This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government sets out how government can set up public bodies better. As government priorities change, particularly after a general election, there is often a need to set up new institutions to deliver on those priorities. Public bodies can be well placed to do this. If set...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government examines the impact of Labour's first budget on public services. The outgoing Conservative government left public services in a precarious state. Waiting lists in the NHS are stubbornly high, councils are on the verge of bankruptcy, backlogs in the criminal courts are at record levels...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government recommends a range of steps that government can take to make youth work more accessible and sustainable. Youth work is proven to have positive outcomes for young people in the short term – including improved mental health, educational attainment, and reduced crime and antisocial behaviour....

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government focuses on the five key priorities for the incoming cabinet secretary. Cabinet secretary is a unique job. The postholder must be at once totally loyal to the government of the day while representing the continuity of the state beyond any single administration. They must warn...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government sets out how the OBR has done this in the past, how its approach has evolved in recent years, and how it could be strengthened further. The government has made economic growth one of its five missions. But this will not be realised quickly: easing...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government lays out the steps the government should take to make local growth plans as effective as possible. The government has recognised the role metro mayors across England will have in realising its mission to increase growth across the country. It has asked local leaders to...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government explores the role of fiscal multipliers in economic forecasting. It is important for the government to get as clear an idea as possible of how any measures it announces at fiscal events – budgets and spending reviews – might impact the economy, and to what...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government Labour has come to power promising to lead a ‘mission-driven government’ and on the basis of a manifesto that focused on its five national ‘missions’. The party has defined this as working: “towards long-term national goals” with “departments working together rather than in silos. Business...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at how the government can extend devolution to the whole of England. After a decade of devolution, a dozen English regions are now led by mayors who, in partnership with local government, control key economic powers and budgets. But devolution has unfolded unevenly and...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at improving accountability in government procurement. The Procurement Act, brought in under the previous government and effective from February 2025, will bring in a new public sector procurement regime. Simplified regulations, greater transparency and enhanced exclusion criteria could all help improve accountability. But there...