Governing with a small majority - making policies and politics work after the general election

Whilst single-party government is a more clear-cut election outcome than most had expected, governing with a slender majority brings its own set of challenges. The electorate has given the Conservatives the mandate they asked for; now people will expect the new Government to deliver on its manifesto pledges and policy promises.

At this event, our panel discussed how a government can maintain momentum on reforms, deliver its policies and maintain services when it begins its life with a narrow Commons majority.

With:

Baroness Taylor – elected to Parliament in 1974, she was an Assistant Whip in the Callaghan government and Chief Whip for Tony Blair

Lord O’Donnell – Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service 2005-’11, Gus O’Donnell was previously John Major’s Press Secretary during 1990-‘94

Peter Riddell – Now Director of the Institute for Government, Peter was a Financial Times reporter in the 1970s and a political columnist for The Times during the Major government