IfG Events

Our third webinar in a three-part series focused on the findings of Whitehall Monitor 2026.

The third Whitehall Monitor webinar – the final in a three-part series exploring the IfG’s annual flagship report on the civil service – took a deeper look at the people who make up the civil service workforce, including diversity and morale, and considers the crucial role of, and challenges facing, civil service leadership today.

The webinar featured:

Heloise Dunlop, Researcher at the Institute for Government and co-author of Whitehall Monitor 2026

Tom Fitzlucas, People and Change Expert at PA Consulting

Jack Worlidge, Senior Researcher at the IfG and co-author of Whitehall Monitor 2026

The event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Executive Director for Impact and Influence at the IfG.

Whitehall Monitor 2026, the IfG’s annual data-led assessment of the size, shape and performance of the civil service, examines how the workforce changed in 2025.

We would like to thank PA Consulting for kindly supporting this event.
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On Thursday 7 May, voters in Scotland and Wales will elect the members of the devolved parliaments in Edinburgh and Cardiff. A change of government is expected in Wales, where Labour trails both Plaid Cymru and Reform UK in the polls. In Scotland, by contrast, the SNP is forecast to take a fifth successive victory, potentially with an outright majority, which the party will claim provides a mandate for an independence referendum.

What are the probable electoral and government formation scenarios? What will the results mean for how Scotland and Wales are governed? What challenges and opportunities will face the incoming first ministers? And what are the potential implications for Westminster and relations between the UK nations? On the eve of these crucial votes, the Institute for Government convened an expert panel to explore what is at stake and what is likely to happen.

On the panel:

Professor John Curtice, Professor of Politics at the University of Strathclyde

Liz Lloyd, former Chief of Staff to the First Minister of Scotland, Specialist Partner at Flint Global

Akash Paun, Programme Director for Devolution at the Institute for Government

Jane Runeckles, former Chief of Staff to the First Minister of Wales, FDA National Officer

This event was chaired by Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.
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The Institute for Government was pleased to welcome Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister for Housing and Planning, to give a speech on leasehold reform and the move to commonhold.

The speech, in which the Housing Minister spoke about the government's ambitions on ending the feudal leasehold system, follows publication of the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny.

Following the speech, Matthew Pennycook was in conversation with Nehal Davison, Programme Director (policy making) at the IfG, and took part in an audience Q&A.
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Successive UK governments have made immigration policy a high political priority, but no recent government has seemed to meet public expectations in the pursuit of those policies. So, what have recent immigration policies been trying to achieve, and why have so many people ended up unhappy with the outcome?

A new book by Madeleine Sumption explores these questions. Drawing on decades of research, she explores the unavoidable trade-offs governments face, and the impacts of their choices on people and communities.

To answer these questions and more, this IfG event brought together an expert panel, including:

Rt Hon Amber Rudd, former Home Secretary (2016–18) and former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (2018–19)

Madeleine Sumption, Director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University and a member of the UK Government’s Migration Advisory Committee

This event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Executive Director for Impact and Influence at the Institute for Government.
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Improving productivity is at the heart of the government’s plans for public services, underpins the ‘strategic and agile state’ and is a critical enabler for many of its ambitions for the future.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury has been drawing on experience from the public and private sector to make sure the 2027 spending review consolidates and furthers the government’s productivity drive.

This builds on the work already underway within the government through the Office for Value for Money and its departmental target of 2% productivity, efficiencies and savings.

But what has the government achieved so far? How is HM Treasury supporting productivity improvements across government and monitoring departmental efficiency plans? What is the Chief Secretary doing to push this agenda on?

To explore these questions and to discuss his priorities and approach, the Institute for Government was pleased to be hosting Rt Hon James Murray MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Professor Andy Westwood, Policy Director at The Productivity Institute made opening remarks. James Murray was then in conversation with Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.

This event was kindly supported by The Productivity Institute (TPI).
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