As Labour jostles with Reform for polling points and the Conservatives debate the merits of cosying up to Nigel Farage's party, More in Common's Luke Tryl joins the podcast team to take stock of the polls - and what they might say about the upcoming local elections.
With Rachel Reeves still looking nervously at the economic data and Donald Trump making increasingly hard-to-follow statements about tariffs, we assess the chancellor's trip to Washington.
Plus: Are people satisfied with their GPs? A new IfG paper reveals all.
Presented by Hannah White.
With Jill Rutter, Tom Pope and Stuart Hoddinott.
Produced by Candice McKenzie.
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51:31
Extra: What is the role of big suppliers in government procurement?
Procurement is central to the operation of modern government but, following a series of high-profile scandals, is often controversial. Much of the criticism has focused on the role of the biggest suppliers, some of whom have become household names for the wrong reasons. But who are these big suppliers and how dependent is the government on them?
This special episode of Inside Briefing will tell you everything you need to know about how much the government actually spends with big suppliers, the kind of services these companies provide, how well do they perform compared to other suppliers, and how effective the government is at holding them to account.
With IfG programme director Nick Davies, former Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude, Capita Public Service CEO Richard Holroyd, the TUC’s Director of Organising Public Services and Skills Sian Elliott, and Gus Tugendhat, Founder of Tussell.
This podcast episode is kindly supported by Tussell. Produced by Candice McKenzie.
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51:55
Trump’s Tariff Turnaround
As Donald Trump pauses his trade war (well, except in the case of China) the podcast team are joined by economist and author Duncan Weldon to make sense of the president’s wild economic rollercoaster ride – and the uncomfortable choices it means for Keir Starmer.
The PM and his team have some levers to pull, and this week they eached for a familiar one labelled ‘Quango Bonfire’. So what has been announced, and will it work? Plus: What does the government want to do about immigration? A white paper is on the way. But an IfG paper is out now.
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40:06
Trump Declares War: Tariff Liberation Day
The rules of global trade have been dramatically ripped up by Donald Trump. So what is the US president’s tariff plan actually meant to do? Has a global trade war started? How big a hit will the UK economy take? And what options does Keir Starmer have to fight back?
The government urgently needs to inject some growth into the economy, but can Whitehall make that happen? Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, joins the podcast to argue for more powers to be given away by London.
Plus: Who reviews the reviews? The government has launched a lot of them. But will they succeed? A new IfG report has set out its verdict. We’ll talk to its authors.
Tim Durrant presents.
With Giles Wilkes, Jill Rutter and Ben Paxton.
Produced by Milo Hynes
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40:51
Will Trump rip up Reeves’s rebalanced books?
Spring has nearly sprung, but the fiscal forecasts made for a rather gloomy spring statement for Rachel Reeves. Stewart Wood, a Labour peer and former adviser to Gordon Brown, joins the podcast team to assess the state of the economy - and Reeves’s attempts to turn it around.
How much will welfare cuts upset Labour backbenchers? What could Donald Trump's tariffs mean for Reeves's plans? And just how difficult are the choices awaiting the chancellor as the spending review approaches?
Plus: New IfG research focuses on left behind groups - and sets out some of the tensions in how the government is approaching one of its missions and milestones.
Presented by Alex Thomas.
With Jill Rutter, Gemma Tetlow and Sophie Metcalfe.
Produced by Candice McKenzie.
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About Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government
The first Labour government in 14 years is facing a daunting to-do list and complex challenges at every turn. Public services are under strain. The civil service is under pressure. And ministers must deliver the government’s missions and milestones. But could Keir Starmer’s plan to “rewire the British state” – through using AI and creating a “start-up” culture – turn these challenges into opportunities?
So where is government working well and what is it doing badly? What can be done to make No10, the Treasury and the rest of government function more effectively? What can Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves do to achieve faster economic growth? What will Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives and the other opposition parties do to hold the government to account? How might Donald Trump shape British politics – and how could the UK’s relations with the EU change in the years ahead?
Get behind the scenes in Westminster, Whitehall and beyond on the weekly podcast from Britain’s leading governmental think tank, where we analyse the latest events in politics and explain what they mean. Every week on Inside Briefing, IfG director Hannah White and the team welcomes special guests for a thought-provoking conversation on what makes government work – and how to fix it when it doesn’t.
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