Dan Haile

Reform-led Worcestershire County Council (WCC) have published a briefing about their financial position, explaining why they might have to raise council tax by 10%

It's a pretty perfect encapsulation of the extreme financial pressures facing most local authorities

Key points 👇

This is also a story of failing to learn lessons- ten years ago (!) I worked on an energy efficiency scheme at the Treasury, the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund. That was also ripe for fraud and poor quality work, and the NAO found that the "lack of consistency... could increase the long-term cost"

Almost all external insulation fitted under Tory scheme needs repair or replacing, report finds Homeowners who took advantage of government programmes left with cladding likely to cause damp

There’s not much to say about the solid wall insulation failures that hasn’t already been said. A diabolical policy failure that wasted money and harmed people.

But one thing I will add is: I think it highlights the need for more state delivery capacity on warm homes, not just regulation
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Rachel Reeves should allow local tourist taxes | Institute for Government If mayors use the ‘right to request’ to call for tourist taxes, then the government should say yes.

if Mayors ask to be allowed to levy tourist taxes, let them - @instituteforgovernment.org.uk blog by me and @tompope.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/rach... - time to end HMT control freakery

Hybrid bills: Parliament’s role in delivering major infrastructure | Institute for Government How to improve the hybrid bill legislative process.

How can government legislate better to deliver major infrastructure projects? Fantastic new paper from @instituteforgovernment.org.uk on how to improve the little-known hybrid bill procedure! www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

BIG UK RENEWABLE NEWS

⌛Next govt auction will hand out 20y CfDs, not 15y (lower £/MWh)
🔎Govt can change budget after auction to get GW they want
✅Offshore wind without full planning consent can apply
📝Withdrawn GW can't reapply in AR7
🏗️Onshore wind repowering can apply

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amen! have just been trying to find some National Infrastructure Commission reports. The (good) standalone NIC site is gone now that NIC has been brought into Treasury and can't for the life of me find them on gov.uk. Ended up downloading one from the North Herts District Council website...

Spending review 2025: Six key things we learned from Rachel Reeves' announcement | Institute for Government IfG experts set out the six things they learned from the spending review.

Our @instituteforgovernment.org.uk spending review analysis is out! Take a read here www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/spen...

Our key takeaways: 1/7

Some top level views on the SR from me and other @instituteforgovernment.org.uk colleagues 1/2

Most of the focus ahead of the SR has been on how much money depts get. That's understandable, money makes a difference

But it's not just about the amount of money, but how departments spend it

Here's a summary of how we think the govt can spend money on public services more effectively

'But just as we can move mountains when out liberties are threatened and we will have to fight for our lives, so can we when the future of our London is at stake. If only we will.'
New on Substack, my post on the 1943 County of London Plan:
municipaldreams.substack.com/p/the-county...

The government has been warned: climate adaptation isn’t working | Institute for Government There is little evidence that the Labour government is making adaptation significantly more of a priority than its predecessor.

The Climate Change Committee presents a blunt assessment of the government’s failure to prepare adequately for the impacts of climate change.

Making it a core value for money issue for departments could help www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/clim...

We know only a little about why Spain and Portugal's blackout occurred on Monday, but enough to what went wrong and what should have happened but didn't.

Javier Blas's conference call with REE gives us the clues
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The Strange, Unsettling Story of British Steel Why the fate of a blast furnace in Scunthorpe might have much deeper implications for this country

✍️I visited British Steel last week - just as workers were discovering that the plant's Chinese owners were effectively planning to starve the blast furnaces to death.
It was a strange, unsettling experience. With deep ramifications. Some thoughts: edconway.substack.com/p/the-strang...

Rachel Reeves' spring statement 2025: The IfG's verdict | Institute for Government What did we learn from the chancellor's 'update'?

Here is our @instituteforgov.bsky.social take on the Spring Statement, covering key questions we were looking out for on how the economic forecast would move and how Reeves would respond

Some key takeaways 1/5
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/rach...

Additional capital spending (mainly to meet the defence commitment) shows the effect of a new set of fiscal rules that distinguish between day-to-day and investment spend.

If the old debt rule was still binding, capital would have been an easy candidate for cuts

Current UK fiscal rules | Institute for Government What are the government’s current fiscal rules and is it on track to meet them?

What are the current UK fiscal rules?

Here's what you need to know ahead of today's spring statement www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/cu...

Do you think this is because of minimum/living wage increases pushing the new starter wages up but this not being matched by pay increases for more senior staff? Or is there something else going on?

How the government can support better decision making in mayoral combined authorities | Institute for Government Making England’s ‘devolution revolution’ a reality.

📣New report from me & @brionya.bsky.social

MCAs’ decision-making is often limited by unanimous voting rules

Effective decision making for key strategic plans requires a shift to simple majority voting alongside greater capacity and accountability

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

Never Again? The story of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 | Institute for Government The story of how the Health and Social Care Act 2012 – by far the most controversial piece of NHS legislation in more than two decades – became law.

Govt is getting rid of NHS England.. the @instituteforgov.bsky.social back catalogue has a couple of top studies by @nicholastimmins.bsky.social on its creation and functioning www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/... and www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

An image for an IfG webinar: What is Keir Starmer’s new plan for government reform? Thursday 13 March, 13:00-14:00 Dr Matthew Gill, Programme Director at the Institute for Government Hannah Keenan, Associate Director at the Institute for Government Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government The event will be chaired by Dr Catherine Haddon, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

TODAY: What is Keir Starmer’s new plan for government reform?

Join us at 13:00 for our expert analysis of the PM’s plans to overhaul the state.

@drmatthewgill.bsky.social @hannahkeenan.bsky.social @jillongovt.bsky.social @cathhaddon.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/keir-s...

Really good summary of a policy debate that is both intimidatingly complex and really matters!

Tax reliefs should be considered in the spending review and industrial strategy | Institute for Government The Treasury needs to hold itself to the same standards it demands of other departments.

The new industrial strategy and multiyear spending review provide an opportunity to prioritise public resources to achieve the government's objectives - they will be most effective if the Treasury considers tax reliefs alongside spending

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/tax-...

How flawed data is leaving the UK in the dark [FREE TO READ] Trouble at the Office for National Statistics means policymakers cannot rely on key economic numbers, including on employment

How flawed data is leaving the UK in the dark on.ft.com/4hOfMcI

NEW: The @instituteforgov.bsky.social has today published exclusive interviews with nine former Scottish and Welsh Ministers.

The transcripts are full of insights into brexit, the pandemic, and government breakdowns.

But what advice did they have for their fellow ministers?

Thread for Brexit memorial day

I want to highlight 2 big open questions about the economic consequences of Brexit

1. Why did Brexit reduce UK output growth?

2. How bad has the TCA been for UK trade? 1/

Lots of things can be true at the same time. Economies are dynamic.
Does the UK currently face a construction capacity constraint partially due to skilled labour shortages? Yes.
Would a credible commitment to a decade+ of building projects see the sector expand and ease constraints? Also yes.

This John Vickers talk/paper on competition policy is well worth a read: ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid...

There’s been some great stuff this week on the “what is Labour’s approach to growth” question.
You’ve probably read or ignored it all by now, but worth a quick recap?

Gilt market vibes are a poor guide to policy | Institute for Government Gilt market moves mean Rachel Reeves is facing a test of her resolve.

Me: on how there has been way too much fuss around these gilt market moves. They bring the worst out in the government.

Gilt moves are no verdict on current policy. Reacting violently bad vibes creates silly policy spasms. Grow a thicker hide.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/gilt...