New IfG report recommends devolving employment support. I think the case for this is very strong: if you look at a map of “where sickness related economic inactivity happens”, it is obvious that what you are seeing is primarily a problem of how local economies operate:
Coalitions of support for various policies are continuously shifting - esp. in times of significant political fragmentation. Prudent policy makers will recognise that major policy changes need to be futureproofed if they are to withstand changes in government and public opinion.
Over a year ago, I argued for the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk that past policy experience (Labour's successful 2007 indoor smoking ban and NZ's smokefree generation experiment) shows legislating is only half the battle. Winning hearts and minds - now, but also in the future - is also essential.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill has reached its final iteration and will soon gain royal assent. This is a victory for supporters of a 'smokefree generation' in the UK. But the cross-partisan consensus around the proposal is already faltering.
There's so much to write about everything that's happening with Mandelson vetting fight (and always happy to explain the process, others have done so v well on here). But the v. aggressive approach from no10 is over the weekend is just so damaging - so have tried to capture some of that
not sure what people thought "dynamic alignment" would mean when govt said it was prepared to sign up to it (checks notes) 11 months ago -- this from @thetimes.com
New weekend reading from me - Antonia Romeo is the first Cabinet Secretary in a decade (and there have been a few) to publish her performance objectives.
Sounds a bit unremarkable, but there's more to it than meets the eye 👇
new online paper by @rosahodgkin.bsky.social @danhaile.bsky.social and me on how govt needs to get a grip of the economic consequences of the Iran war. Needs to stand up coordinating machinery - like Gordon Brown's National Economic Council www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
The constant Westminster-based attacks on S. Cambs by Conservatives and Labour are both depressing and incredibly boring
It’s good for councils to try new things!
Evidence suggests the 4 day week scheme has been successful!
If residents don’t like it, they can vote out the Lib Dems next month!
Clearing the consultation sludge is welcome – but good policy still requires meaningful engagement.
Plans to revisit impact assessments show the shift to ‘delivery’ shaping policy, write @vimbai-dzimwasha.bsky.social and @rosahodgkin.bsky.social
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/article/comm...
Have written about why I think the sludge stuff (announcements from gov last week on consultations etc) is of a different quality to the 'rewire the state' sloganeering that we have had before and why that is good!
Professional development for politicians has become the new normal.
Ministers, MPs and spads all benefit from taking time to work out how they will make the most of their time in office, say @timdurrant.bsky.social and @drhannahwhite.bsky.social.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/mini...
Meet the IfG Interns for 2025-26!
What is it like to work at the Institute for Government as an intern – and what exactly do our research teams do?
Our current intern cohort lift the lid on life at the IfG.
📺 Watch the full video www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/about-us/car...
NEW REPORT: the government claims that it wants public services to be more devolved, better integrated, and more focused on prevention
With a raft of reform programmes now underway in services, are they on track to achieve those aims?
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
Think this actually looks - not bad? Obviously not much detail worked out yet but this long list is much better than what we got in November (which was a classic, let's fix write rounds because they are the bit of the process I / ministers can see and 2 weeks feels long).
www.gov.uk/government/n...
Public opinion isn't static – as the current government has learnt in other areas, including digital ID. Robust policy making requires taking that seriously, and doing proactive coalition building, and cross-partisan engagement, to ensure that major legislative changes stand the test of time.
Labour's last smoking ban (in enclosed public spaces, in 2007) stuck because it came about amidst intense engagement that created cross-partisan and public buy-in.
New Zealand's 2022 smokefree generation legislation was repealed after a change of government – before it could even come into force.
Nigel Farage has penned an op-ed for the Telegraph pledging to repeal Labour's somekefree generation legislation.
Almost a year ago I set out for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk why policy makers should not take continued cross-partisan consensus on anti-smoking legislation for granted.
Could a Reform UK government govern by “executive order”? Or pass an “Enabling Act”?
I discuss this for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk
The cancellation then reinstatement of this year’s local elections in 30 council areas highlights that ministers have too much power over local democracy. This should change, argue @akashpaun.bsky.social and @matthewfright.bsky.social
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/mini...
This would obviously be very bad for state capacity.
The binding constraint on civil servants getting stuff done is, very clearly, not their belief in the political project. Have tried to capture some of this - while obvious it still bears saying.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/refo...
Another great reason why proper induction and ongoing professional development for MPs matters!
(And as somebody who has also had to refresh their understanding of what gilt yields mean in the last 24 hours, this isn’t a criticism of MPs, who also have far bigger demands on their time than I do)
The Good, the Bad and the Unrealistic in Rachel Reeves's second Mais lecture
@gilesyb.bsky.social dissects the chancellor’s growth plan – and says that Reeves’s consistency is admirable but tough choices are unavoidable www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/rach...
A line chart from the institute for Government showing how the size of the civil service has changed since 2009. It shrinks gradually to a minimum in 2016, but has been steadily increasing since then.
It's that time again... ONS Public Sector Employment dropped today, revealing a familiar pattern - the civil service just can't stop growing. An increase of 535 from Q3 2025 to Q4 2025 brings the total to 520,860 (FTE).
@instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Chancellors can't win. We tell them to think long term. Then when they do so, we write snarky bits about how people need immediate reassurance.
I've explained more here. The politics of growth sucks
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
A Guardian Live blog entry that says: Reeves asks officials to draw up plans for fiscal devolution Boom! Rachel Reeves then tells her audience that she has asked the Treasury to work with mayors and businesses to develop a roadmap for future fiscal devolution. This plan will be published at this year’s budget. It will set out plans to give regional leaders control of a share of some national taxes – which Reeves points out have long been allocated by central governments. It will include income tax, she suggests. The chancellor says these reforms will begin with places which have the greatest capacity to deliver them and the greatest potential to benefit. She insists that it is “not about new taxes, and it’s not about higher tax”, promising “I will not ask taxpayers to pay more”. These reforms will be fiscally neutral, focused on sharing and retaining a portion of existing revenues with the places that generated them, she says. Reeves promises: These reforms will represent a permanent transfer of power and resources, not another exercise in local ambition. Taxpayers will be able to see what is being delivered with their money and hold local leaders to account for the results, she insists. She calls it “a genuine break with the past”, calling it: A generational opportunity for Britain’s regions to make their own future.
A genuinely big announcement on English devolution from Rachel Reeves today!
As we at @instituteforgovernment.org.uk alongside others have argued fiscal devolution was a missing piece of the puzzle in the government's devolution white paper.
On the vetting bit specifically, I think it's good that govt has said they won't announce someone in post till their vetting is completed. But non-plussed as to this: "the Government will review the National Security Vetting system, including lessons learned from Peter Mandelson’s developed vetting"
So much to change in the civil service. It needs
- a centre of govt that works
- far better performance management
- confidence & curiosity to lean in
- less churn and more reward for sticking around and achieving things
- many more reforms (see all our @instituteforgovernment.org.uk work)
