U-Turn When You Don’t Want To

How did the Government end up completely wrong-footed by a footballer in the issue of extending free school meals? Are ministers getting broad enough – and sufficiently independent – scientific advice when it comes to quarantine and the 2m Rule? Will the folding of the “world-beating development agency” DFiD into the Foreign Office mean damage British soft power? And will insourcing probation reverse the “total disaster” of outsourcing?  “The Marcus Rashford episode shows a lack of political antenna in Downing Street.” – Jill Rutter “A government with an 80-strong majority is now being pulled around by its backbenchers.” – Cath Haddon “What we’re seeing now is that the attitude that the private sector is ALWAYS best was wrong.” – Tom Sasse “The Government says it has diversity of thought. But they don’t have a lot of diversity of experience.” – Jill Rutter Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Cath Haddon, Jill Rutter, Tim Durrant and Tom Sasse. 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.