The Afterlife Of Prime Ministers

Prime Ministerial careers tend to end abruptly and in tears. So what does an ex-PM do next? Are today’s Prime Ministers too young to fade away gracefully? Should they avoid lobbying jobs? And when it comes to backbench politics, should they stay or should they go? The IfG’s Tim Durrant discusses the mystery of the Prime Ministerial afterlife (and the lure of the comeback) with ex-Justice Secretary David Gauke, Politico’s senior political correspondent Esther Webber, Engage Britain’s Director of Advocacy and former Times political editor Francis Elliot, and the IfG’s Catherine Haddon.  “The end of your Prime Ministership can come suddenly and unexpectedly… It’s quite hard to see what you’re going to do.” – David Gauke “PMs tend to be younger now and they’re less likely to want to fade into obscurity – which going to the Lords would achieve quite easily.” – Esther Webber “Moments of maximum crisis like COVID are exactly when ex-PMs miss the office most.” – Francis Elliott  “It’s an absorbing job, it consumes all your waking hours and it’s utterly fascinating. You’ve got status and international connections. For that to end is a wrench.” – David Gauke Presented by Tim Durrant. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.  https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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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.