The party conference countdown has begun, and the Westminster Village is set to decamp to Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Bournemouth and beyond.
But what this the point of the party conference jamboree? What is it really like to spend four days locked inside a windowless conference centre and take yp residence at t a hotel bar? How do civil servants manage this temporary Westminster exodus? And does it really make any difference at all?
Join the IfG on another trip to the Inside Briefing vault, as we dig out a fascinating episode that we recorded in 2022 with political journalist and party conference veteran Michael Crick, journalist and author Marie Le Conte, former special adviser Peter Cardwell, and the IfG’s very own Jill Rutter.
Presented by Alex Thomas and Hannah White.
Produced by Candice McKenzie
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
44:21
--------
44:21
Getting It Right When Things Go Wrong: Ministerial Leadership During Crises
All governments face crises, from floods and diseases to riots and terrorist attacks.
So how can ministers lead during these unexpected events? How can they ensure that everyone in the system – from the first responders to the prime minister – is doing what is needed to respond to the crisis? And what are the best ways to keep the public informed?
With guests including former home secretaries Amber Rudd and Jack Straw, this special Inside Briefing episode dives into the roles ministers play during crises, and looks at how they can prepare for the unexpected.
Read our related report: Ministerial leadership during crises
Presented by Tim Durrant.
Produced by Milo Hynes.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
21:10
--------
21:10
The secrets of being a government minister
Being a minister is a job like no other. No briefing, no training and, sometimes, no warning – from day one a new minister could find themselves making high-stakes decisions with huge consequences for the country.
So getting some advice from people that have been a minister can be useful – and the IfG’s Ministers Reflect series is the place to start.
Over the past 10 years, the Institute for Government has interviewed more than 170 former ministers from the UK and devolved governments about their time in office
To mark the 10th anniversary of Ministers Reflect, this special edition of Inside Briefing, featuring guests including Jeremy Hunt, Una O’Brien and Marie Le Conte, takes a look at what former ministers have told us in the last decade. Essential listening for anyone wanting to understanding what it is like to be a minister – and especially for anyone who might want to become one.
Presented by Sachin Savur and Paddy McAlary
Produced by Candice McKenzie
Additional recordings by Milo Hynes
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
27:43
--------
27:43
Government in summer: who feels the heat?
What is it really like to govern in summer? Who is in charge when ministers leave Westminster? And what happens when, as it so often does, the summer isn’t all that quiet?
The Inside Briefing podcast team have headed into the vaults to dig out a special episode from 2021 featuring Sky’s Sam Coates, former (and future) minister Jacqui Smith, journalist Steve Richards and former No10 adviser Kate Fall.
So join us we return to a time when Boris Johnson was prime minister, Keir Starmer was barely a year into his tenure as leader of the opposition, and Nigel Farage was a few months into his recently announced retirement from politics and busy making Cameo messages.
Presented by Hannah White and Alex Thomas.
Original podcast recording by PodmastersUpdated edits by Candice McKenzie
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
42:50
--------
42:50
The reshuffle revelations
Kemi Badenoch has completed one. Keir Starmer is rumoured to be lining one up. Yes reshuffles, or rumours of ministerial reshuffles, are never far away in Westminster.
So what should ministers fear? What should the prime minister avoid? When do reshuffles go right? And why do they sometimes go wrong?
With special guests Cleo Watson and Helen Macnamara, who have had front row seats alongside prime ministers for countless reshuffles, this special Inside Briefing episode takes you behind the No10 front door to reveal the inside story of one of Westminster’s favourite – and most feared – events.
Presented by Cath Haddon. With Tim Durrant.
Produced by Milo Hynes.
Cleo Watson is a former special adviser to Boris Johnson.
Helen MacNamara was Director General of Propriety and Ethics and then Deputy Cabinet Secretary .
Tim Durrant leads the IfG’s ministers work..
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Acerca de Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government
The first Labour government in 14 years is facing a daunting to-do list and complex challenges at every turn. Public services are under strain. The civil service is under pressure. And ministers must deliver the government’s missions and milestones. But could Keir Starmer’s plan to “rewire the British state” – through using AI and creating a “start-up” culture – turn these challenges into opportunities?
So where is government working well and what is it doing badly? What can be done to make No10, the Treasury and the rest of government function more effectively? What can Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves do to achieve faster economic growth? What will Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives and the other opposition parties do to hold the government to account? How might Donald Trump shape British politics – and how could the UK’s relations with the EU change in the years ahead?
Get behind the scenes in Westminster, Whitehall and beyond on the weekly podcast from Britain’s leading governmental think tank, where we analyse the latest events in politics and explain what they mean. Every week on Inside Briefing, IfG director Hannah White and the team welcomes special guests for a thought-provoking conversation on what makes government work – and how to fix it when it doesn’t.
México