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Inside Briefing with the Institute for GovernmentPolitical analysis and big thinking for more effective government. Author: Institute for Government
The first Labour government in 14 years is facing a daunting to-do list and complex challenges at every turn. Public services are under strain. The civil service is under pressure. And ministers must deliver the governments missions and milestones. But could Keir Starmers plan to rewire the British state through using AI and creating a start-up culture turn these challenges into opportunities? So where is government working well and what is it doing badly? What can be done to make No10, the Treasury and the rest of government function more effectively? What can Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves do to achieve faster economic growth? What will Kemi Badenochs Conservatives and the other opposition parties do to hold the government to account? How might Donald Trump shape British politics and how could the UKs relations with the EU change in the years ahead? Get behind the scenes in Westminster, Whitehall and beyond on the weekly podcast from Britains leading governmental think tank, where we analyse the latest events in politics and explain what they mean. Every week on Inside Briefing, IfG director Hannah White and the team welcomes special guests for a thought-provoking conversation on what makes government work and how to fix it when it doesnt. Language: en Genres: Government, News, Politics Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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The Trump challenge: Chaos, confusion and government communications
Tuesday, 16 December, 2025
According to the Washington Post, Donald Trump made 30,573 false or misleading claims during his first term as US president – and Trump 2.0 has also shown little regard for facts or evidence. Unexpected presidential announcements are made on social media or in press conferences, and Trump’s positions can appear to change overnight. Leaders of other countries, including Keir Starmer, find their own plans and statements overshadowed or knocked off course. Despite this chaos and confusion, Trump appears authentic and able to galvanise his base while other, more conventional, political communicators struggle to get their message across. So is Trump rewriting the rules for government communications? Does the UK have sufficient safeguards against our political leaders adopting Trump’s attitude to facts? Does the UK have robust enough rules to ensure that government communications serve the public not partisan interest? And how is it possible to plan government communications when those plans are constantly blown away by overnight developments in the US? To discuss these questions and more, the Institute for Government, in partnership with Vuelio, was delighted to bring together an expert panel including: Katy Balls, Washington Editor for The Times Simon Baugh, Chief Executive of Government Communications, 2021–25 Alastair Campbell, former No.10 Chief Press Secretary (1997–2000) and No.10 Director of Communications (2000–03) and presenter of the Rest is Politics podcast. Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government This webinar was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. We would like to thank Vuelio for kindly supporting this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
