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.
Rishi Sunak should drop his apologetic approach to an industrial strategy
Giles Wilkes says former business secretaries are right to call for the PM to focus on the UK’s long-term interests
Speculation about a hung parliament is focused on the wrong precedents
Recent experience shows the main parties should prepare to govern as a minority or an insecure majority.
Government sees some sense at last on the Retained EU Law Bill
Rishi Sunak and Kemi Badenoch were right to face down their critics and amend the Retained EU Law Bill.
Local elections: four things we learned
Peter Hourston looks beyond the headlines to identify four key takeaways from the 2023 local elections in England.
The government’s plans for general practice will do little to improve patient access
Rishi Sunak's plan for general practice is welcome, but it will remain difficult for patients to access the service.
Civil service politicisation is the wrong answer to the wrong question
Politicisation of the civil service is a solution that risks neither fixing its problems nor delivering its supposed advantages.
Rishi Sunak would be right to ditch the Retained EU Law Bill
Rishi Sunak seems to be aligning himself with the Brexit supporting practical pragmatists, rather than with the impractical ideologues.
Hitting the 20,000 police officer target won’t fix the criminal justice sector’s problems
Hitting its police officer recruitment target is impressive, but wider problems need addressing.
The successes and failures of the Treasury's Covid response
The Treasury’s secretive approach to working with other departments hindered aspects of the government's Covid pandemic response.
Rishi Sunak’s response to Dominic Raab’s resignation won’t improve ministerial-civil service relations
Rishi Sunak has missed an opportunity to reinforce standards in government.