Shaina Sangha

I wonder how many times right wing think tanks can write the same report about the NHS

Seems we haven't reached the limit yet

200 pages to make the most boring (and worse, useless) set of policy recommendations

How to run the Treasury: Jeremy Hunt’s lessons for Rachel Reeves | Institute for Government Chancellors wield huge power across Whitehall – but many struggle to achieve their aims.

Chancellors wield huge power across Whitehall – but many struggle to achieve their aims.

In our latest Ministers Reflect, @jeremyhuntmp.bsky.social offers some lessons that Rachel Reeves – and future chancellors – might want to heed www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/jere...

Labour’s 10 Year Health Plan: familiar ideas could be frustrated by familiar problems | Institute for Government There is plenty of the what but less of the how in Wes Streeting’s new plan.

Good write up of the 10 year plan from Nick Timmins:

- A lot of existing policy. But that's good: things like integration are laudable aims
- Focus on tech is welcome, but dependent on limited capital budgets
- Social care still needs addressing

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

Labour’s first year: Keir Starmer’s government is less than the sum of its parts | Institute for Government Keir Starmer has yet to set out a clear governing philosophy.

“In many areas, the Labour government has introduced changes that are necessary and valuable and yet these have not been knitted together in a way that is sufficient to shift public perceptions of change” www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/labo...

So I noticed a jarring headline in the FT, saying "UK DISPOSABLE INCOME FALLS AT FASTEST RATE SINCE 2023"

and wondered if you were as bothered by it as I was.

I am here to say: fear not. Or rather, look at it like the graph down here: 1/

www.ft.com/content/08a1...

Delivering the new industrial strategy will be a huge test for government | Institute for Government There is much to welcome in the new white paper.

Delivering the new industrial strategy will be a huge test for government

@gilesyb.bsky.social warns that white paper represents a daunting delivery challenge that requires unprecedented levels of cross-departmental working www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/indu...

Parliament has changed – Keir Starmer’s welfare reform challenge won’t be a one-off | Institute for Government The prime minister needs a new way of working with backbench Labour MPs.

My latest thoughts on why the characteristics of the 2024 parliament mean the backbench welfare bill rebellion is unlikely to be the last one faced by Keir Starmer www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/parl...

Another Zia Yusuf tweet that shows a lack of understanding of how local govt works

1) Kent is not responsible for appointing auditors. Fees are set and auditors appointed by a body call Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA)

Spending review 2025: welcome improvements to the process but no total "rewiring" | Institute for Government Rachel Reeves must continue to build on the changes she has introduced to the spending review process.

Last week's spending review won't drive a rewiring of the state, but within a very difficult SR context there were some improvements that should (hopefully) bring benefits down the line

More on the opportunities taken (and missed) at SR25 from me www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/spen...

Public inquiries | Institute for Government There are 21 ongoing or announced inquiries. But what exactly is a public inquiry?

The government has so far announced three new public inquiries in 2025, bringing the total of ongoing or announced inquiries to 21.

So what is a public inquiry and what is its purpose? Read our explainer www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/pu...

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

What choices did the government make in the 2025 spending review? | Institute for Government IfG experts provided instant analysis of what Rachel Reeves’s spending review means for public services, investment and the government’s missions.

If you missed our @instituteforgovernment.org.uk webinar this afternoon, with our take on the Spending Review, you can listen/watch back here www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/2025-s...

with @njdavies.bsky.social @drbenpaxton.bsky.social and @jillongovt.bsky.social

The 2025 spending review is a huge moment for the Labour government.

📺 Our Chief Economist @gemmatetlow.bsky.social sets out what the IfG will be looking out for in the chancellor's announcement.

Follow our spending review page for all our analysis www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/our-work/top...

Reform’s “DOGE” is a superficial response to deep problems in local government | Institute for Government Reform should rethink its plans to copy the DOGE approach.

New comment from @alexgathomas.bsky.social and me:

Local authorities are caught between the triple pressures of lower funding, rising demand, and legal obligations to deliver services. Reform's "DOGE" cannot change that brutal reality

Short 🧵👇

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/doge...

Spending review 2025: Six key questions for Rachel Reeves to answer | Institute for Government IfG experts set out the six questions they will be looking out for at the spending review.

What are we @instituteforgovernment.org.uk looking out for at next week's spending review?

Our latest comment highlights six key questions 1/9

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/spen...

IfG banner for an event titled 'In conversation with Jeremy Hunt MP: Britain's place in the world' on Wednesday 4 June, 18.00-19.00. Speakers: - Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP: Former Chancellor of the Exchequer and Foreign Secretary - Dr Hannah White OBE, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government

EVENT | In conversation with Jeremy Hunt MP: Britain's place in the world

📅Wednesday 4 June, 18.00

The IfG is pleased to welcome Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP to launch his new book: Can We Be Great Again? Why a Dangerous world needs Britain.

Register👇
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/jeremy...

Excellent (and timely!) from @shaina-sangha.bsky.social on how much the UK spends on defence, where the money actually goes and how that stacks up against major international comparators

Reform UK to pilot Doge-style scheme to examine council spending Party tells council officers they risk ‘gross misconduct’ if they block Elon Musk-inspired initiative

This is delusional stuff

There are no easy savings to make in local govt. Instead, Reform will have to deal with the same arithmetic as everyone else: if they want to collect more bins they will have to cut spending on care for vulnerable people

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

The benefits of having only one OBR forecast a year increasingly outweigh the costs | Institute for Government The IMF was welcomed recent changes to the UK’s fiscal framework.

Earlier this week IMF recommended OBR should only assess fiscal rules once a year to reduce pressure for policy action. But I don't think that will be enough...

The benefits of having only one OBR forecast a year increasingly outweigh the costs www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/imf-...

IfG event banner for event titled ' In conversation with Nick Clegg'. Event is on Tuesday 20 May at 10.00-11.00. Speakers: - Rt Hon Sir Nick Clegg, Former Deputy Prime Minister (2010-2015) - Dr Hannah White OBE, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government

TOMORROW | In conversation with Nick Clegg

Watch online at 10:00 when the former deputy prime minister will set out what this and future governments can learn from the 2010–15 coalition government.

Sign up now 📆👇 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/nick-c...

Is every box empty in recognition of our dire fiscal circumstances?

The Dutch Safety Board | Institute for Government What can the UK learn from the Onderzoeksraad voor Veiligheid?

New @instituteforgovernment.org.uk work from @rebeccamckee.bsky.social and me on the Onderzoeksraad voor Veiligheid (that's Dutch Safety Board to you and me), with some lessons for the UK on how to run public inquiries.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/du...

If your blood pressure thinking about foreign affairs wasn't high enough, here's an @instituteforgovernment.org.uk explainer from me on defence spending.

How much do we spend? How much did we used to spend? What do we spend on? Questions asked, questions answered ...

Public inquiry reform in New Zealand | Institute for Government How New Zealand renewed its century-old approach to public inquiries.

In the first of our briefing series on public inquiries we look at inquiry reform in New Zealand.

A key lesson is how the NZ model equips ministers with the guidance to carefully consider the most appropriate option from a set of inquiry models

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/pu...

Reviews, reviews.. Yesterday a review of ONS launched. Today Steve Reed publishes @danrcorry.bsky.social review of environmental regulation. Tomorrow @instituteforgov.bsky.social we discuss govt reviews with a great panel - join us..https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/government-reviews

Today at 13:30 Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham will be speaking at the IfG. Don't miss out - full signup details below.

The Hillsborough Law should be a starting point for reform of public inquiries | Institute for Government Public inquiries need to be faster, more effective and more accountable.

New from @emmanorris.bsky.social on why an overhaul of the public inquiries system is needed

Over the next few weeks we'll be highlighting options to make public inquiries faster, more effective, and more accountable

Keep your eyes peeled!
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/hill...

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

Do read the full analysis. Huge thanks to colleagues @gemmatetlow.bsky.social @danhaile.bsky.social @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social @drbenpaxton.bsky.social @shaina-sangha.bsky.social for a team effort churning documents and data this afternoon 5/5

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/rach...

If Reeves had done nothing today, she'd have been on course to miss her fiscal target by only just under £1bn - a trivial miss in the context of the UK's public finances. She responded (about half through the disability benefit changes) by restoring *exactly* the same £9.9bn headroom she had in Oct

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...