How will Keir Starmer’s No.10 reset work?

How will Keir Starmer’s No.10 reset work?

Author: Institute for Government September 8, 2025 Duration: 51:34
The prime minister has made some big changes in No.10. Darren Jones moves from the Treasury to take on the newly-created job of chief secretary to the prime minister. A new executive director of communications has been recruited. Minouche Shafik has been appointed as the PM’s economics adviser. And other eye-catching job changes are taking place. So what does this all say about how Keir Starmer wants to govern? How will Darren Jones’s role dovetail with chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden? Will these changes really equip the centre of government for a “relentless focus on delivery”? And what Institute for Government recommendations should Starmer now adopt as he weighs up further changes to the centre? This IfG expert briefing explores the prime minister's reshuffle of his No.10 team.

Ever wondered what really happens behind the doors of Whitehall? Institute for Government pulls up a chair at the table where policy is made and governance gets tested. This isn't about partisan politics or headlines; it's a deeper, more practical conversation about how the machinery of the UK government actually works-or sometimes, why it doesn't. Each episode brings you the experts from the Institute itself, along with senior civil servants, ministers, and analysts, for frank discussions that dissect the challenges of running a country. You'll hear specific case studies, analysis of major events as they unfold, and explorations of long-term issues like public service reform or the complexities of Brexit implementation. The goal is to move beyond theory and into the tangible details of effectiveness and accountability. Tuning into this podcast feels like gaining access to a privileged briefing, one that demystifies the processes that shape daily life. It’s for anyone curious about the structures of power, the art of the possible in policy, and the ongoing effort to improve how the nation is governed. Expect thoughtful, evidence-based dialogue that cuts through the noise to examine the levers of statecraft.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Institute for Government
Podcast Episodes
A state rewired? Civil service size, shape, and turnover [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:02
Our first webinar in a three-part series focused on the findings of Whitehall Monitor 2026. The first Whitehall Monitor webinar – kicking off a three-part series exploring the IfG’s annual flagship report on the civil se…
In conversation with Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, Leader of Plaid Cymru [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:01
This event took place two months before the people of Wales cast their votes in the seventh election to Senedd Cymru (the Welsh parliament) since it was established in 1999. The polls suggest that Plaid is on track to ov…
How can the government make a success of the abolition of NHS England? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:42
On 13 March 2025, Keir Starmer announced the abolition of NHS England, the arm’s-length body responsible for overseeing, planning, funding and delivering the health service – with its functions to be merged back into the…