The King’s health has dominated the news this week, but the prime minister has been making controversial headlines with his televised bet with Piers Morgan and a major PMQs bust-up with Keir Starmer. It hasn't been an easy couple of days for the Labour leader either, with Starmer dropping his £28bn green pledge – but will voters notice? Plus: How can we fix the NHS? This week sees the publication of the Times Health Commission. Its chair, Rachel Sylvester, is this week’s guest.
Hannah White presents, with Cath Haddon and Stuart Hoddinott. Produced by Candice McKenzie  
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Sunak gambles as Starmer u-turns

These are tumultuous times in UK politics. Government is under strain, the civil service is under pressure, and ministers are grappling with the fallout of Covid, the impact of Brexit and an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis. 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? And as a general election draws ever nearer, what are the key political and policy dividing lines – and what do they mean for the way this country is run? 
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 welcome special guests for a free-ranging conversation on what makes government work – and how to fix it when it doesn’t.

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Politics

Government

The Conservatives take a pounding in the local elections and Labour are taking councils in former Brexit heartlands. But there’s a crumb of Tory comfort in Ben Houchen’s victory in the Tees Valley mayoral election – and Labour fail to take key target Harlow. As results continue to roll in, what do the last votes before the General Election mean for Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer?
Plus we are approaching a cliff-edge moment on departmental budgeting… good job there’s an IfG paper for that. Emma Norris, Akash Paun and Ben Paxton are joined by our special guest, political journalist Rachel Wearmouth, for this week’s pod. 
Presented by Emma Norris. Audio production by Alex Rees. A Podmasters Production for the IfG. 
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk 
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Local Elections 2024: Swings and roundabouts

Rishi Sunak’s flagship Rwanda Act is finally on the statute book, and the prime minister has promised that – “no ifs, no buts” – flights will be taking off by the summer. So how much of a triumph is his for Sunak – and what legal challenges could still derail his asylum plan? Political journalist Zoe Grunewald joins the podcast team to weigh up an eventful week for the PM.
We’re just days away from a set of crucial local elections. Who is standing and where? What are the contests we need to look out for? And what could it all mean for Sunak and Keir Starmer? 
Plus: Rising energy bills and rising raw sewage has put regulators like Ofgem and Ofwat in the spotlight, but is parliament doing enough to properly scrutinise the role that over 100 regulators play? A new IfG report has the answers.
Hannah White presents.
With Jill Rutter, Akash Paun and Matthew Gill
Produced by Candice McKenzie

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The rules of Rishi’s flight club

Liz Truss is back, with her new book providing journalists with all sorts of extraordinary insights into her retrospective arguments about why her premiership collapsed. But what legacy has Truss left the Conservatives in the polls and what does this tell us about how voters view the party? Polling expert Will Jennings joins the podcast team to take a deep dive into the current state of the polls, how polling works and what the forthcoming election might mean for trust in our politics.
Plus: The prime minister’s flagship smoking ban has passed its first parliamentary hurdle, but also exposed some fundamental philosophical divisions within the Conservative Party. What does the bill tell us about political debate and long-term policy making? And what can we take from it about how willing political parties are to use prevention to tackle  public health challenges?
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Trust in government up in smoke?

Is the Foreign Office still a department built to deliver the UK’s global priorities in the 21st century or is it out of date in the way it looks and works? Is David Cameron’s comeback as foreign secretary turning out to be a surprise success and what has it meant for the UK’s diplomatic clout? And just how complicated is the civil job of servants when they are asked to work on controversial government foreign policy – particularly when it relates to military action or weapons sales.
Former ambassador and No10 adviser Tom Fletcher, the co-author of new headline-making report into the future of UK international affairs, joins the podcast team to explore the UK’s status in the world, what it can achieve on the global stage, and what David Cameron's return to government has meant for the Foreign Office.
Emma Norris presents, with Alex Thomas and Tim Durrant. Produced by Candice McKenzie
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Foreign Office Politics

Is China really launching cyberattacks on British politicians and institutions? If so, then how serious is the threat – and what can the government do about it? Ciaran Martin, the first chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, joins the podcast team to discuss.
Two more ministers have quit the government – and announced that they will step down from Parliament. So how dangerous is this exodus for Rishi Sunak, and how has the PM reshuffled his pack?
PLUS: Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner launched Labour’s local government campaign with a new plan for devolving power across England. So how will it work – and will it succeed?
Hannah White presents, with Cath Haddon, Tom Pope, and Sachin Savur. Produced by Candice McKenzie
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Sunak gambles as Starmer u-turns

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