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.
The Dominic Raab claims expose the trust breakdown in government
Escalating leaks are a disaster for the vital trust between ministers and civil servants.
How the government can make progress on levelling up despite tight budgets
The government must do more than just revert to its levelling up white paper’s policy positions if it wants to address regional inequalities.
Rishi Sunak’s three Brexit headaches
Brexit is far from done – and Rishi Sunak's party stands in his way of being able to move on.
Rishi Sunak needs to take action to show he is serious about integrity
The PM should act now to demonstrate his commitment to integrity, asserting his expectations of his ministers from a position of strength.
Ministers should protect the UK’s system of constitutional guardians
With the health of the UK constitution depending on an ecosystem of bodies and individuals, ministers should do more to protect these vital guardians.
What Rishi Sunak’s cabinet committees reveal about how he will govern
Sunak’s cabinet committees reflect a preference for small strategy meetings and the power of Jeremy Hunt, but they also show a severe lack of women.
Outcome delivery plans can help ministers track the impact of public spending decisions
The government’s performance framework has been neglected but will prove a valuable tool for managing public spending decisions.
The row over Braverman’s future shouldn’t overshadow the problems it has exposed
Appointing an independent ethics adviser would help Rishi Sunak steady the ship.
Rishi Sunak must champion net zero as prime minister
Rishi Sunak will need to start building on that Glasgow speech sooner rather than later.
Sunak and Hunt should not rush into spending cuts
If the government plans to fill some of the fiscal hole through cuts to departmental spending, it should understand there are no easy savings.