Over many years Sajid Javid held some of the most senior roles in British government, serving as a secretary of state in six different departments under three different prime ministers – including as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Home Secretary. Javid, who will stand down from parliament at the next election, is now a commissioner on the Institute for Government’s Centre Commission. At this ‘in conversation’ event he shared his experiences at the heart of government to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses at the centre and how they could be fixed. What are the biggest problems with the centre of government? What are the tensions between No.10 and the Treasury? How does the centre work with the rest of government? And how can the priorities of a prime minister best be delivered?

To discuss these questions and more, Sajid Javid was in conversation with Dr Hannah White, Director of the Institute for Government, followed by a Q&A.

The Institute for Government’s Commission on the Centre of Government is looking at why No.10, the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury do not always work as well as they should and what could be done to radically improve the centre of UK government.

The Centre Commission’s purpose is to produce concrete recommendations for a confident, proactive, coherently-structured centre of government equipped to meet the challenges and take the opportunities of the 21st century and deliver for the people of the UK. The Commission will report in February 2024.

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