Lively debate upstairs @instituteforgovernment.org.uk on whether this was a fiscal event or not (splitting wonkland now). The fiscal eventers (as per @ruthcurtice.bsky.social) argue that there was a big spending figure on SEND, accommodated by a significant revision to the fiscal forecast.
🎧 Essential listening this week as Sir Alex Younger - former MI6 chief - joins the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk podcast to talk Trump, Iran, Starmer, law, war and much more.
Plus: The IfG verdict of Rachel Reeves’s spring forecast
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/insi...
A quote from Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government "The chancellor has resisted the temptation to use this moment to tinker with the tax system. That's the right choice given only three months have passed since the last budget. This will provide more stability for businesses and households."
Rachel Reeves has resisted the temptation to use today's spring forecast to tinker with the tax system.
@jillongovt.bsky.social says the chancellor has made the right choice.
Keep an eye on our spring forecast 2026 page for more analysis soon www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/spring-forec...
A quote from Dan Haile, Senior Economist at the Institute for Government. "The chancellor has stuck to her plan for a low-key spring forecast. The UK has been an outlier in chopping and changing fiscal policy so often, but sticking to one major fiscal event a year gives the government more time and space to make better policy decisions."
"...sticking to one major fiscal event a year gives the government more time and space to make better policy decisions."
@danhaile.bsky.social, IfG senior economist, reacts to today's 'low-key' spring forecast.
More analysis to follow soon www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/spring-forec...
The government will publish the Office for Budget Responsibility's latest economic and fiscal forecast today.
On Inside Briefing we were joined by Rupert Harrison - former chief of staff to George Osborne - to discuss the forecast.
Listen here:
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/insi...
Five reasons why today's Spring Forecast should not be a fiscal event, building on what my IfG colleagues wrote last week
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/rach...
Everyone is analysing the implications of the byelection for Keir Starmer and Labour but the most important lessons are for democracy - my latest for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/gort...
Westminster is dangerously underprepared for a multi-party future.
Brilliant from @drhannahwhite.bsky.social for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk on the real lesson from the Gorton and Denton by-election.
The new cabinet secretary has a daunting set of tasks ahead, including forging a strong working relationship with the prime minister.
But Antonia Romeo can hit the ground running by taking quick decisive action on civil service reform.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/anto...
The @instituteforgovernment.org.uk set five tasks for Chris Wormald when he became cabinet secretary
Here’s our verdict
(And what his successor should do differently)
Really enjoyed this week’s @instituteforgovernment.org.uk podcast with man-of-the-moment @pickardje.bsky.social and @drhannahwhite.bsky.social
Listen to hear Jim’s inside account of how he got such a series of mega-scoops
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/i...
Lack of planning has hit Labour’s efforts to fix public services, says thinktank.
Great summary of @instituteforgovernment.org.uk's analysis by @kiranstacey.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
The first chapters of the report (on local government) were published a month ago. The NHS chapters were published today.
The Guardian article is an exclusive
Latest fascinating & comprehensive analysis from the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk team of Labour’s public services performance… www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
This new @instituteforgovernment.org.uk report gives our verdict of NHS performance since Labour won the general election.
And in a week that Wes Streeting found himself in the news too.
Well worth checking out
Big pre-budget @financialtimes.com story...
Read it...
And then listen again to last week's @instituteforgovernment.org.uk budget about chancellors and the art of pitch-rolling their budget announcements.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/insi...
Has Rachel Reeves rolled the budget pitch?
And how did former chancellors manage expectations?
Fascinating @instituteforgovernment.org.uk podcast with @stewartwood.bsky.social Giles Winn @gemmatetlow.bsky.social @jillongovt.bsky.social
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/rach...
Cross-party agreement can create political space for tax reform
It is time to take the political heat out of attempts to reform the tax system, says @gemmatetlow.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/cros...
Here's Amber's @instituteforgovernment.org.uk report
Which finds that the equivalent of 23,000 primary school classrooms are empty across England, the highest number since records began
(and there's loads of more fascinating data in there)
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
NEW: the latest in our @instituteforgovernment.org.uk Performance Tracker series is out today
And ace colleague @amberdellar.bsky.social has been looking at school performance
The data is.. worrying
@laurahughesft.bsky.social at the @financialtimes.com has the story
www.ft.com/content/9be6...
New from me and @aliceolilly.bsky.social 👇
The monarch, the royal family and parliament (and people no longer called Prince)
Here’s a very timely and very useful new @instituteforgovernment.org.uk explainer from top colleagues @aliceolilly.bsky.social and @rebeccamckee.bsky.social
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/mo...
NEW: Home Office truths
The Home Secretary says Home Office is not fit for purpose
So what’s the problem/solution?
🎧Today’s @instituteforgovernment.org.uk
podcast with @drhannahwhite.bsky.social
@alexgathomas.bsky.social & ex spad Hannah Guerin
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/insi...
Well this is a particularly depressing illustration of what a collapsing justice system looks like. 262 people were released from prison by mistake in 2024/25 — more than twice the previous year and almost 4.5x 2014/15
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
🎧NEW @instituteforgovernment.org.uk podcast
- Royal trouble
- Inquiry woe
- Prisons crisis
@dannyshaw.bsky.social joins @cathhaddon.bsky.social @cassiarowland.bsky.social & @alexgathomas.bsky.social to make sense of it all
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/pris...
Some - cautious - good news on the govt’s civil service gagging rules
Nick Thomas-Symonds has written to us rowing back on the worst aspects: “it is important for civil servants to speak in public about matters for which they have responsibility”
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/welc...
NEW REPORT Criminal justice is coming apart at the seams. Police, criminal courts & prisons can’t cope with the level of demand and performance keeps spiralling downwards. Early positive steps from the government won't be enough to turn things around
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
Read the Times story!
Then read @cassiarowland.bsky.social’s report
Fascinating data
Expert analysis
And some tricky conclusions for the government
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
Great @mattdathan.bsky.social
@thetimes.com write up of today’s fantastic new @instituteforgovernment.org.uk report by @cassiarowland.bsky.social on the state of the criminal justice system.
Which is again/still in a state of ‘slow-motion collapse’
www.thetimes.com/article/3319...
Kicking off this year’s Performance Tracker 2025, Part 1 from the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk looks at how local government, social care and homelessness services are performing.
Great job @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social & @amberdellar.bsky.social!
