Working to make government more effective

Working to make government more effective

Chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves in her office at No.11 Downing Street, London, ahead of her statement to the House of Commons on the findings of the Treasury audit into the state of the public finances.
Podcast

The chancellor's statement of intent

Sonia Khan, a former Treasury special adviser, joins the IfG podcast team to discuss the politics of spending reviews.

Rachel Reeves has revealed a “£22bn black hole” in the public finances. So do the chancellor’s sums add up and what is her plan for balancing the books? Sonia Khan, a former Treasury special adviser, joins the IfG podcast team to discuss the changing of the ministerial guard at the Treasury and the politics of spending reviews.

Talking of spending reviews, is there a better way to go about running them? A new IfG paper has the answers.

Is the civil service set up to deliver for a mission-led government? Another new IfG paper reveals 20 ways to overhaul Whitehall.

Plus: Braced for Badenoch? Poised for Patel? Time for Tugenhadt? We preview the Conservative leadership contest.

What we talked about on this episode

People featured in this episode

Topic
Public finances Civil service
Keywords
Spending review Public spending Public sector Budget Tax Economy Civil service reform Civil servants Government reform Leadership election
Political party
Labour Conservative
Position
Chancellor of the exchequer Leader of the opposition
Administration
Starmer government
Department
HM Treasury
Public figures
Rachel Reeves
Publisher
Institute for Government

Related content

12 JUN 2026 Podcast

The way you Makerfield

More in Common's Luke Tryl joins the podcast from Makerfield to discuss how this peculiar by-election is shaping how voters are thinking.