Philip Nye

Great new report from Amber, digging into spare primary school places, school finances, SEND and much more ⬇️

Performance Tracker 2025: Criminal justice system | Institute for Government The government must act to avoid the justice system returning to the crisis point seen when Labour entered office, or worse.

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/...

Public Services Performance Tracker 2025 | Institute for Government Labour’s public service plans are less than the sum of their parts.

4 patterns we're seeing in adult social care, children's social care and homelessness services (with graphs)

And what govt should do about it

A thread from @instituteforgovernment.org.uk's NEW jumbo report (read 1 get 3 free) on the state of local government services and finance 👇

Performance Tracker 2025: Local government overview | Institute for Government The government is making good progress towards rebalancing local government funding. But the sector shows signs of mounting financial distress.

NEW REPORT: Local authorities have been struggling with pressures from austeirty for years, but there are signs that pressure is now particularly acute

As a result, they are having to make tough decisions about finances and services

🧵👇 on findings

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

Public Services Performance Tracker 2025 | Institute for Government Labour’s public service plans are less than the sum of their parts.

NEW: @instituteforgovernment.org.uk have published pt1 of Public Services Performance Tracker 2025 covering local government finances and overall performance, adult social care, children's social care and homelessness

Incredible work by @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social & @amberdellar.bsky.social

On Tuesday @instituteforgovernment.org.uk will publish the first part of Performance Tracker 2025, our flagship annual stocktake of the state of public services

We’re doing things slightly differently this year, so I thought I’d do a quick thread explaining some of the changes

🧵

The 2025 budget and beyond: How Rachel Reeves can approach tax reform to help drive growth | Institute for Government A big autumn approaches for the chancellor.

New @instituteforgovernment.org.uk report by me, @gemmatetlow.bsky.social and @jillongovt.bsky.social on how Reeves should approach tax this Autumn

With tax rises inevitable, Reeves should reject path of least resistance and embrace tax reform 1/3

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

Civil service staff numbers | Institute for Government Who exactly are civil servants and how many are there?

1/ If you've been itching to know how the size of the civil service has changed... we at the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk have you covered.

I've crunched the numbers from the latest ONS data release, which you can read about here: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/ci...

PODCAST 🎙️ The Mandelson misjudgement

@catneilan.bsky.social joins @drhannahwhite.bsky.social @jillongovt.bsky.social to discuss the dramatic end of Peter Mandelson’s time in Washington.

PLUS: @philipnye.bsky.social on Keir Starmer's first reshuffle
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/insi...

The Mandelson misjudgement | Institute for Government The Observer’s Cat Neilan joins the podcast team to weigh up the dramatic end of Mandelson’s time in Washington.

I'm on the pod this week talking all things _government_ reshuffle

(Also features others talking _ambassadorial_ reshuffle)
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/insi...

Following a couple of changes yesterday afternoon among the junior ranks here is the latest state of play for Starmer's government after the reshuffle from @instituteforgovernment.org.uk 👇

Seven things we learned from Keir Starmer’s first reshuffle | Institute for Government What does the prime minster’s first major reshuffle tell us about his new-look government?

Here's the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk 'seven things we learned from Keir Starmer's reshuffle' from @jackpannell.bsky.social @timdurrant.bsky.social and I with data from @philipnye.bsky.social & our now updated Ministers Database

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/seve...

Starmer government reshuffle: PM changes top team after Rayner's exit | Institute for Government The IfG team analyse the moves as Keir Starmer reshapes his Cabinet.

We've started the IfG's reshuffle live blog up again this morning

@rebeccamckee.bsky.social, @jackpannell.bsky.social and I will be leading the analysis, with expert commentary of the weekend's action from the IfG's whole team

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/live-blog/st...

Starmer government reshuffle: PM changes top team after Rayner's exit | Institute for Government The IfG team analyse the moves as Keir Starmer reshapes his Cabinet.

We've had a few surprising moves in this reshuffle so far - one of the big ones is Shabana Mahmood becoming home secretary. On our liveblog I've given a bit of an overview of what she'll face coming in:
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/live-blog/st...

Starmer government reshuffle: PM changes top team after Rayner's exit | Institute for Government The IfG team analyse the moves as Keir Starmer reshapes his Cabinet.

LIVEBLOG!

We've fired up the IfG reshuffle liveblog.

Essential for all the latest information as Keir Starmer reshapes his team.

Packed with data, charts, details and analysis about all the ministerial moves.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/live-blog/st...

The second set of speakers at the IfG's event, plus host Gavin Freeguard

We now have discussion of how well the #FOI system is working, with:
- John Edwards, the Information Commissioner
- Lord Falconer, former Lord Chancellor
- Lynn Wyeth, of the Campaign for FOI

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/foi-ac...

The panel at the IfG's event on the FOI act

Great lineup for this event
marking 25 years since the passing of the #FOI Act and 20 years since it came into force - being streamed online here:
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/foi-ac...

My bike at the Eurostar terminal in Brussels

My bike on the platform at St Pancras

Bikes on trains review: Brussels to London with Eurostar

Again, the in-person experience with Eurostar is very smooth: hand over your bike in Brussels and you get it back on the platform at St Pancras. Only the cost (£45) and the booking experience being the mark down

2.5/5

#Bikesky

My bike on the train from Liege to Brussels

Bikes on trains review: Liège to Brussels Centrale with SNCB

A very easy transition at Liège and step-free access to the train. There are six of us in this carriage with bikes so far - five regular, one folding - and I think you could fit nearly as many again

All very simple, 4.5/5

#bikesky

My bike in front of the entrance to the bike carriage on the train

My bike, secured in the carriage's bike spaces

Bikes on trains review: Aachen to Liege with SNCB

Again, a small train which does have dedicated bike space (+), but up a couple of quite big steps (-). And €4 for the bike from Aachen to Brussels.

A firmly middling experience, 3/5

#bikesky

A platform sign at Welkenraedt station

My bike on the train from Welkenraedt to Aachen

Bikes on trains review: Welkenraedt to Aachen with SNCB

Onto a smaller train to cross into Germany. Dedicated bike spaces are a plus - but there are a couple of steps to get into the carriage, which isn't too easy with a loaded up bike

3/5

#bikesky

My bike, secured with a strap in the carriage of the SNCB train

Bikes on trains review: Gent to Welkenraedt with SNCB

The first leg of a cross-border journey (BE->DE), making booking a bike space slightly less easy. Loads of room for bikes though - seven spaces in this carriage and more elsewhere. Still cheap at €4/bike for the whole journey too.

4/5

#bikesky

Yes, I've not had chance to try it there yet!

A photo of my bike on the IC train from Brussels to Gent

A screenshot of the SNCB app showing my ticket and my bike supplement

A screenshot of the SNCB app with a diagram showing where the bike carriage is on the train

Bikes on trains review: Brussels to Gent

As we might expect, Belgium does bikes on trains well

Things to like:
✅ All handled through the SNCB app (no paper ticket!)
✅ App shows you where the bike carriage is on the train
✅ Loads of space

Where it drops marks:
❌ €4 bike supplement

4.5/5 #bikesky

Coda: Eurostar are apparently updating their booking process - ending the daft system where you can only book a bike spot by email *after* having booked for yourself. To which we say: allez, Eurostar ⏩👏

A photo of the front of my bike in St Pancras International

A photo of my bike in Eurostar Travel Services' office, waiting to be handed over

A photo of an instructions sheet from Eurostar explaining where to collect bikes from in Brussels

Bikes on trains review: London to Brussels with Eurostar

A very mixed experience. Booking a bike space was a farce - even less easy than normal (and £45 for the privilege). But the on-the-day experience is very straightforwpard - hand off your bike and meet it in Brussels

2/5

#Bikesky

Congrats!

Fundamental changes are needed to address civil service frustration | Institute for Government Voluntary exit schemes will not be enough to deal with structural problems in the civil service

Civil service in a real bind atm. Incentives to move job rapidly + recruitment freezes blocking space to move = unhappy workforce.

My radical Friday thought: if you don't want people (civil servants) to do stuff (move jobs at a v high rate), then don't give them incentives to do that?

My bike in an end-of-train bike carriage onboard an Avanti train

Bikes on trains review: Rugby to Euston with Avanti

Okay, there wasn't supposed to be an Avanti leg to this journey

I use them regularly though and I have to say I like their end-of-train storage. Big credit too for their staff getting us on at Rugby in a hurried mass changeover

4.5/5 #bikesky

My bike on the London Northwestern Railway train - with my panniers holding the bike in place

Bikes on trains review: Crewe to Euston with London Northwestern

Now this is a less positive experience. Yes, there's a marked bike space on the train. But it lacks any straps to hold a bike in place

We've had one topple - now hoping I can hold things in place with my panniers

2/5 #bikesky