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.
Boris Johnson has a chance to reset the government’s response to coronavirus
The prime minister’s enforced absence has given him the opportunity to observe the failings in his government
The government’s coronavirus bailout should not be built on unaffordable loans
Direct grants and equity-style injections would provide a better model of support for small companies
Questions over the prime minister’s coronavirus COBR absences are not straightforward
Questions about Boris Johnson’s role in the early days of the crisis will continue to be asked
The Liaison Committee: function matters more than form
The Liaison Committee's role in questioning the prime minister means it has a unique accountability role which must not be undermined or lost.
The government has overreacted to a weekend of bad coronavirus press
Rather than sending its rebuttal machine into overdrive, the government should focus on solving problems if it is to maintain public trust
Government use of personal data in the coronavirus response requires public debate and support
The government’s response to the coronavirus crisis makes an open discussion about its use of citizens’ data more urgent
The coronavirus response means the government will need to extend the Brexit transition period
With the UK and EU both battling the coronavirus pandemic, the government will need to accept that its current Brexit timetable is no longer viable
Governments need to apply behavioural insights to the way they approach tax reform
Thinking in advance about behavioural responses can ease the path to tax reform
The hard choices in lifting the coronavirus lockdown
The government should acknowledge the choice between deaths from coronavirus and other harm to society
The UK now needs a formal acting prime minister role
Government can function for a while in the prime minister’s absence, but ministers and officials need to know who is in charge