What is wrong with the centre of government?

A major new report by the Institute for Government says the centre of government – No.10, the Treasury and the Cabinet Office – is not capable of meeting the challenges that the UK faces in the 21st century. So what has been going wrong?

How has No.10 failed prime ministers from different parties over the last two decades? What does the Cabinet Office actually do, and why has it more than doubled its size in the last 10 years? Should the Treasury be split up? Is it right that the most important decisions in government are taken in cabinet meetings attended by over 30 ministers? And if, say, you are Rishi Sunak with five pledges or Keir Starmer with five missions, and you win the general election, then how would redesigning the centre of government help you achieve those aims?

This week’s Expert Factor sees Hannah White, Anand Menon and Paul Johnson take a deep dive into the heart of UK government – and explore why the centre doesn’t work, and what needs to be done to fix it

THE EXPERT FACTOR is the podcast for people who haven’t had enough of experts. Each week the directors of three leading and respected think tanks – Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Hannah White of the Institute for Government, and Anand Menon of UK in a Changing Europe – get together to discuss, debate and explain the big questions and themes that will shape the election – and the political landscape for years to come.