What is the difference between a spad and pad? How should people be fast-tracked into big government jobs? And is Labour going about this process the right way – or committing a series of unforced errors? With the new government on the defensive after a string of eyebrow-raising appointments to civil service roles, ConservativeHome’s Henry Hill joins the podcast team to make sense of the row – and explore where Keir Starmer and Sue Gray might have questions to answer.  Plus: Does Rachel Reeves have any money to spend?Presented by Hannah White with Alex Thomas and Jill Rutter. Produced by Milo Hynes <a href="https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk">www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk</a> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

What is the difference between a spad and pad? How should people be fast-tracked into big government jobs? And is Labour going about this process the right way – or committing a series of unforced errors? With the new government on the defensive after a string of eyebrow-raising appointments to civil service roles, ConservativeHome’s Henry Hill joins the podcast team to make sense of the row – and explore where Keir Starmer and Sue Gray might have questions to answer. Plus: Does Rachel Reeves have any money to spend? Presented by Hannah White with Alex Thomas and Jill Rutter. Produced by Milo Hynes www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is the difference between a spad and pad? How should people be fast-tracked into big government jobs? And is Labour going about this process the right way – or committing a series of unforced errors?&nbsp;With the new government on the defensive after a string of eyebrow-raising appointments to civil service roles, ConservativeHome’s Henry Hill joins the podcast team to make sense of the row – and explore where Keir Starmer and Sue Gray might have questions to answer. &nbsp;Plus: Does Rachel Reeves have any money to spend?Presented by Hannah White with Alex Thomas and Jill Rutter. Produced by Milo Hynes&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk</a> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="noopener noreferrer">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Appointments of contention

The first Labour government in 14 years is facing a daunting to-do list and complex challenges at every turn. Public services are under strain. The civil service is under pressure. And ministers must deliver the government’s missions and milestones. But could Keir Starmer’s plan to “rewire the British state” – through using AI and creating a “start-up” culture – turn these challenges into opportunities?
So where is government working well and what is it doing badly? What can be done to make No10, the Treasury and the rest of government function more effectively? What can Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves do to achieve faster economic growth? What will Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives and the other opposition parties do to hold the government to account? How might Donald Trump shape British politics – and how could the UK’s relations with the EU change in the years ahead?
Get behind the scenes in Westminster, Whitehall and beyond on the weekly podcast from Britain’s leading governmental think tank, where we analyse the latest events in politics and explain what they mean. Every week on Inside Briefing, IfG director Hannah White and the team welcomes special guests for a thought-provoking conversation on what makes government work – and how to fix it when it doesn’t.

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The first Labour government in 14 years is facing a daunting to-do list and complex challenges at every turn. Public services are under strain. The civil service is under pressure. And ministers must deliver the government’s missions and milestones. But could Keir Starmer’s plan to “rewire the British state” – through using AI and creating a “start-up” culture – turn these challenges into opportunities? So where is government working well and what is it doing badly? What can be done to make No10, the Treasury and the rest of government function more effectively? What can Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves do to achieve faster economic growth? What will Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives and the other opposition parties do to hold the government to account? How might Donald Trump shape British politics – and how could the UK’s relations with the EU change in the years ahead? Get behind the scenes in Westminster, Whitehall and beyond on the weekly podcast from Britain’s leading governmental think tank, where we analyse the latest events in politics and explain what they mean. Every week on Inside Briefing, IfG director Hannah White and the team welcomes special guests for a thought-provoking conversation on what makes government work – and how to fix it when it doesn’t.

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Appointments of contention

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