IfG Events

The Covid-19 pandemic saw the government spend hundreds of billions of pounds to buy PPE, keep businesses afloat and avoid mass redundancies. In the heat of this once-in-a-generation crisis, decisions were made that enabled widespread fraud by both individuals and organisations – leading to an estimated £10.9 billion of Covid-19 spending being lost to fraud and error.

In December 2024, the chancellor appointed Tom Hayhoe as the Covid Counter-Fraud Commissioner to scrutinise Covid spending, explore how public funds could be recovered and make recommendations to prevent fraud in the future.

So what could government have done differently to respond quickly to the pandemic while avoiding the vast scale of fraud? What should government do now to ensure there are more robust checks and balances ahead of the next crisis? How can departments and organisations better work together to prevent fraud across the public sector? And how will cultural and technological changes since the pandemic, including the growth of AI, impact the nature of public sector fraud and government’s ability to tackle it?

To discuss this and more, the IfG brought together an expert panel, including:

Dr Susan Hawley, Executive Director of Spotlight on Corruption

Tom Hayhoe, Chair of the NHS Counter Fraud Authority and formerly the Covid Counter-Fraud Commissioner

Joshua Reddaway, Director of Fraud and Propriety at the National Audit Office

Rachael Tiffen, Director of Public Sector & Learning at Cifas

The event was chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.
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The Institute for Government was pleased to welcome Kemi Badenoch to give a keynote speech.

Following her speech, the Leader of the Opposition was in conversation with Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government, and took part in a Q&A with the audience.
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An expert panel drew on lessons from the recent assisted dying bill and other PMBs to consider how backbench MPs should approach complex issues.

While historically major social reforms – such as decriminalising homosexuality or legalising abortion – have been introduced through private members’ bills (PMBs), most backbench attempts to legislate that do not begin with government support fail to make it onto the statute book. The Procedure Committee has undertaken extensive work and made proposals for reform, but the deficiencies of the PMB process remain largely hidden from public view.

With the attempted passage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill shining a spotlight on the PMB process, this Institute for Government event will explore the value and effectiveness of PMBs, and the wider role of backbenchers in shaping policy. Is the current process fit for purpose when it comes to issues that divide opinion and stir public debate? Are there other options that parliament should consider for backbench MPs to raise, debate and legislate on critical social issues?

To discuss this and more, the IfG brought together an expert panel, including:

Paul Brand, UK Editor at ITV News

Dr Daniel Gover, Senior Lecturer in British Politics at Queen Mary University London

Kim Leadbeater MP, sponsor of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Luke Norbury, Parliamentary Counsel at the Cabinet Office

The event was chaired by Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.
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Ministerial resignations, letters of no confidence, and Andy Burnham’s determination to return to Westminster have rocked Keir Starmer’s premiership. Plenty of twists and turn await in the coming weeks, with the work of government continuing under a cloud of uncertainty.

So how can a prime minister lead a government if their authority is being questioned by their own MPs? What would a Labour leadership contest mean for the way government operates? What is the impact of this volatility on the civil service and the government’s legislative programme? Do Wes Streeting’s accusations of Starmer’s lack of vision and direction stack up – and, if so, how should this or another PM approach the job in a different way?

To discuss all these questions, and make sense of what a return to chaos means for British government, this expert IfG webinar featured:


Dr Catherine Haddon, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government


Alex Thomas, Executive Director for Impact and Influence at the Institute for Government


Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government

The event was chaired by Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.
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The government has introduced the Representation of the People Bill to lower the voting age to 16, change how electoral rules are enforced and – potentially – introduce new restrictions on political donations. But embedding new processes for registering to vote, changing how electoral rules are enforced, and ensuring there is clear information for 16- and 17-year-olds will all take time – and affect the work of the Electoral Commission, local authorities, schools, civil society groups and others in the run-up to the next general election.

So, what needs to happen after the Bill gets Royal Assent? How will the Bill change the remit of the Electoral Commission – and is the Commission prepared? What do local authorities need to do to get ready? What information will new voters need? And what needs to change culturally as well as administratively?

To discuss all this and more, the IfG brought together an expert panel, including:


Harriet Andrews, Director of The Politics Project


John Pullinger, Chair of the Electoral Commission


Prof. Alan Renwick, Director of the Constitution Unit at UCL


Clare Sim, Head of Member Support at the Association of Electoral Administrators (joining remotely)

The event was chaired by Dr Rebecca McKee, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government.
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