Making a success of the June summit

Akash Paun speaks to the leader of the Welsh Conservatives

In conversation with Dr Adam Marshall, outgoing Director General at British Chambers of Commerce

<p>Innovation is at the heart of the prime minister’s vision for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/net-zero" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">net zero</a>. Developing and deploying new and existing technologies effectively will be critical to progress in areas including in energy, transport, housing, industry and agriculture.</p><p>The government can point to successes, like offshore wind, but progress elsewhere has been frustrated by inconsistent R&amp;D investment, policy and regulation. It faces big choices about where and how to support green industries.</p><p>On our panel to discuss these questions were:</p><ul><li><strong>Georgia Berry</strong>, Director of Political Campaigns at OVO and former Special Adviser for Energy and Infrastructure in the No.10 Policy Unit</li><li><strong>Dr Ajay Gambhir</strong>, Senior Research Fellow at the Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London</li><li><strong>Juergen Maier</strong>, Chair of Digital Catapult and Vice Chair of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership</li></ul><p>The event was chaired by&nbsp;<strong>Tom Sasse</strong>, Associate Director at the Institute for Government.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IFGNetZero?src=hashtag_click" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>#IfGnetzero</strong></a></p><p><em>We would like to thank the Transition to Zero Pollution initiative at Imperial College London for their support in staging this event.</em></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

The IFG's Akash Paun speaks to the Welsh Minister for Finance

<p>The Industrial Strategy Council provided an update on progress in implementing the 2017 Industrial Strategy, and the lessons that the annual report contains for the government’s new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/blog/rishi-sunak-plan-for-growth" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Plan for Growth</a>. It also considered the lessons learned for industrial policy from the development of Covid vaccines over the past year.</p><p>The panel included:</p><ul><li><strong>Andy Haldane</strong>, Chair of the Industrial Strategy Council</li><li><strong>Dame Vivian Hunt</strong>, member of the Industrial Strategy Council and the Build Back Better Council</li><li><strong>Giles Wilkes</strong>, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government</li></ul><p>This event was chaired by&nbsp;<strong>Dr Gemma Tetlow</strong>, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IFGEconomy?src=hashtag_click" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#IfGEconomy</a></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

<p>The Covid-19 pandemic has fuelled a parallel “infodemic” of harmful misinformation about the virus and vaccines. This has highlighted the wider challenge for governments of combating the spread of misleading content on the internet and social media platforms.</p><p>This Institute for Government event, held in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council, explored&nbsp;the scale of the misinformation challenge facing the UK government and the policy approaches that government can take to address it.</p><p>On our panel to discuss these issues were:</p><ul><li><strong>Damian Collins MP</strong>, former Chair of the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee</li><li><strong>Professor Peter Knight,</strong>&nbsp;Professor of American Studies at the&nbsp;University of Manchester and Principal Investigator on the AHRC’s ‘Infodemic: Combatting Covid-19 conspiracy theories' project</li><li><strong>Will Moy</strong>, Chief Executive of&nbsp;Full Fact</li><li><strong>Marianna Spring</strong>, specialist BBC reporter covering disinformation and social media</li></ul><p>The event was chaired by&nbsp;<strong>Jill Rutter</strong>, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23IfGInfodemic&amp;src=typed_query" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#IfGInfodemic</a></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

<p>The Institute for Government regularly runs a paid internship programme.&nbsp;Our interns work with our staff to contribute to our mission of improving the effectiveness of government in the UK, and often go on to interesting roles in central and local government, Parliament, the private and voluntary sectors, other think tanks and postgraduate research. Applications are now open for our 2021/22 programme, starting in September.</p><p>In this edition of IfG LIVE, Dr Nicola Blacklaws who manages the Institute’s recruitment process, is in conversation with our 2020/21 interns about what it’s like to work at IfG. They discuss some of their highlights (including waiting for a Brexit deal over the Christmas holidays and working on our&nbsp;<em>Ministers Reflect&nbsp;</em>archive), reflect on joining the Institute during the coronavirus pandemic, and share thoughts on how the internship experience has informed what they decided to do next. All this, plus an introduction from Akash Paun, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government, and lead on intern recruitment.</p><p>Audio production by Candice McKenzie</p><p>#IfGIntern</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

A keynote speech by Cabinet Office minister Lord Agnew

Bronwen Maddox speaks to the Financial Secretary to the Treasury

<p>Scientists around the world have played a central role in the last year, informing policy makers and the public throughout the pandemic. Under pressure they have adapted new ways of working, while the creation and deployment of vaccines could have far-reaching consequences for global scientific collaboration. At this event, we will discuss the early lessons the science community should draw from the crisis.</p><p>On the panel to discuss these issues will be:</p><ul><li><strong>Dr Rupert Lewis</strong>, Chief Science Policy Officer at&nbsp;The Royal Society</li><li><strong>Professor Peter Openshaw,&nbsp;</strong>Professor Experimental Medicine at&nbsp;Imperial College London&nbsp;(and Vice-chair of NERVTAG)</li><li><strong>Dr Beth Thompson</strong>, Head of UK &amp; EU Policy and Advocacy at&nbsp;Wellcome Trust</li></ul><p>The event will be chaired by&nbsp;<strong>Tom Sasse</strong>, Associate Director at the Institute for Government.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IfGScience?src=hashtag_click" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#IfGscience</a></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

In conversation with former chancellors

<p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/coronavirus-vaccine-rollout" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">UK's&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;rollout</a>&nbsp;has made a good start. This panel discussed the reasons behind the early success and explore the questions the government faces – around prioritisation, the threat of variants and&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;diplomacy – as it extends the rollout. It also explored the long-term lessons of the&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;programme, and how the UK should capitalise on its life sciences expertise.</p><p>On the panel to discuss these questions were:</p><ul><li><strong>George Freeman,&nbsp;</strong>MP for Mid Norfolk and former Minister for Life Sciences</li><li><strong>Tom Chivers,&nbsp;</strong>Author and Science Editor at&nbsp;<em>Unherd</em></li><li><strong>Dr Rebecca Fisher,</strong>&nbsp;GP and Senior Policy Fellow at The Health Foundation</li><li><strong>Professor Robin Shattock,</strong>&nbsp;Chair in Mucosal Infection and Immunity and Covid-19&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;lead at Imperial College London</li></ul><p>The event was chaired by&nbsp;<strong>Tom Sasse</strong>, Associate Director at the Institute for Government.</p><p><em>We would like to thank The Forum – Imperial College London for kindly supporting this event.</em></p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ifgvaccine&amp;src=typed_query" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#IfGvaccine</a></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

The IFG speaks to the Mayor of Greater Manchester

<p>The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome&nbsp;<strong>Adam Price MS</strong>&nbsp;as part of our series of events with leading politicians from across the UK in the run up to the devolved and local elections of May 2021.</p><p>The leader of Plaid Cymru – the party of Wales – discussed the state of the Union, the upcoming election, and how devolution might evolve over the coming years.</p><p>He was in conversation with&nbsp;<strong>Bronwen Maddox</strong>, Director of the Institute for Government.&nbsp;</p><p><em>Adam Price has been the Member of the Welsh parliament for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr since 2016, having previously served as a member of parliament at Westminster. He was elected Leader of Plaid Cymru in 2018 and is now leading the party’s campaign for the 2021 Welsh parliament election.</em></p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IfGdevo?src=hashtag_click" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#IfGDevo</a></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

A pre-Budget special

Developments in Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy

The IFG speaks to the Conservative and Unionist leader in Scotland

<p><em>This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event</em></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>It has been a rocky first six weeks for the Northern Ireland protocol, which came into force on 31 December last year.</p><p>Since the UK left the Brexit transition period, Northern Ireland has seen empty supermarket shelves, cancelled deliveries, and retailers temporarily pulling some products. Then came the UK’s vaccines row with the EU, and the EU’s threat to take unilateral action to disregard aspects of the protocol. While that decision was swiftly reversed after strong condemnation from politicians in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and the UK, but it has been followed by increasingly vocal calls from Unionist parties to do away with the protocol entirely.</p><p>This event looked at how the protocol is operating, what solutions might be found to fix its early problems, and what opportunities the protocol presents for Northern Ireland.&nbsp;</p><p>Speakers</p><ul><li><strong>Aodhán Connolly</strong>, Director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium</li><li><strong>Professor Katy Hayward</strong>, Professor of Political Sociology at Queen’s University Belfast and Senior Fellow at UK in a Changing Europe</li><li><strong>Neale Richmond TD</strong>, Fine Gael spokesperson on European Affairs</li><li><strong>Simon Hoare MP</strong>, Chair of the House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee</li></ul><p>The event was&nbsp;chaired by&nbsp;<strong>Jess Sargeant</strong>, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IFGBrexit?src=hashtag_click" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#IfGBrexit</a></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

Discussing government use of science advice in the Covid crisis

<p><em>This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event</em></p><p>The UK’s energy policy is at a critical turning point, with the government facing several key decisions as it tries to meet the UK’s ambitious 2050 net zero target. The energy white paper, published in December 2020, was an important step, but there are big questions over the future of nuclear power, how to support technologies like carbon capture and storage, and what industry needs to do to prepare for electrification.</p><p>At this event, experts discussed whether the UK government and the civil service are equipped to meet these energy policy challenges, how decisions should be made, and what the government’s priorities should be in the years ahead.</p><p>The panel also discussed the IfG’s recent report,<em>&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publications/energy-policy-making" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Evidence in energy policy making: what the UK can learn from overseas</em></a>.</p><p>On our panel to discuss these questions were:</p><ul><li><strong>Baroness Brown of Cambridge (Professor Dame Julia King)</strong>, Deputy Chair of the Climate Change Committee and Chair of the Carbon Trust</li><li><strong>Guy Newey</strong>, Strategy and Performance Director at the Energy Systems Catapult and former special adviser at DECC and BEIS</li><li><strong>Emma Pinchbeck</strong>, Chief Executive of Energy UK</li><li><strong>Will McDowall</strong>, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government</li></ul><p>The event was chaired by&nbsp;<strong>Alex Thomas</strong>, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ifgenergy&amp;src=typed_query" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#IfGenergy</a></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

In conversation with Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP

Annual launch of the IFG's flagship report

<p><em>This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event</em></p><p>The Institute for Government hosted&nbsp;the annual lecture by&nbsp;<strong>Bronwen Maddox</strong>, its director.</p><p>In her speech, Bronwen looked at the government’s performance in the extraordinary circumstances of 2020 and what 2021 might bring.</p><p>Her discussion was followed by a response from&nbsp;<strong>Professor David Runciman</strong>&nbsp;and the event was chaired by&nbsp;<strong>Sir Richard Lambert</strong>.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IFGDirector?f=live" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#IfGDirector</a></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

<p><em>This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event</em></p><p>On 31 December 2020 at 11pm&nbsp;the UK entered a new relationship with the EU – ushering in huge changes for businesses, individuals and government. The Northern Ireland protocol also took effect, introducing new customs and regulatory barriers between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.&nbsp;</p><p>Formal negotiations are now done, but there is much still to do as the UK and EU settle outstanding issues and move to implement the agreements reached. But so far there is little indication of how the government envisages involving parliament.</p><p>This event explored how both the Commons and the Lords should hold the government to account, and whether parliament has the committee structures and resources necessary to do this effectively.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>We were joined by a panel of parliamentarians and academics:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><ul><li><strong>Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP</strong>, Former Chair of the Exiting the EU and Future Relationship with the EU Committees</li><li><strong>Brigid Fowler</strong>, Senior Researcher at the Hansard Society</li><li>​<strong>Rt Hon David Jones MP</strong>, Member of the European Scrutiny and Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committees</li><li><strong>Lord Kinnoull</strong>, Chair of the House of Lords EU Committee</li></ul><p>The event was chaired by&nbsp;<strong>Dr</strong>&nbsp;<strong>Hannah White OBE</strong>, Deputy Director of the Institute for Government.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IfGBrexit?f=live" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#IfGBrexit</a></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>