As we all wait to hear who the new SoS at MHCLG will be, a 🧵on the housing supply record and decisions they'll inherit...

As Ed Miliband looks set to leave DESNZ a short 🧵on the department's achievements with him as minister and where there's still work to do:

LIVE: The British Foreign Policy Group's 2026 Annual Survey of UK Public Opinion on Foreign Policy and Global Affairs This year's findings reveal a British public turning away from the world. Click below to read the full report⬇️ bfpg.co.uk/reports/2026...

This week the BFPG was pleased to support the @goodgrowthfdn.bsky.social in hosting Defence Sec John Healey who spoke on defence investment and boosting UK jobs and innovation. Watch his answer to a question on obtaining public buy-in for defence from Director @evieaspinall.bsky.social

Health secretary Wes Streeting has just resigned from government, writing in his resignation letter that he has lost confidence in the PM - "where we need vision, we have vacuum. Where we need direction, we have drift". We're live updating our chart here at @instituteforgovernment.org.uk

For those of you who are interested and I know there are at least one or two of you. It looks as if the government doesn't need to introduce a new hybrid bill for the northern powerhouse rail project. It plans to amend the High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill instead.

EVENT | Lessons from the assisted dying bill: Are private members bills a good way to change the law? 📅 Tuesday 4 June Join us as @paulbrand.bsky.social @danielgover.bsky.social @kimleadbeatermp.bsky.social, Luke Norbury discuss how MPs outside of government can fulfil their role as legislators

Jess Phillips - minister for safeguarding violence against women and girls - becomes the second minister to resign today, telling the PM that "deeds, not words are what matter". Our explainer @instituteforgovernment.org.uk has info on all 15 ministers that have resigned since Labour took office...

The government has passed 30 of the 40 bills announced in the King’s Speech 5 have been carried over and 5 have not yet introduced Of those not introduced 4 were draft bills – proposed legislation published for scrutiny before being introduced - 2 of those have been published

Great new piece from @evieaspinall.bsky.social. Defence and military figures can bemoan a lack of military spending, but unless the public are brought along, no politician or party will be willing to sacrifice a their political careers on the altar of defence spending.

The Public: The Missing Piece in UK Readiness - British Foreign Policy Group

Evie Aspinall explores the political challenges around defence spending and how to build public engagement with national security.

bfpg.co.uk

New BFPG Guest Paper: Britain Backed Greenland's Autonomy - What does that mean for Wales?

Britain Backed Greenland’s Autonomy - What Does That Mean for Wales? - British Foreign Policy Group

Felix Milbank explores the relationships between centre and periphery on the world stage and within the Union, and what the UK can learn from Denmark.

bfpg.co.uk

As the government was forced by its backbenchers into yet another retreat this week over the opposition's humble address, @jackpannell.bsky.social argues this increasingly muscular parliament may begin to push the government in an area where it has historically had little say: Foreign policy.

Government foreign policy must reckon with an increasingly muscular parliament - British Foreign Policy Group

BFPG looks at parliament's role in foreign policy, and the need for government and MPs to alter their approach.

bfpg.co.uk

Our Director @evieaspinall.bsky.social spoke spoke to Steve Holden on LBC about the Prime Minister’s response to Presdient Donald Trump’s threats of tariffs on the UK and other European allies over Greenland.

BFPG Director Evie Aspinall speaks to LBC about Keir Starmer's response on Greenland - British Foreign Policy Group

BFPG Director Evie Aspinall spoke to Steve Holden on LBC about the Prime Minister's response to Presdient Donald Trump's threats of tariffs on the UK and other European allies over Greenland

bfpg.co.uk

Some thoughts from this morning's speech by the Prime Minister.

What we learned from Keir Starmer’s speech on Greenland and UK-US Relations of the world order - British Foreign Policy Group

BFPG summarises the key takeaways from Starmer's statement on Trump's threats to impose tariffs on the UK over Greenland.

bfpg.co.uk

Excited to share my first joint blog post at the British Foreign Policy Group with @evieaspinall.bsky.social. We reflect on the attack on Venezuela over the weekend and what it might men for the future of the rules based order.

Sovereignty, moral high grounds and the future of the world order - British Foreign Policy Group

As President Trump attacks Venezuela and leaves key UN institutions, BFPG explores what it means for future global norms and security.

bfpg.co.uk

PODCAST 🎙️ Four mayors delayed, three ministers reflect, and a House of Lords battle renewed @drhannahwhite.bsky.social is in the studio with @akashpaun.bsky.social @rebeccamckee.bsky.social @jackpannell.bsky.social Listen to the Inside Briefing 🎧 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/insi...

Four mayors delayed, three ministers reflect, and a House of Lords battle renewed | Institute for Government

The IfG's experts are in the studio to discuss the delay to the 2026 mayoral elections, and the government's plans to instal more peers in the Lords.

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

Last week at @instituteforgovernment.org.uk, we published a new set of Ministers Reflect interviews with Sajid Javid, Simon Hart and Theresa Villiers. My comment piece below explores the key lessons Starmer's govt can take from these reflections. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/less...

One of the best thing we do at IfG (in my unbiased opinion) is the Ministers Reflect archive. Megan has summarised our three most recent interviews here, but cannot reccomend enough going down the rabbit-hole of Ministers Reflect interviews as some pre-xmas procrastination.

Megan Bryer@meganbryer.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Excited to publish our latest batch of Ministers Reflect interviews! We spoke with former health secretary and chancellor Sajid Javid, former Wales secretary and chief whip Simon Hart, and former Defra secretary Theresa Villiers. Some highlights… www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers-re...

1/ Last month, the government released a new list of its parliamentary private secretaries and cabinet committees following September’s reshuffle. Our explainers are updated with the new numbers! Here are some key takeaways from the releases…

This afternoon my colleagues at @instituteforgovernment.org.uk will be discussing the second covid inquiry report. Join us online at lunchtime & bring your questions - see you there! www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/covid-...

The Covid Inquiry: What does Module II say about government decision making and political governance? | Institute for Government

Join our IfG experts webinar to unpack the Covid Inquiry's findings and explore their implications for future governance.

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

Worth noting here as well that- unlike in the Commons, where the Speaker selects which amendments are debated- in the Lords, any peer can insist on having their amendment debated and voted on (although there aren't *usually* lots of amendments pushed to a vote)

Paul Brand@paulbrand.bsky.social · 11mo ago

NEW: 942 amendments have been laid down in the House of Lords ahead of the Assisted Dying Bill's committee stage in the chamber, which starts tomorrow. This is believed to be a record for a bill at committee stage. It's going to be an intense debate.

New @instituteforgovernment.org.uk comment from me The chaos surrounding the grooming gangs inquiry last week highlights much deeper problems with the way the government sets up public inquiries www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/groo...

The government must explain and defend its grooming gang inquiry decisions | Institute for Government

Some disagreement when setting up an inquiry isn’t necessarily bad – but how it is handled matters.

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

The new Ethics and Integrity Commission has launched today, with a shiny new website (outside the gov. uk brand!) We spoke to its chair, Doug Chalmers, earlier in the year about the new body and its work... eic.independent-commission.uk

1/ If you've been itching to know how the size of the civil service has changed... we at the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk have you covered. I've crunched the numbers from the latest ONS data release, which you can read about here: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/ci...

Civil service staff numbers | Institute for Government

Who exactly are civil servants and how many are there?

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

Trump's decaf decertification ends months of anxiety in #Colombia — where soaring #cocaine production has stoked fears of sweeping #U.S. sanctions — but deals a symbolic blow to a country that has historically been one of #Washington's closest allies in the region. www.npr.org/2025/09/16/n...

For first time in decades, U.S. says Colombia is falling short in drug war

For the first time in decades, the U.S. has decertified Colombia as a drug control partner — a symbolic blow to one of Washington's closest allies in Latin America.

npr.org

Huge new numbers of MPs have been appointed as parliamentary private secretaries in the reshuffle. The government needs to use them well to rebuild links with its MPs, rather than just as a way to buy some of them off

Institute for Government@instituteforgovernment.org.uk · last yr.

Although PPSs play an important part in maintaining links between ministers and the wider parliamentary party, expanding the payroll vote is no substitute for good party management, says @timdurrant.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/expa...

Labour has announced their new PPSs, not part of government, but expected to vote with the party. Just one of the 52 signed the reasoned amendment to the welfare bill. So no ministers and just one PPS from those that rebelled. Indicates a clear approach to MP dissidence from the leadership.

Here's the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk 'seven things we learned from Keir Starmer's reshuffle' from @jackpannell.bsky.social @timdurrant.bsky.social and I with data from @philipnye.bsky.social & our now updated Ministers Database www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/seve...

Seven things we learned from Keir Starmer’s first reshuffle | Institute for Government

What does the prime minster’s first major reshuffle tell us about his new-look government?

instituteforgovernment.org.uk