The Prisons Crisis Strikes Back

The Prisons Crisis Strikes Back

Author: Institute for Government October 23, 2025 Duration: 34:57
Prisons nearly bursting. Court cases backlogged. Prisoners released early. It couldn’t happen again, could it? Former BBC journalist and Labour adviser Danny Shaw joins the podcast team to discuss a brand new IfG report into the state of the criminal justice system. In another difficult week for the government, the inquiry into grooming gangs has run into problems after at least four members of the victims and survivors panel quit in protest at how the government has handled the process so far. Can Louise Casey fix it? Plus: Prince Andrew, the Royal family, and the government. What happens next?   Catherine Haddon presents. With Alex Thomas and Cassia Rowland.  Produced by Milo Hynes. 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
Will Trump rip up Reeves’s rebalanced books? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:53
Spring has nearly sprung, but the fiscal forecasts made for a rather gloomy spring statement for Rachel Reeves. Stewart Wood, a Labour peer and former adviser to Gordon Brown, joins the podcast team to assess the state o…
Will Rachel Reeves and Darren Jones’ sums add up? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:23
With Rachel Reeves just days away from setting out her spring statement to parliament, chief secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones MP drops into the podcast studio to discuss the Treasury’s new plans for watching the pe…
Keir Starmer rewires the state: An interview with the prime minister [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:26
Minutes after setting out his plans for reforming the civil service, abolishing NHS England, and ending ministerial reliance on quangos, Keir Starmer joined Inside Briefing for an exclusive interview with IfG director Ha…
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Duration: 38:27
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Starmer and Trump: special relationship or odd couple? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:50
Keir Starmer has completed his first visit to the White House – and delivered a letter from King Charles to Donald Trump. So just how special is the special relationship looking this weekend? Defence expert Karin von Hip…
What is the UK’s place in Trump’s world? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:57
With Donald Trump making a series of headline-making statements on Ukraine and its leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, former national security adviser Peter Ricketts joins the podcast team to make sense of America’s place in th…
In conversation with John Healey MP, Secretary of State for Defence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:27
The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome Rt Hon John Healey MP, Secretary of State for Defence, to discuss his priorities for reforming UK defence. With war in Europe, instability in the Middle East and a ne…
Starmer’s border crackdown, Trump’s Ukraine sellout [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:05
Valentine’s Day is upon us... but there doesn’t seem to be a great deal of love for Keir Starmer and his government right now. So what is the PM going to do about it? Commentator Ian Dunt joins the podcast team to weigh…
Keir Starmer: Leader or HR Manager? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:58
Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall Editor of the Sunday Times, joins the podcast team to discuss his new book Get In, which is being billed as the definitive account of Labour’s reinvention under Keir Starmer. The prime minister…
Does Rachel Reeves have a runway to growth? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:12
No more talk of blackholes. No more doom. No more gloom. So what is Rachel Reeves’ plan for economic growth all about? Times columnist Sebastian Payne joins the podcast team as they make their way through the chancellor’…