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Artwork for Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

Institute for Government
Labour Party
Keir Starmer
UK Government
Donald Trump
Conservative Party
Civil Service
Rishi Sunak
Brexit
Public Services
NHS
Rachel Reeves
UK Politics
Boris Johnson
Devolution
UK Economy
Local Government
Economic Growth
General Election
Institute For Government
Cost-Of-Living Crisis

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 opportun... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes425Founded7 years ago
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GovernmentNewsPolitics

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Artwork for Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

Latest Episodes

One week on from becoming prime minister, Andy Burnham has now appointed his cabinet, reshuffled ministers, launched a series of machinery of government changes, and set out a range of immediate policy decisions.

So what have these early choices rev... more

Andy Burnham finally takes over No.10 with promises to focus on the cost of living and to make politics better. Can he succeed? Is he the ruthless leader portended by his clearout of Starmerites, or someone more conciliatory? And how will unexpected ... more

Keir Starmer has bowed out of his final PMQs. Andy Burnham is about to become Britain's next prime minister. But after two turbulent years in Downing Street, what went wrong for Starmer? Can Burnham avoid the same mistakes? And will a change of leade... more

Reform UK may have dominated the headlines this week, but Westminster's attention is already turning to a far bigger political moment: the arrival of Britain's next prime minister. Mirror political editor Lizzy Buchan joins the podcast team to explor... more

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Recent Guests

Steph Driver
Downing Street's Director of Communications (2025); former Director of Communications at No.10
No.10/Downing Street
Episode: Full Time for Starmer: Can Burnham Find a Way to Win?
Lizzy Buchan
Political editor at The Daily Mirror
The Daily Mirror
Episode: Burnham, Binface and Starmer's final flight
David Lidington
Former minister with long Cabinet Office experience; guest on the show
Institute for Government (guest)
Episode: Northern Soul: Burnham's Manchester No10 plan
Adam Fleming
BBC journalist and co-host of Brexit Cast, guest on this episode
BBC
Episode: Brexit at 10: A decade of drama, deals and disruption
Hugo Gye
New political correspondent
The Economist
Episode: What does Andy Burnham really stand for?
Rafael Behr
Political columnist and leader writer at The Guardian
The Guardian
Episode: Burnham v Starmer: The King of the North heads South
Luke Tryl
Director of More In Common
More In Common
Episode: The way you Makerfield
Danny Shaw
One-time BBC Home Affairs correspondent, former advisor to Yvette Cooper, IFG senior fellow
Institute for Government
Episode: Protests, politics and the killing of Henry Nowak
Alice Lilly
Senior researcher for IFG, commentator on government communications
Institute for Government
Episode: Protests, politics and the killing of Henry Nowak

Hosts

Matthew Fright
Host of Inside Briefing; affiliation with Institute for Government
Hannah White
Host of Inside Briefing; Institute for Government
Alex Thomas
Host of Inside Briefing; Institute for Government podcast
Catherine Haddon
Host of Inside Briefing; Institute for Government
Jill Rutter
Senior Fellow at Institute for Government; policy commentator

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 423 ratings
  • Misleading title

    It’s very misleading to call an episode ‘Home Office truths with Shabana Mahmood’ only for it not to feature her!

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    anotherpod
    United Kingdom9 months ago
  • Chilling

    Chilling episode on ministers, they’re so unqualified, our system is nuts!

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Niky_Noodles
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Interesting

    An interesting listen.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    veganman1961
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • 5 stars just aren’t enough

    If you want a podcast that oozes intelligence; informedness; nuance; and courtesy, look no further. It’s hard to exaggerate the high quality of this. Perhaps what you’d expect from the IFG. Please subscribe and tell your friends and take a deep dive into the website. An absolute essential if you want to begin understand our fiendishly complex world. I promise I’m not on commission. Thank you IFG.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Michael Coxon
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Stop saying “sort of”

    Just had to give up again on a potentially interesting episode because one of the participants can hardly get through a sentence without stuffing in a “ sort of”. Like “kind of” it can have the function of conveying fuzziness. But mostly it now seems to be used by experts to avoid sounding too expert or as a substitute for “ you know” or “ like” when someone doesn’t exactly know what they want to say. The IFG is particularly prone to including speakers who say “sort of stop” or“sort of decide” ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Lacwn
    United Kingdoma year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Praise for balanced moderation and practical reform insights across local and national government.
Some critics note sound quality inconsistencies and occasional participation concerns.
The show is seen as essential for understanding complex government processes and reforms.
Listeners praise non-partisan, in-depth governance analysis and high-quality guests.
Guests frequently viewed as authoritative voices in public administration and policy implementation.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#3
United Kingdom/Government
Apple Podcasts
#181
Canada/Government
Apple Podcasts
#80
Italy/Government
Apple Podcasts
#99
Australia/Government
Apple Podcasts
#127
France/Government
Apple Podcasts
#204
Germany/Government

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

May 2026 elections: what are the implications for local government reorganisation?
Q: What are the implications for how this is delivered locally with new leaders taking office?
There will be uncertainty and a strong emphasis on maintaining service delivery while establishing new governance, with a risk that some councillors and officers feel dislocated or pressed to move quickly into transitional duties.
May 2026 elections: what are the implications for local government reorganisation?
Q: Akash, could you walk us through some high-level results from the local elections?
Labour losses across England were substantial, while Reform UK made gains by taking control of several councils; many areas are still forming coalitions or minority administrations, and the overall map is still taking shape.
Money talks: Influence and interference
Q: How should the centre of government respond to ensure reforms across NHS, local government, and policing are coherent?
Create a stronger central vision and governance mechanism, pause or slow some reforms to allow cross-department alignment, and establish a cabinet-level forum (e.g., Chief Secretary to the PM) to coordinate priorities and measure progress against a unified reform package.
Keir Starmer's Mandelson Scandal
Q: Alex, looking forward, what do you think the effect of this is going to be on Starmer's agenda?
The government may struggle to navigate this political distraction effectively, leaving Starmer vulnerable as it could gum up the decision-making processes in light of the urgency before the upcoming elections.
Keir Starmer's Mandelson Scandal
Q: Jim, bringing this into the current politics, what is your take on how significant these emerging events are?
While it's clearly a major scandal for Mandelson, it's also crucial for Keir Starmer's political judgment regarding the appointment and management of his former ally as the situation unfolds, casting a shadow over Starmer's leadership.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A policy-focused program that examines how government works in Westminster and Whitehall, with a regular emphasis on local government reform, devolution, public service delivery, and civil service performance. Episodes frequently feature senior policymakers, think-tank researchers, and council leaders, plus practitioner guests from finance, energy, and public administration. The show tends to dissect governance challenges, explore reform options, and assess political feasibility, with a steady thread on how to make government more capable, data-driven, and accountable. Notable strengths include its inside-the-beltway access, nonpartisan analysis, and a consistent emphasis on practical reforms that can be implemented across local and nationa... more

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These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. The Week in Westminster
2. Political Fix
3. Westminster Insider
4. The Politics Show
5. Political Currency

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this podcast launched 7 years ago and published 425 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Steph Driver
2. Lizzy Buchan
3. David Lidington
4. Adam Fleming
5. Hugo Gye
6. Rafael Behr
7. Luke Tryl
8. Danny Shaw

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