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:
Robbins describes the atmosphere / message from no10 on vetting: "It wasn't just 'please get this done quickly', it was also 'get it done'"
The extent to which I would much rather be writing about the IfG's new report on employment support (read it! It's really interesting) tomorrow than yet another round of 'man who refuses to do the job of PM properly continues to be bad at it' cannot be overstated.
12:30 today - watch brilliant colleagues analyse the Mandelson scandal in this webinar ⬇️
So this is kind of important. Why is it right that Romeo and Little waited a month to disclose to the PM that they now knew about the vetting outcome, versus why Robbins chose not to. Starmer says they were right to await legal advice.
Key q for Robbins whether he took legal advice.
The bigger picture on the Mandelson-Starmer-Robbins brouhaha
Mistakes all round, casting a shadow on the relationships of trust we need to make government work
Excellent from @hannahkeenan.bsky.social
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/mand...
Not a lot as far as I know
Extract from FT article A short message was sent to all FCDO employees on Friday morning from Nick Dyer, the department's second permanent under-secretary, stating that Robbins had been "asked to step down". Cooper "has asked that I take on the position on an interim basis while we work through this period of change, Dyer said, adding: "I thank you all for your continued hard work."
Extract from Nick Dyer’s gov.uk page Biography Nick Dyer is Interim Permanent UnderSecretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). Nick was the Director General, Humanitarian and Development at the FCDO from March 2022 to July 2023. The Foreign Secretary appointed Nick Dyer as the UK's first Special Envoy for Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs in September 2020. Nick Dyer was the Acting Permanent Secretary of the Department for International Development (DFID) from March until August 2020. Before taking on that role, Nick was the Director General for Economic Development and International. His previous positions within DFID including: • Interim Permanent Secretary (2017 to 2018) • Director General for Policy and Global Programmes (2013 to 2017) • Director of Policy Division (2009 to 2013) • Head of DFID Malawi (2006 to 2009)
Very much not the main point, but has there been a more reliable interim/acting perm sec in recent years than Nick Dyer?
Beyond vital to keep that information private. But also essential to have a relationship of trust with the *prime minister*
100%
On the relationship more generally
A reflective and distressed observation more than anything…
Nothing’s inevitable. But good judgement and a shared environment of trust is invaluable
A sad reflection on what we seem to know tonight on the Mandelson vetting saga…
A story of two separate tribes, ministers and civil servants, not trusting each other, second guessing what to share and what to withhold, failing to find the common ground that makes for savvy, effective government
Let’s see what we learn in the coming weeks/months about this. If FCDO & Robbins made mistakes then it’s right for him and senior officials to be accountable
I find it surprising. Not impossible, but surprising. A great shame if Robbins were chewed up twice for the mistakes of PMs & their advisers
Let’s see what we learn in coming weeks/months about this. If FCDO & Robbins made mistakes then it’s right for him and senior officials to be accountable
I find it surprising. Not impossible, but surprising. A great shame if Robbins were chewed up twice for the mistakes of PMs & their advisers
Dim ond ar Ddydd Gwyl Dewi John
In a first for the IfG, @meganbryer.bsky.social and I have translated two pieces about the upcoming Welsh and Scottish elections into Cymraeg! 1/🧵
Three weeks to go until the Senedd Cymru elections
What do we want? Welsh language content! When do we want it? Now!
Very excited we’re publishing two comment pieces in Welsh about the election in the land of my fathers 🏴
@meganbryer.bsky.social @howesdaniel.bsky.social top translators
Here in English for those of us not blessed with the Welsh language
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/article/comm...
And from @timdurrant.bsky.social about what incoming Welsh ministers should learn from Labour’s mistakes in 2024
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/article/comm...
Here from @hannahkeenan.bsky.social on how the Welsh government civil servants should be preparing
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/article/comm...
Three weeks to go until the Senedd Cymru elections
What do we want? Welsh language content! When do we want it? Now!
Very excited we’re publishing two comment pieces in Welsh about the election in the land of my fathers 🏴
@meganbryer.bsky.social @howesdaniel.bsky.social top translators
. @hzeffman.bsky.social reporting on BBC R4 Today that govt has created a new "Middle East Response Committee (6.35). This is what @instituteforgovernment.org.uk argued was necessary last week to manage the consequences of the war www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
And now we go to the terrible TV pretend cabin
So a good day all round
The Masters means spring is properly here - phenomenal resilience and joy from McIlroy
Unbelievable 17th
