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.
Whitehall is braced for more Brexit challenges, big government changes and a backlog of work
As the election campaign draws to a close, Emma Norris identifies the challenges that await civil servants in the weeks and months ahead.
Pay attention to what the next prime minister does, not what he says, in his first 24 hours
The decisions taken by the prime minister will tell us more about his government than the first speech he gives in Downing Street.
Being prime minister means taking responsibility for how you shape your premiership
Every prime minister tries to define their premiership through achievements, but their achievements will be determined by their personal approach.
By ignoring the digital world, the party manifestos ignore the future
The next government will need to tackle a wide range of digital challenges, but the party manifestos provide scant detail about what those will be.
New ministers will need to prioritise to get things done in office
A new cast of junior ministers must choose a small number of areas to focus on if they want get things done in office.
Unclear constitutional rules add to the immediate uncertainty of a hung parliament
The potential controversies which follow a hung parliament show the need for constitutional reform.
Manifestos should focus on prioritisation over proliferation when it comes to major projects
The Conservative and Labour manifestos set out ambitious new projects, but the government’s major projects portfolio is already too big.
The party manifestos provide few answers about the future of devolution and the Union
Neither of the main parties appear to have a clear plan for how to address the devolution challenge.
Conservative manifesto plans for the constitution are too reactive and Labour’s too uncertain
Dr Catherine Haddon warns against vague or short-termist constitutional reform.
Labour would be wise to pick its battles on outsourcing
The vastly contrasting manifesto offers on the merits of privately-operated public services fail to take account of past successes and failures.