The Future Governance Forum (FGF)

The appetite for change at yesterday's Britain Renewed 2025 event was palpable.

Thank you to our speakers, particularly @joshsimonsmp.bsky.social, our partners & everyone who joined us.

We hope you left with new ideas and connections, and we’re looking forward to building on that momentum in 2026.

Government must disrupt status quo, says Cabinet Office minister Josh Simons says government reforms must be “brash” and “blatant”

“Place must be how we design every major policy programme.

"It's people on the frontline who know what an area needs best, not us in Whitehall."

🗣️ @joshsimonsmp.bsky.social at FGF and @uclpolicylab.bsky.social's Britain Renewed conference yesterday
www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...

“Place is where trust is built or broken. So, place must be our orienting principle.”

It was a pleasure to welcome @joshsimonsmp.bsky.social to Britain Renewed 2026 with @futuregovforum.bsky.social to discuss how we can drive a new era in public service reform.

Britain Renewed 2025's last session on ‘Where we go from here’ is with:

@kirstymcneill.bsky.social - Scottish Office Minister

@_JonathanSlater - fmr DFE Perm. Sec

@pialidg.bsky.social - Roretti

Richard Pope - fmr Govt Digital Service

@georgeeaton.bsky.social - Senior Ed. Politics New Statesman

Today's Britain Renewed 2025 conference has public service reform leaders from across the UK inc:
@joshsimonsmp.bsky.social
@drhannahwhite.bsky.social
@pollyneate.bsky.social
@kirstymcneill.bsky.social
@pollymackenzie.bsky.social
@evefrancisholt.bsky.social
@jamestplunkett.bsky.social

Britain Renewed 2025's 3rd session is discussing ‘what role do we all play in reforming the state’ with:
* Janet Hughes - Cabinet Office
* Dr Henry Kippin - NE Combined Authority
* Polly Neate - FGF Policy Associate
* Rachel Hope - NHS England
* Dr Hannah White, CEO Institute for Government

The 2nd session of the FGF & @uclpolicylab.bsky.social Britain Renewed 2025 conference is hearing stories of public service reform from Nottingham and around the country

Josh Simons MP speaking at the Britain Renewed 2025 conference

Great opening speech by @joshsimonsmp.bsky.social at the @futuregovforum.bsky.social & @uclpolicylab.bsky.social 'Britain Renewed 2025' conference today.

Spoke of the need for radical disruption and to root public services in place, to put relationships at their heart and build a responsive state.

Watch Cabinet Office minister @joshsimonsmp.bsky.social explain why today's FGF & @uclpolicylab.bsky.social 'Britain Renewed 2025' conference will discuss how we do state and public service reform differently

www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/event/britai...

Public Service Reform – a public sector endeavour or a movement for all? Written by Evie John, Managing Director, Inner Circle Consulting

A new story for public service reform is emerging in pockets across sectors, communities & places.

But to deliver lasting change, we need a movement not lone outriders.

Read the latest in our public service reform series w/ @uclpolicylab.bsky.social ⬇️

✍️ Evie John
open.substack.com/pub/futurego...

Voters are asking for agency and respect. It’s crucial politics builds relationships, not just delivery channels, in response. Written by Dan Honig, Associate Professor, Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy and Associate Professor of Public Policy, UCL

Doing things to people not with them is how you lose their trust.

Restoring pride in place isn’t just new parks or better services – it’s about strengthening relationships between citizens, public servants and the state.

New guest blog by @danhonig.bsky.social ✍️
open.substack.com/pub/futurego...

Budget: Putting stability in the spotlight This week local government held its collective breath as Rachel Reeves stood up at the dispatch box to reveal her Budget. It would have been daft to expect too much...

What should local government take from this week’s Budget?

Chief Economist @danrcorry.bsky.social's new MJ piece breaks down what it all means for local finances, services and place-based reform ⬇️
www.themj.co.uk/budget-putti...

Read @futuregovforum.bsky.social Chief Economist @danrcorry.bsky.social on the Budget:

The Chancellor opted not to go for The Big One when raising revenue. Will a combo of smaller tax rises - and, crucially, an articulation of what they are *for* - pay off?

www.publicfinance.co.uk/opinion/2025...

This Budget is a bargain: shared pain today for a better country tomorrow.

But that only holds if the country knows what it gets in return.

Read @danrcorry.bsky.social's latest for Public Finance on why govt must tell a clearer story on its reform agenda >>
www.publicfinance.co.uk/opinion/2025...

The Budget didn’t ‘go big’, but it did deliver a raft of promising reforms to the state: the return of Total Place, new PPPs to finance infrastructure, measures to support scale-ups, and much more besides.

The task now is to get delivery right.

Read on for my take 🧵

Hot of the press - new report from @futuregovforum.bsky.social on how govt can exit asylum hotels within 1yr while:

💰 saving up to £5bn
📝 cutting the asylum backlog
🫶 investing in communities
🏡 boosting temporary accommodation

Might sound too good to be true, but it's not. Read our 3-step plan 👇

Since 2018, PPPs have been missing from the government’s toolkit – and the public realm has paid the price.

Today’s announcement is the first indication of a meaningful course correction.

We also think PPPs should be an option for funding other economic and social infrastructure – and we wait to see whether tomorrow’s Budget signals its wider use.

Importantly, the government has emphasised it will avoid the pitfalls of PFI, for instance ensuring assets are not kept off balance sheet.

Rebuilding the Nation 03: Infrastructure Investment Partnerships - Future Governance Forum Delivering the UK's infrastructure ambitions with a new model of public-private partnerships

Used selectively, and where the value for money case is clear, PPPs can deliver high quality infrastructure on time, on budget and at scale.

The government’s new approach adopts many of the core features proposed by FGF in Rebuilding the Nation 03 ⬇️
www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/resource/reb...

Chancellor to double down on drive to cut NHS waiting times and rollout of new Neighbourhood Health Centres 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres to bring patient care closer to home and bring end to postcode lottery of healthcare access.

🚨 NEW: Government will use public-private partnerships to help fund new Neighbourhood Health Centres – an approach FGF has championed for over a year.

A significant and welcome move that will help break the cycle of chronic underinvestment in the NHS estate.
www.gov.uk/government/n...

We propose:
1️⃣ Giving temporary rights to work to asylum seekers from countries with high grant rates, reducing state support costs
2️⃣ A Homes for Ukraine-style scheme for vetted asylum seekers
3️⃣ Investing £3-5bn into community upgrades & new homes, funded by savings from 1️⃣&2️⃣

NEW: FGF proposes a 3 step plan to end use of asylum hotels by mid-2026, saving govt up to £5 billion.

The report brings together ideas from @nestauk.bsky.social, @labourtogether.bsky.social, @refugeecouncil.bsky.social & housing expert Kate Wareing.

www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/resource/res...

Restoring Order and Reducing Costs: How to close asylum hotels and save up to £5 billion - Future Governance Forum Published by The Future Governance Forum with contributions from Nesta, Labour Together, the Refugee Council and housing expert Kate Wareing, Restoring Order and Reducing Costs puts forward a three st...

New @futuregovforum.bsky.social paper sets out 3-point plan to end use of asylum hotels by 2026 and deliver savings of btwn £3-5 billion for the Exchequer.
www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/resource/res...

Move fast and test things: Embracing thoughtful risk-taking to build a new era for public service reform - Future Governance Forum ‘Move fast and break things’ was once Silicon Valley’s mantra, and it still captures one of the biggest differences between this country’s ‘builders’ and most of its public servants. Willingness to fa...

In her new article for @futuregovforum.bsky.social, our CEO highlights how a 'learning by doing' mindset can drive public service reform to unlock new opportunities:

📖
www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/2025/11/22/m...

#UKGov #Community #Leadership #Philanthropy #CommunityFoundations #CivilSociety

Move fast and test things Embracing thoughtful risk-taking to build a new era for public service reform.

To transform Britain’s cautious state into a capable one, we must back reformers who take thoughtful risks, learn in the open and see failure as a step forward, not something to fear.

New blog from ex-Cab Off Director and @ukcf.bsky.social CEO Emma de Closset ✍️⬇️
open.substack.com/pub/futurego...

Friendship is magic. Lessons for No10 from the My Little Ponyverse

What can No 10 learn from My Little Pony?

A lot, it turns out - you need Applejacks, Raritys, Fluttershys, Rainbow Dashes & Twilight Sparkles as well as Pinkie Pies...

Great blog by @pollymackenzie.bsky.social on @futuregovforum.bsky.social substack:

futuregovforum.substack.com/p/friendship...

The Budget is a chance to show voters that this government is serious about fixing Britain’s broken infrastructure By introducing a new model of public-private partnerships, Rachel Reeves could send an unambiguous signal that change is coming.

New from me for @futuregovforum.bsky.social: while much of the conversation ahead of next week's Budget has focused on tax and day-to-day spend decisions, there's also an important call for the Chancellor to make on how to fund new infrastructure

futuregovforum.substack.com/p/the-budget...

2️⃣ End the use of asylum hotels much sooner than 2029. In a report with @futuregovforum.bsky.social we propose 3 steps the govt should take.

Stay tuned for what these are when we publish later this week 👀

Written this for Labour List this morning on the Home Sec's asylum announcements.

'Deterrents' are wildly popular with governments rn but in practice there's little evidence that they work - unless the deterrents are an increased risk of death or serious harm! (think pull-backs on the high seas) 🧵