Incisive commentary from the IfG’s expert team on issues facing government and key ministerial decisions.
From analysis of key political events such as budgets and party conferences to snap responses to unexpected developments such as government reshuffles, our writers set out their views and analyse what government gets right, what it gets wrong, and what it can do better.
What does good scrutiny look like?
The current debate is to be welcomed.
The delay with the Chilcot report is misunderstood
There is nothing sinister about the failure to publish before the general election.
Under FOIA: departments’ responses to freedom of information requests
Gavin Freeguard looks at the latest quarterly figures on the demands on, and responses of, different government departments.
Keep calm and clarify
Government will carry on in the case of a hung parliament.
The laws of effective coalitions
Now that we face the very real prospect of a hung parliament, this advice may be needed more than ever.
Why David Cameron should care whether 'lines on the graphs go in the right direction'
Charts are to be cherished.
Forecasting Government spending: why pointless numbers lead to pointless arguments
The debate so far has largely missed the fact that its starting point, the OBR’s deficit numbers, is the product of different assumptions.
Top marks for improvement: Civil servant engagement in DfE, 2009-2014
The results for the department in the 2014 Civil Service People Survey are a considerable improvement.
Going full Circle: Hinchingbooke collapse raises outsourcing questions
There are questions about the viability of further hospital outsourcing.
Show me the money: Costing party policies in advance of the election
This morning the Conservatives released figures calculated by the Treasury which suggest that Labour’s manifesto contains £21bn of unfunded policies.