Simon’s on the Case

It’s all change at the top of the Civil Service as the youngest Cabinet Secretary in over a century begins his job next week. But who is Simon Case? Why has he got the job? And what are the big tasks lining his in-tray? Plus - despite everyone around him taking the fall, Gavin Williamson still remains in post at the Department for Education, but what does this say about the accountability of ministers? And as schools reopen and people are urged to return to the office, we’ll look back at Government decision making in the first phase of the pandemic. “The key is having the Prime Minister’s confidence in your own authority” - Cath Haddon “The real issue in terms of ministerial responsibility is that other people have gone” - Cath Haddon “The Dept for Education made grade inflation their issue, which is why we ended up where we did” - Chris Wilkins “At DfE you fix the last battle and another one comes onto the horizon” - Alex Thomas “How much sympathy do you give the Government for a lack of information?” - Cath Haddon Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Alex Thomas and Sarah Nickson. Audio production by Alex Rees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Om Podcasten

How can we make government work more effectively? What are Brexit and the current political tumult doing to our institutions? Is Britain's Constitution able to withstand the strains of 21st Century social, political and technical change? What needs to change in our system of government – and how can we change it? Find out in the weekly podcast from Britain’s leading governmental think tank, where we analyse the latest events in politics and explain what they mean. Every week on INSIDE BRIEFING, IfG Director Bronwen Maddox welcomes experts, analysts and special guests for a free-ranging conversation on what makes government work – and how to fix it when it doesn’t. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.