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It has been a rocky first six weeks for the Northern Ireland protocol, which came into force on 31 December last year.

Since the UK left the Brexit transition period, Northern Ireland has seen empty supermarket shelves, cancelled deliveries, and retailers temporarily pulling some products. Then came the UK’s vaccines row with the EU, and the EU’s threat to take unilateral action to disregard aspects of the protocol. While that decision was swiftly reversed after strong condemnation from politicians in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and the UK, but it has been followed by increasingly vocal calls from Unionist parties to do away with the protocol entirely.

This event looked at how the protocol is operating, what solutions might be found to fix its early problems, and what opportunities the protocol presents for Northern Ireland. 

Speakers

The event was chaired by Jess Sargeant, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government

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The Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, chairman of the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee, joined IfG director Bronwen Maddox for an in-conversation event to discuss the government’s use of science advice to shape the UK’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Throughout the conversation they discussed:

How does science advice feed into government decisions? Have ministers understood how best to use SAGE? What lessons should be learned from the coronavirus crisis?

The Rt Hon Greg Clark was Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy from July 2016 to July 2019. He was elected Conservative MP for Royal Tunbridge Wells in 2005.

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This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event

The UK’s energy policy is at a critical turning point, with the government facing several key decisions as it tries to meet the UK’s ambitious 2050 net zero target. The energy white paper, published in December 2020, was an important step, but there are big questions over the future of nuclear power, how to support technologies like carbon capture and storage, and what industry needs to do to prepare for electrification.

At this event, experts discussed whether the UK government and the civil service are equipped to meet these energy policy challenges, how decisions should be made, and what the government’s priorities should be in the years ahead.

The panel also discussed the IfG’s recent report, Evidence in energy policy making: what the UK can learn from overseas.

On our panel to discuss these questions were:

The event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

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This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event

The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome the Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP, former Leader of the House of Commons, for an in conversation event to discuss the following:

The event was chaired by Dr Catherine Haddon, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government.

The Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP enjoyed a 25-year career in finance where she founded and chaired a number of parent infant charities. She has been the Conservative member of parliament for South Northamptonshire since 2010 and served as City Minister (2014–15) and Energy Minister (2015–16) before becoming Secretary of State for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs from 2016–17. Andrea became the leader of the House of Commons in June 2017, serving until 2019. She served as secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy from 2019–20. She is currently the government’s early years adviser and is chairing the Early Years Healthy Development Review which will report in early 2021.

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This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event

The Institute for Government was delighted to launch the 2021 edition of Whitehall Monitor. This is our flagship annual report which provides a data-driven analysis of the size, shape and performance of government.

The 2021 edition looks in depth at how the Covid-19 pandemic and the preparations for the end of the Brexit transition period have changed the way in which government operates. It also looks ahead to some of the key challenges that the government will face in the coming year, and its readiness to meet them.

Tim Durrant, Associate Director at the Institute for Government, presented key findings from the report and was joined on the panel by:

The event was chaired by Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government.

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The Institute for Government hosted the annual lecture by Bronwen Maddox, its director.

In her speech, Bronwen looked at the government’s performance in the extraordinary circumstances of 2020 and what 2021 might bring.

Her discussion was followed by a response from Professor David Runciman and the event was chaired by Sir Richard Lambert.

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This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event

On 31 December 2020 at 11pm the UK entered a new relationship with the EU – ushering in huge changes for businesses, individuals and government. The Northern Ireland protocol also took effect, introducing new customs and regulatory barriers between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 

Formal negotiations are now done, but there is much still to do as the UK and EU settle outstanding issues and move to implement the agreements reached. But so far there is little indication of how the government envisages involving parliament.

This event explored how both the Commons and the Lords should hold the government to account, and whether parliament has the committee structures and resources necessary to do this effectively.  

We were joined by a panel of parliamentarians and academics:  

The event was chaired by Dr Hannah White OBE, Deputy Director of the Institute for Government.  

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This is an audio recording of an IfG Live Event

The UK left the transition period at 11pm 31 December 2020. The new EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement now governs the UK’s trading and security relationship with the EU. But Brexit is still not done.

As businesses adjust to new arrangements and the government grapples with the implications of the Christmas Eve deal, the Institute for Government Brexit team was joined by Professor Anand Menon to discuss the impact of the changing trading relationship already being felt on the ground, where gaps remain, what more the government needs to do to help businesses and individuals, and how the UK–EU relationship may change in the months ahead.

Panellists:

Professor Anand Menon, Director of UK in a Changing Europe

Joe Marshall, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government

Jess Sargeant, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government

The event was chaired by Maddy Thimont Jack, Associate Director at the Institute for Government.

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As the 31 December deadline approaches, and with the text of the EU/UK deal made available just days before the UK leaves the transition period, this episode of IfG LIVE brings together a panel of business and Brexit experts to discuss what will change on 1 January 2021, how businesses are preparing, and what more the government should do to provide support.

Panellists:

The discussion was chaired by Jill Rutter, senior fellow at the Institute for Government

Audio production by Candice McKenzie

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The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement was published on Christmas Eve, just a week before the transition period was due to end.

So what does the deal mean for the UK – and for its relationship with the EU? What will change for businesses? How will data be shared? Will the EU and the UK continue to work closely on security issues? How was the contentious issue of fishing finally sorted? And what does ‘taking back control’ really mean in practice?

The Institute for Government Brexit team assembled for a special Brexit deal podcast to make sense of what has been agreed and what will happen on January 1.

Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government, in conversation with Maddy Thimont Jack (Associate Director), James Kane (Associate), Georgina Wright (Associate), and Joe Marshall (Senior Researcher). Audio production by Candice McKenzie.

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