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
1
Who will pay the prices of war?
49 min
2
Money talks: Influence and interference
42 min
3
Can Rachel Reeves protect both households and t...
61 min
4
Can the UK weather the Middle East storm?
32 min
5
Keir Starmer and the cost of security
42 min
6
International Women's Day special: The inside s...
34 min
7
Trump vs Iran: Is the UK ready for war?
40 min
8
Will Rachel Reeves spring a forecast surprise?
42 min
9
All roads lead to Romeo
40 min
10
Resets and resignations: Starmer's worst week yet
39 min
11
Keir Starmer's Mandelson Scandal
32 min
12
Growth strategy pains, trains and regional deals
41 min
13
Starmer’s Trump diplomacy and Darren Jones’s fa...
37 min
14
Wes Streeting’s government health-check
35 min
15
Donald Trumps Starmer’s New Year Plans
36 min
16
2025 in Review: Starmer's Year of Drama 
46 min
17
The Trump challenge: Chaos, confusion and gover...
61 min
18
Four mayors delayed, three ministers reflect, a...
38 min
19
Should the U.K. do budgets differently? 
41 min
20
Autumn budget 2025: What is Rachel Reeves’ plan...
57 min
21
In conversation with John Swinney MSP, First Mi...
64 min
22
John Swinney’s goals for Scotland
34 min
23
Keir Starmer’s government: Traitors or Faithfuls?
32 min
24
Rachel Reeves and the art of pitch rolling th...
41 min
25
Home Office truths with Shabana Mahmood
30 min