The King of the North says he will remain - for some of the time - in his kingdom, but how will Andy Burnham's vision for a devolution circuit breaker - powered by a new Number 10 in Manchester - really work? Former de facto deputy prime minister David Lidington joins the podcast to discuss the would-be PM's big speech.

How would No.10 North work alongside the original? Who calls the shots? Who is in charge? And what does it mean for the balance of power across the centre of government?

Plus: Keir Starmer’s parting gift/parting shot. What is in the Defence Investment Plan and how much will it cost?

Alex Thomas presents.

With Hannah Keenan and Tom Pope.

Produced by Milo Hynes.

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A decade after the UK voted to leave the EU, the IfG's Jill Rutter and UKICE's Anand Menon are joined by the BBC's Adam Fleming - the former Brussels correspondent and Brexitcast presenter who followed every twist and turn of the UK's EU drama - to share their front row experiences of some of the most significant events in recent British and European political history. 

From the night of the referendum to the painful Brexit deal negotiations, the endless parliamentary votes and the rapid turnover of prime ministers, Jill, Anand and Adam get together for this special joint IfG/UKICE Brexflections episode to back on ten years of key Brexit moments and explore what they told us about Britain and the world.

Jill Rutter is an IfG and UKICE senior fellow.

Anand Menon is the Director of UKICE.

Adam Fleming is the Presenter of BBC's daily Newscast on BBC Sounds.

Produced by Milo Hynes.

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Keir Starmer has resigned. Andy Burnham is preparing for power. But what will a mid-parliament change of prime minister mean for the government?

How should an incoming prime minister prepare for the biggest job in government? What can an outgoing leader do to ensure a smooth transition? And after seven prime ministers in a decade, could another change at the top finally bring greater stability to British politics—or is volatility now the new normal?

The Economist's Hugo Gye joins the podcast to discuss what happens when power changes hands mid-parliament, and what Burnham's arrival could mean for the government, the Labour Party and the country.

Presented by Hannah White.

With Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas.

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As Andy Burnham returns to Parliament after winning the Makerfield by election, the Guardian's Rafael Behr joins the podcast team to discuss a huge week for British politics.

How should the prime minister - who insists he would compete in any leadership contest - respond? What does this period of volatility mean for how government works? And what would a prime minister Andy Burnham mean for the way Britain is governed? 

Hannah White presents.

With Giles Wilkes and Cath Haddon.

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There is just a week to go until the people of Makerfield vote in what could turn out to be the most important by election in decades. More in Common's Luke Tryl joins the podcast from Makerfield to discuss the mood on the ground – and how this peculiar by-election, with both local and national consequences, is shaping how voters are thinking.

Burnham is, presumably, both campaigning to win the seat and preparing for government if he makes it to Westminster. So how should he, Keir Starmer and others be thinking about what a transition of power would mean for government?

Plus: Kemi Badenoch's headline-making speech at the IfG.

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With the murder of 18 year old Henry Nowak sending shockwaves through Westminster and beyond, IfG senior fellow - and former BBC home affairs correspondent - Danny Shaw joins the podcast team to discuss a fraught week for the police and for politics.

What questions do the police need to answer? What could an inquiry explore - and what might need to change? And how could the events of this week shape British politics in the months ahead?

Plus: The footage of the riots in Southampton has knocked the Mandelson files off the front pages, but the ongoing saga has left some questions for government - not least how its key figures communicate with each other. WhatsApp is Westminster’s preferred way of talking - but is this good for scrutiny, for making decisions, and for transparency?

Hannah White presents.

With Alex Thomas and Alice Lilly.

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With a promise to abolish the position of Cabinet Secretary and scrap the Cabinet Office, Reform UK’s Danny Kruger has launched his party’s plans for reforming the civil service.  IfG senior fellow Henry Hill joins the podcast team to explore the Kruger blueprint for government. 

Tony Blair has entered the Labour leadership race! Well, sort of. The former PM's 5000 word essay sets out his vision for government. But is it a sensible plan for the current - or future - prime minister to follow?

Plus: Everyone is talking about Brexit again. Weeks away from the 10th anniversary of the referendum, we look at where things are with the reset and where they might go.

Hannah White presents.

With Alex Thomas and Jill Rutter.

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How has England’s political landscape changed after the May 2026 elections? How will new local leaders go about their new roles? And what does this mean for the delivery of the government’s local government reorganisation (LGR) agenda?  

In this special episode of Inside Briefing, Matthew Fright, the Institute for Government’s LGR anorak, has been gathering views across three areas - Surrey, Essex and Kent – at the forefront of LGR delivery to see how the government’s aims to remove two-tier local government will be impacted by May’s elections. 

PLUS: An expert panel to unpick the election results and consider the demanding in-tray facing new local leaders as they get up to speed on this once in a generation transformation of local areas.   

Featuring:  

Ed Hammond, Director of Public Sector Audit at Grant Thornton UK 

Heather Jameson, Editor of MJ 

Vicky Elliot, Director of the IfG Academy 

Akash Paun, Programme Director for Devolution at IfG 

Plus interviews with:  

Cllr Tim Oliver OBE, Leader of Surrey County Council 

Mari Roberts-Wood, Chief Executive of Reigate and Banstead District Council 

Cllr Stephen Robinson, Leader of Chelmsford District Council 

Cllr Kevin Bentley, former leader of Essex County Council  

Cllr Linden Kemkaran, Leader of Kent County Council 

Cllr Vince Maple, Leader of Medway Council 

This podcast was produced with the kind support of Grant Thornton UK. 

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With Andy Burnham inching closer to a return to Westminster, Sam White, Keir Starmer's former chief-of-staff, joins the podcast team to explore what happens next - and what the prime minister can do while this drama plays out around him.

If Burnham makes it to Number 10, then he will follow a path once trodden by Boris Johnson  in being a mayor turned prime minister. So what skills does the mayoralty provide - and how might they be transferable to Downing Street?

Plus: What is in Rachel Reeves's economic support package and will it meet the scale of the Iran crisis? 

Catherine Haddon presents.With Hannah Keenan and Tom Pope.

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With Keir Starmer's premiership on the rocks, Claire Ainsley - a former adviser to Starmer in opposition - joins the podcast team to make sense of an explosive week in Westminster. 

Can the PM reassert his authority? How could a leadership contest play out? And what have the bust-ups of the last few days revealed about the failings of Starmer’s premiership - and what can he, or someone else, learn from these mistakes?

Plus: On a day of pomp and pageantry, what stood out in the King’s Speech - and how much of it will actually make it onto the statute book?

Hannah White presents.

With Cath Haddon and Tim Durrant.

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