Ministerial resignations, letters of no confidence, and Andy Burnham’s determination to return to Westminster have rocked Keir Starmer’s premiership. Plenty of twists and turn await in the coming weeks, with the work of government continuing under a cloud of uncertainty.

So how can a prime minister lead a government if their authority is being questioned by their own MPs? What would a Labour leadership contest mean for the way government operates? What is the impact of this volatility on the civil service and the government’s legislative programme? Do Wes Streeting’s accusations of Starmer’s lack of vision and direction stack up – and, if so, how should this or another PM approach the job in a different way?

To discuss all these questions, and make sense of what a return to chaos means for British government, this expert IfG webinar featured:

Dr Catherine Haddon, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government

Alex Thomas, Executive Director for Impact and Influence at the Institute for Government

Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government

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

The government has introduced the Representation of the People Bill to lower the voting age to 16, change how electoral rules are enforced and – potentially – introduce new restrictions on political donations. But embedding new processes for registering to vote, changing how electoral rules are enforced, and ensuring there is clear information for 16- and 17-year-olds will all take time – and affect the work of the Electoral Commission, local authorities, schools, civil society groups and others in the run-up to the next general election.

So, what needs to happen after the Bill gets Royal Assent? How will the Bill change the remit of the Electoral Commission – and is the Commission prepared? What do local authorities need to do to get ready? What information will new voters need? And what needs to change culturally as well as administratively?

To discuss all this and more, the IfG brought together an expert panel, including:

Harriet Andrews, Director of The Politics Project

John Pullinger, Chair of the Electoral Commission

Prof. Alan Renwick, Director of the Constitution Unit at UCL

Clare Sim, Head of Member Support at the Association of Electoral Administrators (joining remotely)

The event was chaired by Dr Rebecca McKee, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government.

The children’s social care market is often described as “broken” – including by the government itself. Too many children end up in unsuitable settings, the quality of care varies sharply across the country, and costs have risen to levels that put severe pressure on local authority budgets.

So, what does the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act, which has recently received Royal Assent, mean for the government’s programme to reform children’s social care?

After a short presentation on new analysis from the Institute for Government, this event – featuring the Minister for Children and Families – examined how government can ensure its reforms are implemented effectively and deliver lasting improvements in children’s social care.

To discuss all this and more, the IfG brought together an expert panel, including:

Amber Dellar, Researcher at the Institute for Government

Josh MacAlister OBE MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Children and Families) at the Department for Education

Rachael Wardell OBE, Immediate Past President of the Association of Directors of Children's Services

This event was chaired by Stuart Hoddinott, Associate Director at the Institute for Government.

With a crucial set of local and devolved elections taking place in England, Scotland and Wales on Thursday 7 May, the Institute for Government devolution team hosted an expert webinar the day after to discuss the results so far.

What is the likely composition of the new governments in Edinburgh and Cardiff and what will be their policy priorities? What are the implications for UK-devolved relations? And what do election results in county councils, London boroughs, district and unitary authorities across England mean for the government’s local government reorganisation and devolution plans?

To discuss these questions and more, including from the live online audience, were the IfG’s expert devolution and local government team:

Matthew Fright, Senior Researcher for Devolution at the Institute for Government

Megan Isaac, Research Assistant for Devolution at the Institute for Government

Harriet Shaw, Researcher for Devolution at the Institute for Government

This event was chaired by Akash Paun, Programme Director for Devolution at the Institute for Government.

The Palace of Westminster is one of the world’s most recognisable historic buildings and the home of the UK parliament. Yet much of the estate is in urgent need of repair. While debates over how to approach the Restoration and Renewal programme have continued for over a decade, other countries have already moved ahead: Austria has completed the renovation of its parliament, and Canada’s is well underway.

In February, the Restoration and Renewal Client Board set out updated costings and recommended two possible paths forward – full decant or enhanced maintenance and improvement. Parliament is expected to debate the Client Board’s report in the coming weeks.

With the stage now set for parliament to embark on a project that will not only safeguard this historic landmark but also reimagine it for future generations, this IfG event explored lessons from other international projects, and discuss what the Restoration and Renewal programme could mean for parliament, industry and the wider public.

To discuss all this and more, the IfG brought together an expert panel, including:

Jennifer Garrett, Assistant Deputy Minister of the Parliamentary Precinct Branch of the Government of Canada (joining remotely)

Dr Alexandra Meakin, Lecturer in British Politics at the University of Leeds

Jack Pringle, Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)

Nick Smith MP, Chair of the House of Commons Administration Committee

The event was chaired by Dr Rebecca McKee, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government.

We would like to thank RIBA for kindly supporting this event.

Our third webinar in a three-part series focused on the findings of Whitehall Monitor 2026.

The third Whitehall Monitor webinar – the final in a three-part series exploring the IfG’s annual flagship report on the civil service – took a deeper look at the people who make up the civil service workforce, including diversity and morale, and considers the crucial role of, and challenges facing, civil service leadership today.

The webinar featured:

Heloise Dunlop, Researcher at the Institute for Government and co-author of Whitehall Monitor 2026

Tom Fitzlucas, People and Change Expert at PA Consulting

Jack Worlidge, Senior Researcher at the IfG and co-author of Whitehall Monitor 2026

The event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Executive Director for Impact and Influence at the IfG.

Whitehall Monitor 2026, the IfG’s annual data-led assessment of the size, shape and performance of the civil service, examines how the workforce changed in 2025.

We would like to thank PA Consulting for kindly supporting this event.

On Thursday 7 May, voters in Scotland and Wales will elect the members of the devolved parliaments in Edinburgh and Cardiff. A change of government is expected in Wales, where Labour trails both Plaid Cymru and Reform UK in the polls. In Scotland, by contrast, the SNP is forecast to take a fifth successive victory, potentially with an outright majority, which the party will claim provides a mandate for an independence referendum.

What are the probable electoral and government formation scenarios? What will the results mean for how Scotland and Wales are governed? What challenges and opportunities will face the incoming first ministers? And what are the potential implications for Westminster and relations between the UK nations? On the eve of these crucial votes, the Institute for Government convened an expert panel to explore what is at stake and what is likely to happen.

On the panel:

Professor John Curtice, Professor of Politics at the University of Strathclyde

Liz Lloyd, former Chief of Staff to the First Minister of Scotland, Specialist Partner at Flint Global

Akash Paun, Programme Director for Devolution at the Institute for Government

Jane Runeckles, former Chief of Staff to the First Minister of Wales, FDA National Officer

This event was chaired by Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.

The Institute for Government was pleased to welcome Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister for Housing and Planning, to give a speech on leasehold reform and the move to commonhold.

The speech, in which the Housing Minister spoke about the government's ambitions on ending the feudal leasehold system, follows publication of the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny.

Following the speech, Matthew Pennycook was in conversation with Nehal Davison, Programme Director (policy making) at the IfG, and took part in an audience Q&A.

Successive UK governments have made immigration policy a high political priority, but no recent government has seemed to meet public expectations in the pursuit of those policies. So, what have recent immigration policies been trying to achieve, and why have so many people ended up unhappy with the outcome?

A new book by Madeleine Sumption explores these questions. Drawing on decades of research, she explores the unavoidable trade-offs governments face, and the impacts of their choices on people and communities.

To answer these questions and more, this IfG event brought together an expert panel, including:

Rt Hon Amber Rudd, former Home Secretary (2016–18) and former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (2018–19)

Madeleine Sumption, Director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University and a member of the UK Government’s Migration Advisory Committee

This event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Executive Director for Impact and Influence at the Institute for Government.

The government is reeling from the revelation that Peter Mandelson was appointed as UK ambassador to the US despite having failed a security vetting process.

With the blame-game dominating the week in Westminster, what will we learn from Keir Starmer's 'judgment day' Commons statement? What will Olly Robbins – who was sacked by the PM as Foreign Office permanent secretary – reveal in a crucial select committee appearance? What has the vetting row shown about the way decisions are made at the top of government? How should the vetting and appointments process be overhauled? And what does this row mean for relations between civil servants and ministers?

An IfG expert webinar answered these questions and more.

The webinar featured:

Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government

Hannah Keenan, Associate Director at the Institute for Government

Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government

Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.