Inside Briefing with the Institute fo...

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.

Government
Politics
26
The Blair Necessities 
52 min
27
May 2026 elections: what are the implications f...
50 min
28
Burnham Issues
40 min
29
Starmer, Streeting and the fight for No10
39 min
30
Elections 2026: Fragmentation nation 
62 min
31
Is Keir Starmer in the last chance saloon?
41 min
32
Starmer vs Robbins: Why the Mandelson row keep...
42 min
33
The Peter Mandelson scandal: What are the lesso...
41 min
34
Is the UK (and Keir Starmer) under attack?
41 min
35
Who will pay the prices of war?
49 min
36
Money talks: Influence and interference
42 min
37
Can Rachel Reeves protect both households and t...
61 min
38
Can the UK weather the Middle East storm?
32 min
39
Keir Starmer and the cost of security
42 min
40
International Women's Day special: The inside s...
34 min
41
Trump vs Iran: Is the UK ready for war?
40 min
42
Will Rachel Reeves spring a forecast surprise?
42 min
43
All roads lead to Romeo
40 min
44
Resets and resignations: Starmer's worst week yet
39 min
45
Keir Starmer's Mandelson Scandal
32 min
46
Growth strategy pains, trains and regional deals
41 min
47
Starmer’s Trump diplomacy and Darren Jones’s fa...
37 min
48
Wes Streeting’s government health-check
35 min
49
Donald Trumps Starmer’s New Year Plans
36 min
50
2025 in Review: Starmer's Year of Drama 
46 min