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NHS staff increasingly believe Wes Streeting is doing a bad job as health secretary and that the Labour government is handling the NHS badly Streeting as health secretary Good job: 22% (-3 from 19-28 Feb 2025) Bad job: 53% (+13) Labour handling of NHS Well: 24% (-6) Badly: 66% (+13)

Have written about why this is so good. Yes, there's miles more that's needed, but before you dunk on this it's worth getting to grips with the bind civil servants are in at the moment, where your choices are: move dept, move job, or see your pay stagnate. This is a route out, and that is good.

Miatta Fahnbulleh - the minister for devolution, faith and communities - has resigned from govt this morning, calling on the PM to set a timetable for an orderly transition of leadership. Our ministerial resignation tracker has the latest info... docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

It's good government is confronting the long-known-about fiscal implications of its defence commitments. But across-the-board capital cuts would risk undermining the stability of capital investment, which has been a strength of the government's fiscal and economic policy. New comment from me here

Love this as a prevention case study: - Low cost, even revenue raising in the short term - Improves health outcomes and reduces costly hospital admissions Shows political leadership is key: - Politically costly for Khan to implement - Did it despite cost savings landing outside GLA

Keir Starmer has the power to determine one very important thing - the nature of the transition to his successor Don’t fumble it, @drhannahwhite.bsky.social and I say www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/keir...

Is the UK ungovernable? A question that the IfG has been asked a few times this week... So here's the official verdict from @drhannahwhite.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/is-u...

As @jillongovt.bsky.social argues, this and the WASPI incident really makes it appear that Burnham does not understand (a) the reality of the fiscal situation he might inherit or (b) why Starmer and Reeves have struggled www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/wasp...

Kemi Badenoch’s speech at the IfG saw her pledge to abolish the Public Sector Equality Duty. But scrapping the duty will not lead to cultural change or improved public services, say @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social and @cassiarowland.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/scra...

This briefing by @adalovelaceinst.bsky.social provides a great toolkit to evaluate claims about AI. Alights on the same point in Whitehall Monitor: productivity gains are more complex than time savings alone. Govt is an org w/ existing problems - there needs to be a clear purpose for AI adoption

NEW | Salami-slicing capital budgets for defence is bad fiscal policy making Raiding capital budgets in this way to pay for greater defence capability is the wrong approach, says @drbenpaxton.bsky.social Read our latest comment piece here: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/slic...

Earlier this year, I set out plans to modernise the civil service. Now, for the first time ever (!), pay rises for senior civil servants will be linked to performance - including the delivery of our political priorities. www.gov.uk/government/n...

Imperial College scientists analysed health records before and after introduction of air pollution reduction zones Low emission and clean air zones attract controversy whenever they are proposed, but there is growing evidence that they work in improving air quality. The Bradford zone was followed by a reduction of about 25% in GP visits for heart and breathing problems and survey data shows that the central London zone was followed by a reduction in the likelihood of a person taking sick leave. Now analysis of health records has found emergency admissions to hospital reduced after the introduction of the T-charge and ultra-low emissions zone (Ulez) in central London. Continue reading...

The Government has today, 21 May, published its response to the recommendations of the independent Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) on pay for the Senior Civil Service (SCS) for 2026-27.

Burnham backing the triple lock *and* tax cuts for pensioners suggests a complete lack of familiarity with the UK’s fiscal position. inews.co.uk/news/politic...

The Greater Manchester Mayor tells The i Paper that ripping up Labour's manifesto commitment would be 'very damaging' despite calls for it to be ditched