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.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine demands that the UK rewrite its foreign policy
This moment must also lead to an overhaul in the UK’s entire approach to Russia
The government's 'Living with Covid-19' plan: high on optimism, low on detail
Rosa Hodgkin finds a worrying lack of detail, and an excessive dose of optimism, in the government's plan for living with Covid
The government would be wrong to force civil servants back to the office full-time
Plans to reform the civil service are premised on more flexible working
Johnson’s new chief whip has work cut out to tame a party with a taste for rebellion
The prime minister’s mini-reshuffle may be too little, too late to meaningfully improve Johnson’s relationship with his own backbenches
The reaction to John Major’s speech suggests standards are the next Brexit battlefield
John Major's critics should engage with the substance of his speech on the breakdown of trust and the erosion of standards in public life
The No.10–Treasury relationship is entering a difficult period
The relationship between the Treasury and No.10 is the most critical in government.
What did we learn from Boris Johnson’s February mini-reshuffle?
The prime minister has moved some key members of his team around in an effort to ‘reset’ No.10
Will Boris Johnson’s new chief of staff Steve Barclay be able to get a grip?
It is not yet clear how the prime minister’s new No.10 set-up will help him survive
Targets alone will not solve the NHS backlog
Poorly designed NHS targets could do more harm than good
The government spurns another opportunity to show commitment to transparency
Another opportunity for the government to show leadership on transparency and ethics has gone begging