Sir Mark Sedwill’s departure as Cabinet Secretary after weeks of sniping has startled Westminster, with many fingers pointing at Dominic Cummings. No Cabinet Secretary has ever been forced out of office like this before, least of all in the middle of a national crisis. What does Sedwill’s resignation mean for reform of the Civil Service? Is the centre of government facing evolution or revolution? And are we seeing the politicisation of the Civil Service? <ul><li>
“It’s extraordinary for civil servants to be talking about reform in the middle of a national crisis.” – Cath Haddon
</li></ul> Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Robin Leeburn.  See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy">acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Sir Mark Sedwill’s departure as Cabinet Secretary after weeks of sniping has startled Westminster, with many fingers pointing at Dominic Cummings. No Cabinet Secretary has ever been forced out of office like this before, least of all in the middle of a national crisis. What does Sedwill’s resignation mean for reform of the Civil Service? Is the centre of government facing evolution or revolution? And are we seeing the politicisation of the Civil Service? “It’s extraordinary for civil servants to be talking about reform in the middle of a national crisis.” – Cath Haddon Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sir Mark Sedwill’s departure as Cabinet Secretary after weeks of sniping has startled Westminster, with many fingers pointing at Dominic Cummings. No Cabinet Secretary has ever been forced out of office like this before, least of all in the middle of a national crisis. What does Sedwill’s resignation mean for reform of the Civil Service? Is the centre of government facing evolution or revolution? And are we seeing the politicisation of the Civil Service? <ul><li>
“It’s extraordinary for civil servants to be talking about reform in the middle of a national crisis.” –&nbsp;Cath Haddon
</li></ul> Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon and Alex Thomas. Audio production by Robin Leeburn.&nbsp; See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer">acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="noopener noreferrer">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Resign o’the Times: Mark Sedwill departs

The first Labour government in 14 years is facing a daunting to-do list and complex challenges at every turn. Public services are under strain. The civil service is under pressure. And ministers must deliver the government’s missions and milestones. But could Keir Starmer’s plan to “rewire the British state” – through using AI and creating a “start-up” culture – turn these challenges into opportunities?
So where is government working well and what is it doing badly? What can be done to make No10, the Treasury and the rest of government function more effectively? What can Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves do to achieve faster economic growth? What will Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives and the other opposition parties do to hold the government to account? How might Donald Trump shape British politics – and how could the UK’s relations with the EU change in the years ahead?
Get behind the scenes in Westminster, Whitehall and beyond on the weekly podcast from Britain’s leading governmental think tank, where we analyse the latest events in politics and explain what they mean. Every week on Inside Briefing, IfG director Hannah White and the team welcomes special guests for a thought-provoking conversation on what makes government work – and how to fix it when it doesn’t.

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The first Labour government in 14 years is facing a daunting to-do list and complex challenges at every turn. Public services are under strain. The civil service is under pressure. And ministers must deliver the government’s missions and milestones. But could Keir Starmer’s plan to “rewire the British state” – through using AI and creating a “start-up” culture – turn these challenges into opportunities? So where is government working well and what is it doing badly? What can be done to make No10, the Treasury and the rest of government function more effectively? What can Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves do to achieve faster economic growth? What will Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives and the other opposition parties do to hold the government to account? How might Donald Trump shape British politics – and how could the UK’s relations with the EU change in the years ahead? Get behind the scenes in Westminster, Whitehall and beyond on the weekly podcast from Britain’s leading governmental think tank, where we analyse the latest events in politics and explain what they mean. Every week on Inside Briefing, IfG director Hannah White and the team welcomes special guests for a thought-provoking conversation on what makes government work – and how to fix it when it doesn’t.

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Resign o’the Times: Mark Sedwill departs

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