It is one year since the general election brought Labour back to government and since Keir Starmer walked into Number 10.

Instead of a smooth anniversary, the government has been forced to confront a major parliamentary rebellion and roll back on a flagship spending policy.

So how has Labour’s first year in power really worked out for Keir Starmer? What lessons can they learn for the challenges ahead?

Jill Rutter, Claire Ainsley and Sam Freedman join Hannah White to weigh up the government’s highs and lows - and what comes next.

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The government’s controversial plans to cut the welfare budget have caused serious disquiet on the Labour benches. Luke Sullivan, former political director to Keir Starmer, joins the IfG podcast to explore how serious a problem this is for Keir Starmer - and how the government got itself into this situation.It isn’t just Labour MPs that are giving No10 a headache. Apparently civil servants are too - because No10 has issued new guidance demanding that civil servants no longer speak on panels at public events. So what’s the thinking behind this heavy handed approach - and does it add up? 

Presented by Cath Haddon With Alex Thomas and Tim Durrant.

Produced by Candice McKenzie

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To conclude the IfG’s conference on the Nolan Principles, our panel will discuss the impact of the Nolan Principles in public life today. How have they changed the standards landscape in the UK? What do the public think about standards in public life? How useful are standards and principles to leaders in government? And how can a strong standards system support a government’s wider objectives? 

Speakers: 

Doug Chalmers, chair, Committee on Standards in Public Life

Chris Morris, CEO, Full Fact

Sachin Savur, researcher, Institute for Government

Rowena Mason, Whitehall Editor at the Guardian

This session was chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government 

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With conflict in the Middle East is dominating the headlines, the New Statesman’s Rachel Cunliffe joins the podcast team to explore Keir Starmer’s attempts to influence Donald Trump and ask whether the UK has a role to play beyond that of a concerned bystander.

There is plenty of domestic politics around too, with the prime minister announcing an inquiry into grooming gangs - having said, only a few months ago, that he wouldn’t – and the government trying to face down a rebellion over its welfare budget cuts.

Plus: John Major at the IfG and what comes next for government standards and ethics.

Presented by Hannah White.

With Catherine Haddon.

Produced by Candice McKenzie

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It’s the morning after one of (perhaps the) most significant days in this government’s lifetime to date. Gideon Skinner of IPSOS joins the podcast team to weigh up what Rachel Reeves’ Spending Review told us about the government’s priorities – and how it has landed with the electorate.

Which departments will be happy and which will be feeling hard done by? What does it mean for public service performance across the country? Has the much-heralded vision of mission-led government survived? And how many levers does it leave chancellor – and, of course, for Keir Starmer – to pull if things don’t work out?

Presented by Hannah White, with Tom Pope and Giles Wilkes. Produced by Candice McKenzie

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Join IfG experts for instant analysis of the 2025 spending review – a critical moment for Keir Starmer’s government.

Were the spending allocations sufficient to improve public services, deliver growth and make progress on the government’s other missions? Which departments will be pleased – and which lost out? And did this multi-year spending review reveal a coherent strategy for the government over the next few years?

To answer these questions and more, IfG experts convened shortly after the chancellor’s announcement to provide their initial analysis.

The webinar was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government, with a panel including:

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Britain has been through a difficult period since the global financial crisis, leading many to conclude the country is doomed to inevitable decline. But Jeremy Hunt, who was at the top of government as both Foreign Secretary and Chancellor, disagrees. In his new book, Can We Be Great Again?, he sets out to rebut those who think Britain is no longer capable of shaping the world we live in.

With the election of president Trump, a world that was already becoming more dangerous has also become more unpredictable. But when it comes to the big challenges facing the world – whether on European security, the future of democracy, migration, trade and climate – the UK remains one of the most influential countries and should, Hunt says, use that influence wisely. Hunt does not shy away from the UK’s weaknesses but argues that they should be considered in perspective and without underestimating this country’s many strengths.

To discuss his new book and the questions it raises, Jeremy Hunt was in conversation with Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.

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The newly-published Strategic Defence Review sets out how the UK can fight and win a full-scale war. So what is it recommending and just how dangerous is the world right now? Tom Newton Dunn, presenter of The General and the Journalist podcast, joins the podcast team to make sense of an ever-shifting – and alarming – defence landscape.

Plus: Spending Review countdown. This Wednesday will see Rachel Reeves reveal how much money government departments will be given for the next few years. So what choices are facing the chancellor? How much money does she have to play with? And what will her decision reveal about the government’s priorities?

Presented by Hannah White.

With Alex Thomas and Gemma Tetlow.

Produced by Milo Hynes.

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It is one year since the 2024 general election campaign kicked off and already reshuffle rumours are doing the rounds. Adam Payne, Editor of PoliticsHome, joins us to discuss whether a reshuffle is a good way to inject energy into a not-so-new government or risks knocking it off course.

The spending review is looming, and in time-honoured tradition the final negotiations are playing out in the media. We will look at what lies behind these stories and what being in a spending review is really like.  

Plus: We look back at some of the ministers who left government in 2024, who shared their reflections with us in our latest Ministers Reflect interviews.

Presented by Hannah White

With Tim Durrant, Gemma Tetlow and Patrick McAlary

Produced by Candice McKenzie

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Keir Starmer has signed off on a so-called UK/EU reset. So, what’s in the new deal and what does it mean for the never-ending Brexit drama? The Guardian’s Kiran Stacey joins the podcast team to dig into the detail.

Davie Gauke has been uncorked. So, what is in his review of prison sentencing? The team dig into his recommendations and give their verdict.

Plus: Nick Clegg is back! The former deputy prime minister returned to the British political stage with a big speech at the IfG this week - and he also sat down for an exclusive interview for Inside Briefing. So, is it time to reevaluate the coalition?

Presented by Jill Rutter.

With Giles Wilkes and Cassia Rowland 

Produced by Candice McKenzie

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