All roads lead to Romeo

All roads lead to Romeo

Author: Institute for Government February 20, 2026 Duration: 40:23
Antonia Romeo has been appointed as the new Cabinet Secretary and is the first woman to hold the post. So what can she do to turn the civil service, and perhaps the government, around? Keir Starmer's administration is still reeling from resignations, apologies, suspensions and the latest Peter Mandelson scandal. With questions around ethics and standards back in the news, and both Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor facing Misconduct in Public Office investigations, what does the government need to do to tackle standards in public life and can the PM show his government really is different from the last?   Plus: Postponed local elections are now un-postponed and need to be held in just over three months’ time. Just how did the government end up taking such a chaotic approach?    Presented by Alex Thomas Featuring Hannah White, Tim Durrant, Rebecca McKee, Matthew Fright Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government picks up the conversation where the headlines leave off. With a new Labour administration in place after fourteen years, the sheer scale of its agenda comes into sharp focus. This podcast, from the Institute for Government, digs into the practical realities of governing. Each episode moves beyond the political rhetoric to examine how policies are actually made and implemented, exploring the pressures on public services and the civil service tasked with delivering change. We consider the government's ambitious missions and whether ideas like leveraging AI or fostering a new culture can genuinely "rewire" the state to meet complex challenges. The discussions aim to identify where government is functioning effectively and, just as importantly, where the obstacles lie. By speaking with experts, analysts, and those with firsthand experience, the series provides a clear-eyed look at the mechanics of power and the ongoing effort to turn political goals into tangible results. It’s for anyone curious about the forces that shape our public institutions and the day-to-day work of making government happen.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government
Podcast Episodes
After Sue Gray: How can Keir Starmer reset No.10? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:54
Reports of dysfunction and unhappiness at the centre of government have led to Sue Gray’s departure as the prime minister’s chief of staff. In an effort to reset his top team, Keir Starmer has replaced Gray with Morgan M…
Why was the Conservative  Party Conference so upbeat? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:20
Not even the torrential rain seemed to dampen the high spirits of the Conservative party conference. So what's going on? Scarlett Maguire of JL Partners joins the pod team to explore what happened in Birmingham and which…
Live from the Labour Party Conference! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:28
The IfG team is up in Liverpool for Labour's first party conference since winning the general election - and the party's first in government since 2009. So, what's the mood? Has Keir Starmer managed to shift the narrativ…
KEIR AND PRESENT DANGER [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:20
Does it matter if the prime minister accepts a free gift? Lots of free gifts. The House Magazine’s Sienna Rodgers joins the Inside Briefing team to explore a question that, unfortunately for Keir Starmer, is not going aw…
Extra: What can be done to improve government procurement? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:48
The Post Office and PPE VIP-lane scandals have put government procurement in the headlines – and not in a good way. But with the government spending almost £400bn a year on goods, works and services from businesses and c…
Winter Fuel of Discontent [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:00
Is this the week that things started to get a little difficult for the new government? Prisoners have been released early - something which is never going to guarantee good headlines - and the row about the decision to c…
Decades of failure by central government [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:12
The usual cut and thrust of politics took a backseat this as the Grenfell Inquiry’s final report blamed “decades of failure by central government” and the “systematic dishonesty” of multimillion-dollar companies for a fi…
Starmer looks back in anger [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:15
The prime minister followed Tuesday’s Oasis-fuelled Cool Britannia nostalgia with a rather gloomier vision of Britain in 2024 – with a speech that heaped blame on the last government for the tough choices to come. So wil…
Appointments of contention [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:45
What is the difference between a spad and pad? How should people be fast-tracked into big government jobs? And is Labour going about this process the right way – or committing a series of unforced errors? With the new go…

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