Is Keir Starmer in the last chance saloon?
After avoiding an ethics inquiry into the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal, what can Keir Starmer do to get the government agenda back on tra...
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INSIDE BRIEFING with Institute for Government
How can we make government work more effectively? What are Brexit and the current political tumult doing to our institutions? Is Britain's Constitution able to withstand the strains of 21st...
Episodes
20 of 410 episodesStarmer vs Robbins: Why the Mandelson row keeps getting worse
Seven days in, Westminster is still consumed by the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal. The PM has had his say. Olly Robbins - the permanent se...
The Peter Mandelson scandal: What are the lessons for Keir Starmer's government?
The government is reeling from the revelation that Peter Mandelson was appointed as UK ambassador to the US despite having failed a security...
Is the UK (and Keir Starmer) under attack?
"We are underprepared. We are underinsured. We are under attack. We are not safe." George Robertson, former defence secretary and co-author...
Who will pay the prices of war?
Oil is in short supply as the Middle East conflict continues. Donald Trump has told the UK to “build up some delayed courage, go to the Stra...
Money talks: Influence and interference
What should the government do about overseas election funding and cryptocurrency donations? Philip Rycroft, who ran the newly-published Rycr...
Can Rachel Reeves protect both households and the public finances from the energy price shock?
As war in the Middle East disrupts energy markets across the world, what are the implications for households and businesses in the UK and ho...
Can the UK weather the Middle East storm?
How prepared is the government - and how healthy is the economy - for dealing with another energy bill crisis? The podcast team review the p...
Keir Starmer and the cost of security
The conflict in the Middle East has already seen Keir Starmer fall out with Donald Trump - but will the economic fallout of war cause even b...
International Women's Day special: The inside story of life as an MP
What it is really like to be an MP in 2026? How unusual is the life of a politician? How does power work in parliament? And how can MPs try...
Trump vs Iran: Is the UK ready for war?
The Middle East is at war - but how does the conflict end and what role will the UK play? Sir Alex Younger, the former head of the Secret In...
Will Rachel Reeves spring a forecast surprise?
Fire up the forecasts. Read up on the rules. Study the spending plans. And get ready for Rachel Reeves' big day in Parliament. Rupert Harris...
All roads lead to Romeo
Antonia Romeo has been appointed as the new Cabinet Secretary and is the first woman to hold the post. So what can she do to turn the civil...
Resets and resignations: Starmer's worst week yet
Former Downing Street chief of staff Gavin Barwell joins the podcast to discuss another explosive week at the heart of government. On Sunday...
Keir Starmer's Mandelson Scandal
The revelations about what contact Peter Mandelson had with Jeffrey Epstein, what the government knew, and what it did or is now doing about...
Growth strategy pains, trains and regional deals
Of all its manifesto pledges, missions and milestones, Labour has been most keen to tell the public that it is ‘going for growth’. But does...
Starmer’s Trump diplomacy and Darren Jones’s fast fixes
In a week when Donald Trump has been escalating his threats to NATO member states over Greenland, Darren Jones was on the home front ensurin...
Wes Streeting’s government health-check
Drop the excuses culture. Stop complaining about civil servants. And just get it right the first time rather than repeatedly u-turning. Wes...
Donald Trumps Starmer’s New Year Plans
With US military strikes on Venezuela dominating headlines, Lawrence Freedman joins the podcast team to ask what Donald Trump's foreign plan...
2025 in Review: Starmer's Year of Drama
A year is a long time in the podcasting world, especially for podcasts keeping a close eye on the highs, lows, trials and tribulations of go...