Enjoyed doing this @ukandeu.bsky.social event with my #BGE2024 co-author @psurridge.bsky.social - and 👏 to @jillongovt.bsky.social for coping admirably with the 'two-Tims-problem'!

thanks a lot - think we need a playbook of campaigns to cut through the noise rather than a ‘one and done’ mentality of small policy launches.

V interesting new substack from @peterhyman.bsky.social on what decent modern media management in govt should look like - and why the Grid is no longer the way to go peterhyman21.substack.com/p/revealed-h... (the lesson of Major era is, I think, hopeless division not great for media management)

Warm invitation @eulegalstudies.bsky.social annual lecture with the most inspiring @ukandeu.bsky.social Director Prof @anandmenon.bsky.social with Reflections on the Brexit ‘Revolution’ - please join us @cambridgelaw.bsky.social on 3 Nov 5.30pm - open to all. www.cels.law.cam.ac.uk/press/events...

V Important piece from @andrewgmccormick.bsky.social for @ukandeu.bsky.social on why UK guarantees would be inadequate replacement for ECHR for GFA/Belfast agreement. UK govts are joint guarantors of that agreement with Irish counterpart

Still haven't learnt the academic skill of not giving direct answers....

Flagged in this morning’s Politico Playbook, here’s @tompope.bsky.social’s excellent new @instituteforgovernment.org.uk blog on Kemi Badenoch’s stamp duty plan - and why the sums don’t quite add up. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/kemi...

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...

stamp duty and associated devolved versions raise big money and forecast to go a lot higher acc OBR in March (that said, a genuinely popular policy which could pave the way for serious tax reform)

I dialled in from Manchester to discuss the state of the right with @psurridge.bsky.social @timbale.bsky.social and Tim Montgomerie (also in Manchester - even though he is now in Reform) for @ukandeu.bsky.social Utterly fascinating (TM @anandmenon.bsky.social) - watch www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivRL...

⏰ ONE HOUR TO GO ⏰ ‼️ Don't miss our online panel assessing the state of right-wing politics in the UK There's plenty to discuss 👇 ukandeu.ac.uk/events/ukice...

Badenoch’s pre-conference announcement was a promise to ditch the Conservative Party’s commitment to net zero It’s a big move - with potentially bigger consequences Read @jillongovt.bsky.social’s verdict for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/bade...

That's defo one for @anandmenon.bsky.social to ponder...

Looks like a good time to be discussing the state of the Right. I'll be in Manchester, but you don't have to be -- sign up online for this @ukandeu.bsky.social event ukandeu.ac.uk/events/ukice...

Industrial strategy, tariffs and global trade: Is the government's strategy working? Heading to #CPC25? Join us on Monday 6 October with Lord Willetts, Helen Bower-Easton, Prof Nigel Brandon @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social, @jillongovt.bsky.social @gilesyb.bsky.social zurl.co/K0WeZ

supersensible stuff from @helenmiller.bsky.social @theifs.bsky.social in @financialtimes.com (£) on need for tax reform. www.ft.com/content/d425... Echoes similar points we have made @instituteforgovernment.org.uk www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

I confess I'm surprised that this outcome of the recent EPC summit didn't get more coverage. www.gov.uk/government/n...

Five things the IfG learned at the 2025 Labour Party Conference @timdurrant.bsky.social @alexgathomas.bsky.social @gemmatetlow.bsky.social @gilesyb.bsky.social @jillongovt.bsky.social explore what #Lab25 revealed about Keir Starmer’s government www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/2025...

...which is much less than 1% of *total* spending. Repeat one thousand times: public spending is not about Whitehall bureaucrats. Maybe that bill needs to come down, but proposing it as a route to fiscal responsibility is not serious.. And you may gut the expertise you need to do it properly 2/2

Would you like to write for The Economist? We are hiring for our finance and economics internship. No experience is required. Find out more and apply here

As Ken Clarke used to say, the trouble with feeding buns to crocodiles is that eventually you run out of buns and the crocodile eats you instead

Join us in 15 mins

🚨 TODAY AT LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE🚨 For everything you need to know about UK-EU relations, join our expert panel with @fes-uk.bsky.social 🇬🇧🇪🇺 💥 With the Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, @jillongovt.bsky.social, @ellenmilligan.bsky.social, @almutm.bsky.social & Tobias Cremer MEP 💥 📍11:15am, Hilton Hotel

BBC News - Ryder Cup 2025: How Luke Donald masterminded Europe’s victory over United States at Bethpage - BBC Sport www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/a... So is Keir Starmer checking the fragrance of the shampoos in the Cabinet's hotel rooms? Fascinating leadership insights from #rydercup win.

Really excellent @nestauk.bsky.social fringe on Budget choices: with @timleunig.bsky.social @jillongovt.bsky.social @chriscurtis94.bsky.social and @yuanfenyang.bsky.social . Chris starts with a punchy point: he's a defender of the OBR but the *timing* of its productivity downgrade is terrible

PODCAST 🎙️ Starmer's Liverpool drama Former No.10 adviser Tom Webb joins @drhannahwhite.bsky.social @jillongovt.bsky.social @tompope.bsky.social to preview a massive couple of days for the PM at #Lab25. PLUS: What did we learn from #LDConf? www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/insi...

The 2025 budget and beyond: How Rachel Reeves can approach tax reform to help drive growth The new insight paper explores a big autumn approaches for the chancellor. @gemmatetlow.bsky.social @tompope.bsky.social @jillongovt.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

Impossible to know right now how the UK and EU will be treated on pharma, whatever the original deals said.

if true, the tariff inclusive deal the EU got starts to look quite a lot better than the UK one unless we can get our 10% + MFN to apply to this too..

🚨 NEW EVENT 🚨 Join us as we assess the latest shifts in right-wing politics in the UK 💻 Online 📅 Tues 7 Oct, 1pm BST With @jillongovt.bsky.social, @psurridge.bsky.social, @timbale.bsky.social and Tim Montgomerie ukandeu.ac.uk/events/ukice...

And to wrap up our panel discussions, we will ask @michaelshanksmp.co.uk @samalvis.bsky.social, Sam Peacock at SSE, @dharavyas.bsky.social @jillongovt.bsky.social, is Labour’s clean power mission on track? Join us at 16:30 to hear what they have to say

Digital ID cards are back in the news… Keir Starmer might say more about them soon.. So it’s a good time to read this brand new @instituteforgovernment.org.uk explainer by @jillongovt.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/di...

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/...

Why are the American president's claims about autism the first item on British news bulletins? He's not our president, the advice doesn't apply here and he's not presented any evidence to support his assertions. So why spread these claims? What make this the biggest story in the UK?

New @instituteforgovernment.org.uk report by me, @gemmatetlow.bsky.social and @jillongovt.bsky.social on how Reeves should approach tax this Autumn With tax rises inevitable, Reeves should reject path of least resistance and embrace tax reform 1/3 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

all I can think of when watching the Bird tributes on BBC is just how much cricket he caused countless fans to miss by the very prolonged "rain" breaks he inflicted on us (mentioned by David Gower on BBC News). My heart used to fall the moment I turned up at a match and saw he was officiating.

Great to see @dannychambers.bsky.social MP at #LDConf highlighting the Tobacco & Vaping Bill as the most significant health & equality legislation in a decade at an event chaired by @jillongovt.bsky.social 🚭 So important that he drew attention to postcode-level inequalities in smoking rates too

This is v clear on why Resolution's NI/income tax switcheroo (which govt has already ruled out) makes sense - "ensuring that lawyers and landlords pay a similar rate of tax to their clients and tenants".

Reading this is very much like reading years of pent up Treasury official frustration at successive Chancellor's refusal/cowardice in addressing destructive anomalies in the tax system. Might that be true @ruthcurtice.bsky.social @resfoundation.bsky.social?

Report out on tax options for the Budget. 2p income tax rise alongside 2p national insurance cut would mean no tax rise for an employee whose income comes from a job. With employment overtaxed at the moment, workers pay packets should be protected and distortions in the tax system removed.

Our first fringe event at the @libdems.org.uk conference is underway, with former party leader Nick Clegg in conversation with @drhannahwhite.bsky.social Full audio landing in the IfG Events podcast feed soon. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/ifg-li...

Some very interesting material to come from @ipsosintheuk.bsky.social @healthfoundation.bsky.social - come if you are there...

Maybe its time to repost this @instituteforgovernment.org.uk @theifs.bsky.social Chartered Institute of Taxation report from 2017 (!).. If only.. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

Britain must break from the grip of dysfunctional policymaking on.ft.com/4nErxVY

I‘m heading to Labour Party conference! Thrilled to be speaking on this panel alongside prisons minister Lord Timpson and @fionarutherford.bsky.social from JUSTICE. Please come along, and drop me a DM if you want to grab a coffee and chat public services/criminal justice/digital reform.

Then on Monday 22 September, at 11:30, we will explore how to boost trade and unlock investment in an uncertain world. With @clivejonesmp.bsky.social, Helen Bower-Easton CBE, Joanna Cound, Chris Hayward @gilesyb.bsky.social @jillongovt.bsky.social

www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/... It's simple and will reduce bills. But I worry its a) not visible to consumers, b) might be drowned by rising network costs. If you want to tweak bills rebalancing RO and FIT costs ~£1.5bn a year, £0.25b cheaper than VAT cuts - and helps decarb at the same time

My most centrist dad take is that most governing politicians deserve sympathy because almost every policy that's actually any good for the country is unpopular, and almost every popular policy is probably bad. Johnson's Brexit approach was far worse than Chequers IMHO but 20ppts more popular 1/

This is moving in exactly the wrong direction! Education & meaningful activity in prison is crucial to reducing violence and improving outcomes

The last event of the day at the IfG at Labour Party Conference will host Michael Shanks MP, @samalvis.bsky.social, Sam Peacock @sse.com, @dharavyas.bsky.social @energy-uk.org.uk @jillongovt.bsky.social Do not miss out on all the other events! www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/ifg-la...