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.
Andy Burnham needs a new fiscal strategy that deals with the tax lock
Tough choices on tax and spend await the next prime minister.
Andy Burnham must sort out the centre of government on day one
A weak No.10 and ineffective Cabinet Office require urgent attention
Brexit at 10: The economy
Whatever the rhetoric, exiting a large trading bloc was always going to hurt the economy.
Salami-slicing capital budgets for defence is bad fiscal policy making
Raiding capital budgets in this way to pay for greater defence capability is the wrong approach.
The “welfare versus defence” framing oversimplifies the difficult trade-offs
Lord Robertson is wrong to suggest welfare cuts alone can pay for defence.
The government’s “don’t panic” message on energy is preventing sensible efficiency measures
Ministerial messages on energy prices risk looking complacent.
The warmth of the government’s Brexit rhetoric is outpacing concrete progress
Keir Starmer’s claim that “this is not the Britain of the Brexit years” doesn’t yet add up.
The Good, the Bad and the Unrealistic in Rachel Reeves's second Mais lecture
There is welcome consistency to be found in the chancellor’s growth approach.
Rachel Reeves should not be rushed into action on energy bills
Expectations of state protection against unwelcome external shocks have risen.
Four things we learnt from Rachel Reeves’s spring forecast 2026
The chancellor’s spring forecast was short and free of new policy content.