Incisive commentary from the IfG’s expert team on issues facing government and key ministerial decisions.
From analysis of key political events such as budgets and party conferences to snap responses to unexpected developments such as government reshuffles, our writers set out their views and analyse what government gets right, what it gets wrong, and what it can do better.
‘Health week’ can’t hide slow progress on Rishi Sunak’s NHS pledge
While some waiting time data is moving in the right direction, the prime minister is still some way off meeting his NHS pledge.
Strained Whitehall relationships need a long-term fix
Another warning over poor relations between ministers and civil servants highlights the need for a change of approach.
Briefings and barges do not make for good asylum policy
The government’s ‘small boats week’ may fill a recess-shaped hole in the media grid, but won’t help the prime minister ‘stop the boats’.
Elected mayors will be undermined by recent changes to the voting system
The next London mayoral election will be the first conducted under first past the post.
Parliament should do more to scrutinise the government’s plans for emergency response
PACAC has looked at the rollout of the new emergency messaging system tested in April.
Rishi Sunak’s ethics plan won’t silence his critics
Tim Durrant assesses the government's response to key ethics reform proposals
Why government (still) needs to dispose of ‘Take Out the Trash Day’
The habit of issuing a deluge of data and documents as parliament rises for the summer is bad for scrutiny.
Will the Uxbridge by-election prove a crossroads for net zero?
Both main parties have appeared to temper their enthusiasm for ‘green’ policies in the wake of last Thursday’s vote.
A tale of two bills highlights the government's parliamentary problems
The fates of two very different bills in the run-up to the Commons’ summer recess point to problems ahead for the government’s legislative agenda.
The UK can ill-afford a year of drift in government
Amid the expected by-election fallout, Rishi Sunak must start to plan long-term.