellor - I wonder if this is one of the things they've discussed? From the great new IfG report from Shaina and Paddy - essential reading ahead of the Budget! www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

New paper, 'Ministers reflect on the Treasury' from @paddy-mcalary.bsky.social and me for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk. Pre-budget, we've compiled insights from 10 years of Ministers Reflect interviews, plus rex from the IfG catalogue on HMT. Favourite quotes to follow! 1/🧵 tinyurl.com/38anhkc7

What are the legal implications of Labour’s new asylum reforms? Former permanent secretary of the Government Legal Department @sirjjkc.bsky.social examines some of the main legal implications of the proposals www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/lega...

Hot on the heels of yesterday's Covid inquiry report on decision making, @shaina-sangha.bsky.social and I have a new report out today looking at how combined epidemiological-economic modelling could help government better prepare for future pandemics www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

As the covid inquiry gears up for Module 9 on economic policy, @gemmatetlow.bsky.social and I have a new @ukri.org-funded @instituteforgovernment.org.uk report out on Epi-econ modelling for pandemics. We set out why govt needs to invest now 1/🧵 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

I know it is much more entertaining - I'm guilty too - to follow the briefing and counter-briefing from No 10 but this is actually news you can use to understand what's going on with govt.

Great report from Sophie and Nehal, as part of our Policymaking for Left-behind groups series, on a group of children that can absolutely be better supported to thrive from an early age. A lot of excellent and surprising data work in there.

Lack of planning has hit Labour’s efforts to fix public services, says thinktank. Great summary of @instituteforgovernment.org.uk's analysis by @kiranstacey.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Great event from colleagues at the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk as @stephenkb.bsky.social makes the important point that govt won't talk about. NIC rise/min wage/visa changes are an unexploded bomb for the government's public service reform/workforce plans. Prioritisation! Prioritisation!

This is really part of a longer story about the ONS, and the picture we have (or don't) of the state and society. The move from International Passenger Surveys to DWP data should improve our understanding of what Brits are doing at least.

Guardian’s top story is @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social’s analysis of NHS performance, the latest release from Public Service Performance Tracker 2025. There are some positives from past years but these risk being undermined by loss of GP partners, social care failures and chaotic approach to reform

NEW REPORT Labour is struggling to meet its education priorities. It has big ambitions to improve schools, but a budget that falls short of matching them. And with no clear plans to reform the SEND system or tackle workforce shortages, children are being left without the support they need.

Can't pass judgement on most of this, but the estimated savings in the NHS of £11bn are incredibly dubious and the proposed shift to a social insurance model is an infuriating zombie idea that is not supported by evidence Some thoughts on the NHS proposals in this paper...

and a lot of other things messing up the economy - just all seems a bit -- late?

NEW REPORT: Local authorities have been struggling with pressures from austeirty for years, but there are signs that pressure is now particularly acute As a result, they are having to make tough decisions about finances and services 🧵👇 on findings www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

NEW: @instituteforgovernment.org.uk have published pt1 of Public Services Performance Tracker 2025 covering local government finances and overall performance, adult social care, children's social care and homelessness Incredible work by @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social & @amberdellar.bsky.social

What have the different political parties announced on immigration and asylum? Our latest explainer by @shaina-sangha.bsky.social sets out the positions of Labour, the Conservatives, Reform, the Lib Dems, and the Green Party www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/im...

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

Crazy stat of the day: the NHS now publishes the cost of delayed discharge from hospital. They estimate that it was ~£220m in September If that's a typical month, it means ~£2.6bn per year For comparison, the govt spent £2.8bn on the entire courts and tribunal system in 2024/25

Kemi Badenoch’s promise to abolish stamp duty has ducked tax trade-offs www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/kemi...

Procurement is massively underrated as an opportunity for improvement, and where a mission-led approach could make a difference. Our NEW REPORT explores why this change is hard, and how procurement should be used to shape markets + drive innovation🧵 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

Great paper from Gemma, Tom and Jill, who have been thinking about how to do tax reform a lot longer than just this budget cycle.

This reshuffle is far bigger than initially expected! Its impacts will reverberate for some time - but at least Starmer can finally say he seized the spotlight from Reform UK For @instituteforgovernment.org.uk analysis 👇 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/live-blog/st...

Great to see our latest @instituteforgovernment.org.uk report on the fast stream covered in The Guardian. The civil service wants the fast stream to do too much, all at once. A smaller programme that is laser-focused on developing future leaders would deliver more for the civil service.

Think 2 big risks in No.10 shake-up are (a) more big figures & no clarity on who does what means duplicative work gumming up the system, and (b) the 'change the way the state works' bit of missions gets totally cannibalised by the 'deliver the plan for change targets' bit of missions.

I am really very certain - having also seen 4 iterations of No.10 while working in the Cabinet Office - that adding more people to the centre of government is not the solution here. If the shake-up is on, it better be a proper one.

My overview of some of the legal implications of Reform UK’s immigration proposals www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/refo...

Re. Farage's £ figures in announcement today on asylum plans, this is not a big money saver for govt. HO's total managed expenditure (for police, asylum, national security etc) in 24/25 was £22.5bn. That's a lot but £8bn less than e.g. DfT and 1/13th of what DWP spends. 1/7

"look beyond AI and much of the economy appears sluggish. Real consumption has flatlined since December. Jobs growth is weak. Housebuilding has slumped, as has business investment in non-ai parts of the economy" www.economist.com/finance-and-... From The Economist

NEW REPORT: how does where you live and your background affect how you do at school? - Inequalities have widened around the country and between groups of children since the pandemic - Progress depends on sharing what works to support disadvantaged pupils & cutting high absence 🧵👇

I wonder how many times right wing think tanks can write the same report about the NHS Seems we haven't reached the limit yet 200 pages to make the most boring (and worse, useless) set of policy recommendations

Chancellors wield huge power across Whitehall – but many struggle to achieve their aims. In our latest Ministers Reflect, @jeremyhuntmp.bsky.social offers some lessons that Rachel Reeves – and future chancellors – might want to heed www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/jere...

Good write up of the 10 year plan from Nick Timmins: - A lot of existing policy. But that's good: things like integration are laudable aims - Focus on tech is welcome, but dependent on limited capital budgets - Social care still needs addressing www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/nhs-...

“In many areas, the Labour government has introduced changes that are necessary and valuable and yet these have not been knitted together in a way that is sufficient to shift public perceptions of change” www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/labo...

So I noticed a jarring headline in the FT, saying "UK DISPOSABLE INCOME FALLS AT FASTEST RATE SINCE 2023" and wondered if you were as bothered by it as I was. I am here to say: fear not. Or rather, look at it like the graph down here: 1/ www.ft.com/content/08a1...

Delivering the new industrial strategy will be a huge test for government @gilesyb.bsky.social warns that white paper represents a daunting delivery challenge that requires unprecedented levels of cross-departmental working www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/indu...

My latest thoughts on why the characteristics of the 2024 parliament mean the backbench welfare bill rebellion is unlikely to be the last one faced by Keir Starmer www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/parl...

Another Zia Yusuf tweet that shows a lack of understanding of how local govt works 1) Kent is not responsible for appointing auditors. Fees are set and auditors appointed by a body call Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA)

Last week's spending review won't drive a rewiring of the state, but within a very difficult SR context there were some improvements that should (hopefully) bring benefits down the line More on the opportunities taken (and missed) at SR25 from me www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/spen...