Institute for Government

Institute for Government

The leading think tank working to make UK government more effective. Stay up to date with all of our commentary, analysis and events by visiting our website and subscribing to our newsletter.

  1. 22h ago

    Does the UK do enough to guard against corruption in public life?

    High-profile incidents of misconduct, political donations, and freebies have all raised concerns about standards and integrity in UK public life – so what more can be done to tackle corruption in national and local government? In his new book Corrupted Kingdom, Robert Barrington argues that corruption in Britain is not just a matter of isolated scandals but reflects deeper systemic vulnerabilities that risk undermining trust in democratic institutions. This Institute for Government event will bring together a panel of experts – including Robert – to explore the scale and nature of corruption risks in the UK today, examine where current safeguards are working or falling short, and discuss what reforms may be needed to strengthen transparency and accountability. Robert’s book argues political leaders are facing a clear choice: tackle corruption or continue on the road to decline. This event will explore what that choice looks like in practice – and whether the UK is ready to act. The event brought together an expert panel, including: Robert Barrington, author of Corrupted Kingdom: Britain's Disappearing Integrity – And How We Can Get It Back Jenna Corderoy, Investigative reporter at Democracy for Sale Kamila Kingstone, Defending Democracy Programme Lead at Spotlight on Corruption John Penrose, former government Anti-Corruption Champion The event was chaired by Vicky Elliott, Director of the IfG Academy at the Institute for Government.

    Does the UK do enough to guard against corruption in public life?
  2. 6d ago

    The government's local government reorganisation strategy: What went wrong and what comes next?

    Angela Rayner, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, has put plans to restructure local government on hold. So what went wrong and what happens next? The government’s ambitious local government reorganisation (LGR) programme, which affects around 41% of the population, aims to replace all county and district councils with a single tier of unitary local government. This would make it the largest LGR wave since 46 unitary authorities (UAs) were established between 1995 and 1997. Angela Rayner has now launched a full review of her predecessor’s decisions on future council boundaries, following new legal advice and in the face of a wave of judicial challenges. Rayner said she wanted to be satisfied the right process is in place and to test whether LGR proposals meet the priorities of the new prime minister. So how did this situation come about? What are the implications for trust between central government and local government? And how do these decisions affect broader ambitions for the government to rewire the state and deliver good growth in every postcode? As local leaders and the sector process the government’s decision, the IfG assembled an expert panel to respond to these developments, featuring: Amanda Askham, Partner, Consulting at Grant Thornton UK LLP Dr Matthew Fright, Associate Director at the Institute for Government Heather Jameson, Editor of The MJ Akash Paun, Director at the Institute for Government This event was chaired by Dr Catherine Haddon, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. [A previously advertised event considering 'How should central government support local authorities going through LGR?' has been postponed and will be rescheduled in the near future.] We would like to thank Grant Thornton UK LLP for kindly supporting this event.

    The government's local government reorganisation strategy: What went wrong and what comes next?
  3. Sep 10

    How can government help deliver a globally competitive AI infrastructure for the UK?

    The government believes access to sufficient AI infrastructure and compute capacity will be critical for the UK’s economic growth, productivity and global competitiveness – but the UK is in a global race for investment, talent and consequential technological breakthroughs. So how can ministers and civil servants deliver the government’s ambitions? Last June, the government announced over £1bn of investment in the UK’s compute capacity, while the government’s Compute Roadmap outlines its strategic approach to building world-class compute infrastructure in the UK. But will this infrastructure translate into the growth and productivity gains that the government has forecast? How can government attract private sector investment? How can the Cabinet Office, DBIST, DCMS, HMT, DESNZ and No 10 best cooperate to drive the whole of the state in support of the strategy? And what are the key challenges for new prime minister Andy Burnham in realising the government’s AI infrastructure goals? To discuss all this and more, the IfG brought together an expert panel, including: Emily Darlington MP, Member of the Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee Matt Davies, Economic and Social Policy Lead at Ada Lovelace Institute Matthew Harris, Senior Vice President and Managing Director at HPE Mary Jones, Director for AI Adoption and Preparedness at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology The event was chaired by Heloise Dunlop, Researcher at the Institute for Government. We would like to thank Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) for kindly supporting this event.

    How can government help deliver a globally competitive AI infrastructure for the UK?

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The leading think tank working to make UK government more effective. Stay up to date with all of our commentary, analysis and events by visiting our website and subscribing to our newsletter.

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