Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

As war in the Middle East disrupts energy markets across the world, what are the implications for households and businesses in the UK and how should government respond to the price shock?

This IfG webinar explored Rachel Reeves’s options for supporting consumers – and what the ongoing conflict could mean for energy policy, the transition to net zero and for the public finances.

What are the implications of different scenarios for oil and gas shipments from the Middle East? What do they mean for the design of support packages? How would different approaches impact government objectives on inflation and growth? Has the government learned the lessons from the response to the 2022 price shock?

And do events in the Middle East accelerate or slow the transition to net zero? Should they lead to a rethink on North Sea licensing?

This webinar featured:


Nick Butler, former Head of Strategy for BP and then senior policy adviser to Prime Minister Gordon Brown


Dan Haile, Senior Economist at the Institute for Government


Emma Pinchbeck, Chief Executive of the Climate Change Committee and former CEO of Energy UK


Andrew Sissons, Director, Sustainable Future Mission at NESTA

This webinar was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government.
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How prepared is the government - and how healthy is the economy - for dealing with another energy bill crisis? The podcast team review the prime minister's response and assess the UK's resilience.

The chancellor has delivered a big speech promising more financial devolution to English mayors and closer practical alignment with the EU, but do Rachel Reeves's plans add up?

Plus: Should we fire all the permanent secretaries and directors general and replace them with true believers throughout the civil service? No, not a new IfG report but the latest policy from Reform UK. 

Hannah White presents. With Giles Wilkes, Rosa Hodgkin, and Hannah Keenan.
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The conflict in the Middle East has already seen Keir Starmer fall out with Donald Trump - but will the economic fallout of war cause even bigger problems for the government? 

Former government adviser Tim Leunig joins the podcast to discuss what the prime minister and Rachel Reeves could do to ease a growing cost of living crisis.

In a big week for the government, the controversial courts and tribunals bill returned to the House of Commons. The government is - in its words - “throwing the kitchen sink” at the problems facing the criminal justice system, but will its radical reforms have the desired effect? 

And Digital ID is back, with the government setting out its plans for “government by app” . But will it convince people of the merits of going digital?

 

Presented by Catherine Haddon

With Jill Rutter, Cassia Rowland and Tim Leunig
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What it is really like to be an MP in 2026? How unusual is the life of a politician? How does power work in parliament? And how can MPs try to have an impact from government or the opposition benches?

For this special International Women's Day episode of Inside Briefing, three MPs – Conservative Karen Bradley, Labour's Beccy Cooper, and Ellie Chowns of the Green Party – head to the IfG podcast studio to explore the challenges, surprises and perhaps frustrations of life in parliament as one of the 263 female MPs (as a point of comparison there were just 27 female MPs in 1975 when International Women's Day was first recognised by the UN) sitting in Westminster today.

 

Presented by Dr Catherine Haddon.

Featuring:

Dame Karen Bradley MP – Conservative MP for Staffordshire Moorlands since 2010, a former secretary of state for Northern Ireland and at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, and the current chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee. 

Dr Ellie Chowns MP – has been the Green MP for North Herefordshire since 2024 and is the Green Party group leader in Westminster and their spokesperson on 6 different ministerial portfolios.  

Dr Beccy Cooper MP – has been the Labour MP for Worthing West since 2024 and sits on the Health and Social Care Committee. 

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The Middle East is at war - but how does the conflict end and what role will the UK play? Sir Alex Younger, the former head of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) joins the podcast team to discuss what the US strikes on Iran mean for the region, for the UK and for global security.

Keir Starmer has said the UK will “not join regime change from the skies”, but huge questions remain over the extent of British involvement in the crisis - and the conflict is certain to have lasting consequences for this country. But just how ready is the UK to respond to a shock of this scale?

Plus: Spring Forecast fall-out? The economy is sure to be affected but global events, but Rachel Reeves struck a bullish tone in her spring forecast on Tuesday. We review the numbers - and assess the chancellor’s plan.

Hannah White and Alex Thomas present.

With Dan Haile and Jill Rutter. 

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