<p>Crucial elections took place across the UK on 6 May. The result in Scotland could have huge consequences for the UK's future. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/elections-2021-senedd-cymru" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">election in Wales</a>&nbsp;is the most unpredictable since devolution. And across England, voters have elected the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/elections-2021-london-assembly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mayors of London</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/elections-2021-metro-mayors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">other English cities</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/elections-2021-police-crime-commissioners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">39 police and crime commissioners</a>&nbsp;and several thousand&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/local-government" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">councillors</a>. The impact on the national political debate could be significant.</p><p>To make sense of the results and analyse what they mean, the Institute for Government held a special post-election expert discussion.</p><p>What will the votes mean for the major parties? How will the result in Scotland affect the independence question? What comes next in the devolution debate? And what will the mayors of the big English cities do with their powers?</p><p>Our panel:</p><ul><li><strong>Kieran Andrews,</strong>&nbsp;Scottish Political Editor at&nbsp;<em>The Times</em></li><li><strong>Professor Laura McAllister,&nbsp;</strong>Professor of Public Policy at the Wales Governance Centre, University of Cardiff</li><li><strong>Professor Tony Travers</strong>, Professor in Practice in the&nbsp;Department of Government, London School of Economics</li><li><strong>Jess Sargeant</strong>, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government</li></ul><p>The event was chaired by&nbsp;<strong>Akash Paun</strong>, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government.</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>

<p>The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome the three newly appointed leaders of data, digital and technology in government.&nbsp;<strong>Paul Willmott</strong>, Chair of the Central Digital and Data Office,&nbsp;<strong>Joanna Davinson</strong>, Executive Director of the Central Digital and Data Office, and&nbsp;<strong>Tom Read</strong>, Chief Executive Officer of the Government Digital Service, was in conversation with&nbsp;<strong>Alex Thomas</strong>, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.</p><p>The Central Data and Digital Office was established earlier this year, and its work will complement that of the Government Digital Service, which is approaching its tenth anniversary. The event explored Paul, Joanna and Tom’s visions for the next phase of digital delivery and transformation in government, and their respective priorities for the coming year.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IFGdigital?src=hashtag_click" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>#IfGdigital</strong></a></p><p><em>The Institute for Government would like to thank Oracle for kindly supporting 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>

Lessons from the Covid pandemic

<p>The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome&nbsp;<strong>Ambassador João Vale de Almeida,&nbsp;</strong>the EU Ambassador to the UK.</p><p>The start of the post-Brexit relationship between the UK and the EU has been marked by tensions over vaccine distribution and the Northern Ireland protocol. But these are also issues where close co-operation is needed. How should the UK and the EU work together to implement the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and the Northern Ireland protocol? What are the other areas of shared interest ahead of the G7 summit and United Nations climate conference? What can be done to improve relations between the EU and the UK post-Brexit?</p><p>To discuss these questions and more, João Vale de Almeida was in conversation with&nbsp;<strong>Bronwen Maddox</strong>, Director of the Institute for Government.</p><p><em>João Vale de Almeida previously served as the EU Ambassador to the United Nations 2015-19 and the EU Ambassador to the US 2010-14.</em></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>

How to scale up successful changes

<p>The arrival of Covid-19 forced parliament to innovate rapidly and experiment with new ways of working. These had a dramatic impact on the way MPs and peers did their jobs – with implications for the effectiveness and inclusivity of our legislature. What innovations should be kept, what should be dropped and who should decide?</p><p>This event brought together an expert panel to discuss these important questions.</p><ul><li><strong>Tracey Crouch</strong>, MP for Chatham and Aylesford</li><li><strong>Matthew Hamlyn</strong>, Strategic Director, Chamber Business Team at&nbsp;House of Commons</li><li><strong>Philip Norton</strong>&nbsp;(Lord Norton of Louth), Professor of Government at the University of Hull and President of the Study of Parliament Group</li></ul><p>The event was chaired by&nbsp;<strong>Dr Hannah White OBE</strong>, Deputy&nbsp;Director of the Institute for Government.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IFGParliament?src=hashtag_click" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>#IfGParliament</strong></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>Following the publication of&nbsp;<em>What Does Jeremy Think?: Jeremy Heywood and the Making of Modern Britain</em>, Lady Suzanne Heywood joins IfG director Bronwen Maddox for a fascinating discussion about the life and career of the former Cabinet Secretary.</p><br><p>Suzanne Heywood discusses her late husband’s experiences at the heart of government alongside four prime ministers, his views on the civil service, and how he navigated the uncharted territory of the Brexit referendum and its tumultuous fall-out. With the Greensill saga rocking British politics, she also discusses Jeremy Heywood’s thinking behind bringing Lex Greensill into government, and why he believed the private sector can play a vital role in improving the way government works.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Suzanne Heywood was married to Jeremy Heywood from 1997 until his death in 2018. She worked as a civil servant in the Treasury and for McKinsey and Company before joining Exor in 2016. The biography&nbsp;<em>What does Jeremy Think?: Jeremy Heywood and the making of Modern Britain</em>, began as a joint effort between Jeremy and Suzanne. It was published earlier this year.</p><br><p>Audio production by Candice McKenzie</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>Three centuries have passed since Robert Walpole became the first prime minister of Great Britain. The context of government has changed enormously, but aspects of the role remain the same. Of the 55 people who held the post some achieved greatness, some struggled with circumstances, others failed dismally.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>So what is the key to being a successful prime minister? How does Boris Johnson compare to his predecessors? And does the job itself need a fundamental makeover?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>A fascinating new IFG LIVE discussion looks back on 300 years of prime ministers, and explores the pressures and pitfalls of being at the top of the political greasy pole.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>With</p><p>&nbsp;</p><ul><li><strong>Iain Dale</strong>, broadcaster and author of The Prime Ministers</li><li><strong>Francis Elliott</strong>, director of advocacy at&nbsp;<a href="http://engagebritain.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">engagebritain.org</a>, former political editor of The Times and biographer of David Cameron</li><li><strong>Rosa Prince</strong>, editor of The House Magazine and biographer of Theresa May</li><li><strong>Anthony Seldon</strong>, author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cambridge.org/gb/academic/subjects/politics-international-relations/british-government-politics-and-policy/impossible-office-history-british-prime-minister?format=HB" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Impossible Office: The History of the British Prime Minister</a></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Presented by&nbsp;<strong>Catherine Haddon</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Audio production by Candice McKenzie</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>Boris Johnson’s priority was clear when he appointed his first cabinet in 2019: delivering Brexit. Now, months after the UK has left the Brexit transition period, and a year into a global pandemic, the prime minister is reportedly planning to&nbsp;reshuffle&nbsp;his ministerial team.</p><p>What should the prime minister be looking for as he plans to&nbsp;reshuffle&nbsp;his cabinet? What lessons can be learnt from previous&nbsp;reshuffles? Who might we see in the next cabinet? And what is it like being a minister during a&nbsp;reshuffle?</p><p>Our panel to discuss these questions:</p><ul><li><strong>Katy Balls</strong>, Deputy Political Editor at<em>&nbsp;The Spectator</em></li><li><strong>Salma Shah,&nbsp;</strong>former Special Adviser to Sajid Javid</li><li><strong>Ben Riley-Smith,&nbsp;</strong>Political Editor at the&nbsp;<em>Daily Telegraph</em></li><li><strong>The Rt Hon Lord Young of Cookham,&nbsp;</strong>former Leader of the House of Commons and Chief Whip</li></ul><p>The event was chaired by&nbsp;<strong>Tim Durrant</strong>, Associate Director at the Institute for Government.</p><p><strong>#IfGReshuffle</strong></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>

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