Explainers
Our explainers cover key subjects relating to our work, setting out key facts and figures and answering the most important questions about government.
Explore our explainers
Ukraine crisis: financial and international trade sanctions
The UK has joined the US and EU in imposing unprecedented sanctions on Russia in response to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service
Sir Mark Rowley is the current Metropolitan Police commissioner. But what does his role involve?
Downing Street chief of staff
The Downing Street chief of staff is the UK prime minister’s most senior political adviser.
Cost of living crisis
How high is inflation? What prices are increasing fastest? Why have prices increased so rapidly?
Cost of living crisis: reducing energy bill costs
Energy costs have increased sharply since 2021, largely due to a surge in wholesale gas prices.
Sue Gray report update
On 31 January 2022, Sue Gray published an update on her investigation into alleged gatherings on government premises during Covid restrictions.
Levelling up: where does government spend money?
The government has committed to tackling regional inequalities as part of its ambition to ‘level up’ different parts of the UK.
Local government unitarisation
Unitarisation is a type of local government reorganisation that replaces county and district councils in ‘two-tier’ areas with a single tier.
Michael Russell
Michael Russell reflects on his role as Scottish cabinet secretary for education, and as the minister responsible for UK-EU relations during Brexit.
Public bodies reform
The Declaration on Government Reform published in June 2021 committed the government to “commence a review programme for Arm’s Length Bodies".