In a week when Donald Trump has been escalating his threats to NATO member states over Greenland, Darren Jones was on the home front ensuring that the government’s desire to transform government was also continuing. So what is the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister planning? Is it enough to meet the challenges he has identified, and what will they need to do to actually see change? We get stuck into the latest government reform plans, joined by Francis Maude, a previous minister for civil service reform.
And of course it is still 2026, it is still January. So Donald Trump is still dominating all other news. We will discuss the latest challenges he has thrown at the UK government and reflect on what it means for UK-US relations, the Starmer approach to Trump diplomacy and what we learned at a special event we held this week reflecting on the President’s first year back in office.
 
Presented by Hannah White
Featuring Alex Thomas, Hannah Keenan, Catherine Haddon and special guest Francis Maude Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

In a week when Donald Trump has been escalating his threats to NATO member states over Greenland, Darren Jones was on the home front ensuring that the government’s desire to transform government was also continuing. So what is the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister planning? Is it enough to meet the challenges he has identified, and what will they need to do to actually see change? We get stuck into the latest government reform plans, joined by Francis Maude, a previous minister for civil service reform. And of course it is still 2026, it is still January. So Donald Trump is still dominating all other news. We will discuss the latest challenges he has thrown at the UK government and reflect on what it means for UK-US relations, the Starmer approach to Trump diplomacy and what we learned at a special event we held this week reflecting on the President’s first year back in office. Presented by Hannah White Featuring Alex Thomas, Hannah Keenan, Catherine Haddon and special guest Francis Maude Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a week when Donald Trump has been escalating his threats to NATO member states over Greenland, Darren Jones was on the home front ensuring that the government’s desire to transform government was also continuing. So what is the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister planning? Is it enough to meet the challenges he has identified, and what will they need to do to actually see change? We get stuck into the latest government reform plans, joined by Francis Maude, a previous minister for civil service reform.
And of course it is still 2026, it is still January. So Donald Trump is still dominating all other news. We will discuss the latest challenges he has thrown at the UK government and reflect on what it means for UK-US relations, the Starmer approach to Trump diplomacy and what we learned at a special event we held this week reflecting on the President’s first year back in office.
 
Presented by Hannah White
Featuring Alex Thomas, Hannah Keenan, Catherine Haddon and special guest Francis Maude Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="noopener noreferrer">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Starmer’s Trump diplomacy and Darren Jones’s fast fixes

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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Starmer’s Trump diplomacy and Darren Jones’s fast fixes

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