I think officials should generally be in the office more (although it depends on the role/department) but this is way over the top - and pivoted on an op-ed from John Glen that's actually pretty mild. Think this tells us more about the Standard's business model than anything

Another day, another declaration of 'tougher sentences', this time for assaults on shop workers. But with prisons bursting at the seams, the government lacks a credible plan, as I argue in my piece on the new Sentencing Bill Institute for Government instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/govern…

Our Institute for Government intern recruitment is open - apply before 30 April. And if you’re wondering whether to apply but aren’t sure, then apply anyway!

Find out what the job’s all about from our current team here youtube.com/watch?v=kLijtt…

This afternoon Cabinet Office published the results of the 2023 Civil Service People Survey - the annual survey of officials' satisfaction across a range of metrics.

Institute for Government will be doing full analysis in coming days, but a quick🧵...

New migration stats out today - showing a surge in asylum decisions in the last few months of 2023 as Home Office raced to clear the 'legacy backlog'.

Especially sharp increase in final quarter in refusals and withdrawals.

Delighted to be holding a (belated) launch event for report on Treasury Orthodoxy next month.

And what a line-up: Giles Wilkes and Gemma Tetlow Institute for Government, Anita Charlesworth The Health Foundation, HM Treasury perm sec James Bowler + more tbc.

Sign up here instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/treasury…

.Home Affairs Committee thought David Neal was too much of a HO patsy when they proposed his appointment as Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration in 2021. But dealing with HO proved too much for Neal and led to his sacking instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/indepe…

EVENT: Fixing the centre of government

📅 Monday 11 March, 12:30

Join us online when Gordon Brown and Sir John Major will speak at the launch of our Commission on the Centre of Government's final report - with Sir Anthony Seldon and Hannah White instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/fix-cent… #IfGCentre

Sue Gray's comments have put citizens' assemblies back on the agenda this week. There are lots of common misconceptions about what they are and how they're run. Having worked on several I'm always happy to chat - and handily Involve have a myth busting guide for you too!

My thoughts on the new Lords Industry and Regulators Committee report on UK regulators which launched yesterday at Institute for Government

There's lots to welcome here & great to see the committee pick up key points from our evidence. What next? Their 'Ofreg' idea needs fleshing out...

instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/house-…

So why does an impartial civil service carry out opposition costings for the government? As ever, it's down to the 'twin vultures of precedent and repercussion' (®️ Sir Leo Pliatzky) Precedent: HMT has been doing it for 40 years or more. 1/

🎉Happy birthday to DBT, DESNZ and DSIT

It's been a year since the PM created three new depts (not accepting DCMS as a new department), in a significant restructuring...🧵

Not advocating... but there is space in our politics for more argument about

- investing before growth, not other way around
- slow-burn crises like net zero needing fiscal response like covid
- raising revenue (w reform)

Current debate is so unhealthy, unevidenced, tiring
1/2

Big report out today - why transparency can be good for government. We know lots of campaign orgs want more transparency - we're one of them! - but why should people inside government care?

Read on to find out...

Whitehall Monitor: Our annual, data-based assessment of the UK civil service, how it has changed and performed over the past year, and its priorities for the future.

💻Read it here instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/wh…