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.
Tax devolution is welcome – but the system increasingly lacks coherence
There is a strong case for a review of how devolved and local government is funded.
DCMS becomes the department for data
Bringing government data policy together provides an opportunity to revitalise it.
The inquiry that everyone forgot
The fate of the Hyponatraemia Inquiry should serve as a warning to other inquiries currently underway.
Rising expectations of the Ministerial Code
The Prime Minister should decide the consequences of Ministerial Code investigations
EU makes clear the high price of trade in its new Brexit guidelines
The EU’s negotiating guidelines show the challenge the Prime Minister faces in achieving her Mansion House vision for post-Brexit trade.
Brexit is continuing to ramp up the civil service workforce
The demands of Brexit have turned several government departments – like Defra and DExEU – into recruitment hotspots.
The EU will stick together over Brexit
While they all have their own priorities, solidarity will prevail among the EU 27.
Both sides prioritise Brexit progress
Necessary Brexit progress is still not sufficient to call off contingency planning.
Whitehall steps up a Brexit gear
Whitehall departments' Brexit spending allocations show a move in policy from development to implementation.
The attack on Sergei Skripal – let's have a public inquiry
If a public inquiry into the Skripal attack can produce insights that will help make us safer, then it will absolutely be a worthwhile effort.