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.
The UK government has 12 key months to build on the COP26 deal
Jill Rutter says the UK now has a key role in building on the progress made at COP26
The government’s reforms to judicial review must respect the separation of powers
Any further reforms to the relationship between the courts and the executive should not neuter judicial review or undermine the separation of powers
Owen Paterson vote reinforces the need for truly independent standards regulators
Tim Durrant argues for more, not less, independence in how standards are upheld across public life
Where is Rishi Sunak’s plan for growing the economy?
Giles Wilkes warns that the chancellor’s ideological ambiguity may also reveal a lack of clear thinking on how to create economic growth
Brexit fish rows are a taste of things to come
Bust-ups of this kind risk defining the post-Brexit EU-UK relationship
Budget 2021: Universal Credit winners and losers
Nicholas Timmins reflects on who benefits – and who loses out – from the controversial cuts to Universal Credit
Civil service cuts should be informed by proper workforce planning
Rhys Clyne says that the government should work out the skills and experience it need from the civil service
Rishi Sunak’s budget does not meet the post-Covid education challenge
Sam Freedman warns that the pandemic's impact on children is not being properly addressed
Rishi Sunak's budget reverses the policies of George Osborne
The chancellor has taken a gamble by offering little to help with cost of living pressures this winter
Five things we learnt from the October 2021 budget
Before the budget, we set out five things that the Institute for Government was looking out for in the chancellor’s announcement.