Healey and Haigh have asked ministers how they will use procurement as a "strategic lever to deliver innovation and growth in every postcode" (as per @lucyfisher.ft.com). New comment from me on some of the answers departments should give www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/andy...

Five ways departments can help deliver Andy Burnham’s procurement agenda | Institute for Government

The government has asked departments to show how they can support its new procurement reforms.

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

" @drbenpaxton.bsky.social said social value criteria were often flagged as a barrier to entry for smaller suppliers, so making the process easier for them was “a good move.”” giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

UK to strip back procurement rules to focus on job creation, says Louise Haigh

Andy Burnham’s de facto deputy PM says requirements for businesses vying for Whitehall contracts will be streamlined

giftarticle.ft.com

Really great it looks like government is going further on devolving employment support. It's a big opportunity to join-up services, tailor support locally, improve engagement and innovate. Flexible funding will be key to this (and should help areas streamline the current patchwork of programmes)

Stuart Hoddinott@stuarthoddinott.bsky.social · 6d ago

Details on some of the first services they intend to devolve power for, including employment support. A big win for @drbenpaxton.bsky.social and @martha-ford.bsky.social who recommended exactly that in their recent paper on the topic www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

This is a genuinely exciting announcement about Burnham's intention for public service reform There are some potentially massive changes to the way that services are funded and operate A few things that jumped out at me 👇 www.gov.uk/government/p...

Rewiring the State – Cabinet Statement (HTML)

gov.uk

Excellent primer thread ahead of today's devo announcements from Matthew On fiscal devolution, a couple of key things I'm looking out for: 1. Will all/most mayors get the power immediately, or just the most advanced 2. How much flex will mayors have to spend on their own, vs Whitehall's, priorities

Matthew Fright@matthewfright.bsky.social · 6d ago

A big devolution day with press reports suggesting fiscal devolution, greater powers and a new 'local first' principle trailed in the papers. But for Andy Burnham to truly spread 'good growth in every postcode' requires a complete English devolution map 🧵

Cross-party talks are fine-and might be part of a process to sort out social care But Burnham can’t sidestep politics Deciding how to spend billions (or not), & who should win or lose, is the essence of politics From @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/article/comm...

Burnham can’t take the politics out of social care reform | Institute for Government

The new PM will have to prioritise to make progress on social care during this parliament

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

Sensible policy klaxon 🚨 Currently, if a 16 year old chooses to stay in school/college, their family can keep claiming benefits as before (notably child benefit). If they opt for an apprenticeship, the benefits stop. The system discourages apprenticeships. The DWP just announced a fix 🧵

Strongly agree with Stuart here. In our work on employment support for people out of work due to ill health, the mayoral strategic authorities that were aligned with NHS ICB boundaries repeatedly said how useful this had been for joining up support www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

Designing and delivering employment support | Institute for Government

How can government better support people out of work due to ill health?

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

Stuart Hoddinott@stuarthoddinott.bsky.social · 2w ago

NEW BLOG: organisational boundaries in local govt, the NHS and police do not match up That's a problem for Burnham's devo ambitions He should intervene now to create an aligned system that paves the way for future public services devo More 👇 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/burn...

NEW BLOG: organisational boundaries in local govt, the NHS and police do not match up That's a problem for Burnham's devo ambitions He should intervene now to create an aligned system that paves the way for future public services devo More 👇 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/burn...

Burnham’s devolution agenda can lay strong foundations for public service reform | Institute for Government

The new PM needs to align the boundaries of services in local areas.

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

It's good Burnham isn't boxing his government in on tax already. They need a fiscal strategy that confronts the difficult fiscal inheritance, and the tax lock problem left over from Labour's manifesto (which he doesn't necessarily have to inherit) www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/burn...

Andy Burnham needs a new fiscal strategy that deals with the tax lock | Institute for Government

Tough choices on tax and spend await the next prime minister.

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

@jillongovt.bsky.social and I had a report ready to go but were pipped to the post by Burnham’s (predictable) decision to bring digital ID to an end. There were too many questions to answer and little that had been decided, making it an easier (and popular) decision than most will be for Burnham!

Jill Rutter@jillongovt.bsky.social · 2w ago

First concrete decision from Burnham govt - binning the digital ID scheme - new comment from @hcdunlop.bsky.social and me @instituteforgovernment.org.uk www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/andy... Not a surprise and good to move quickly ..but will still need a view on other govt ID work

Keir Starmer ducked the scale of the government’s fiscal challenges on entering office. Andy Burnham now has the opportunity to avoid making the same mistake, say @tompope.bsky.social, @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social and @drbenpaxton.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/burn...

Andy Burnham needs a new fiscal strategy that deals with the tax lock | Institute for Government

Tough choices on tax and spend await the next prime minister.

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

Government must improve fraud prevention before the next crisis @drbenpaxton.bsky.social says while recovering lost money is crucial, ensuring government is better able to avoid fraud in the next crisis is even more important www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/gove...

Government must improve fraud prevention before the next crisis | Institute for Government

Module five of the Covid inquiry shows the need for better procurement and use of data.

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

Wonder how Burnham's only spending review experience as a minister (2007 as CST, his first cabinet role) will shape his approach (inc. on timing). Appointed when Brown became PM in June, lots of SR work already done, SR concluded 3 months later in October, then moved to DCMS SoS in Jan 08

Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · 3w ago

There's a particularly large timebomb waiting for Burnham when he gets to the budget/spending review.....

People want to take functions away from HM Treasury. I want to give it a new one - getting the UK's act together on climate adaptation www.ft.com/content/2789... (£) - much more than an environment issue..

The UK is forgetting the dull bit of climate change policy

Adaptation has never been the priority, but this summer’s heat is a message that the Treasury needs to act

ft.com

If Burnham wants to do welfare reform, then No.10 must help navigate the big trade-offs (not just leave this to HMT/DWP). Putting senior people in No.10 who understand just how difficult that is should help (Cooke was a DWP adviser with Purnell 2008-09, then DWP SpAd in 2024 before moving to No.10)

Ailbhe Rea@pronouncedalva.bsky.social · 3w ago

Scoop: Andy Burnham has appointed Graeme Cooke, a former adviser to his chief of staff James Purnell, as Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit. Cooke currently advises on domestic policy in Starmer's Number 10. He takes on the policy chief role initially on a three-month transition contract.

NEW REPORT: how to make a success of SEND reform Government needs to get off the sidelines and build a SEND system that makes it easier for schools, councils and health services to work together. Our new report sets out how 🧵

Joining up SEND | Institute for Government

How to begin fixing SEND by making the system more joined-up.

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

Good decision by Burnham (if true). He needs to prioritise improving the centre of govt and economic/fiscal policy making, but splitting the Treasury would be a damaging distraction (set up a bolstered PM dept, have a bold tax strategy and improve the SR instead) www.ft.com/content/61c0...

Andy Burnham rules out splitting Treasury to avoid disruption

Likely next prime minister has been rethinking Britain’s economic levers to promote regional growth

ft.com

Latest from me and @hannahkeenan.bsky.social for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk Burnham might be mulling breaking up the Treasury. He’s right to want to reform the centre, but no.10 and cabinet office should be his focus. HMT reorg would be a distraction and would not fix underlying problems

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

NEW | Andy Burnham must sort out the centre of government on day one @tompope.bsky.social and @hannahkeenan.bsky.social argue that Andy Burnham should focus on the Cabinet Office and No.10, rather than splitting the Treasury: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/andy...

TWO new @instituteforgovernment.org.uk reports out today from me, @nehaldavison.bsky.social, @sophiemetcalfe.bsky.social and @emma-conway.bsky.social on early years policy and what's needed to ensure boys from low-income families are not left behind. 🧵 tinyurl.com/99pcyskh tinyurl.com/4bcbyyfz

Early years policy making: How can government ensure that boys from low-income families are not left behind during delivery? | Institute for Government

The government’s early years target is doing little to incentivise the system to focus on boys from low-income families.

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

It's kind of ironic that John Healey's resignation over allocation of defence spending has come exactly one year to the day after the 2025 spending review announcement, which was *supposed* to confirm departments' budgets up to 2028/29 (and 2029/30 for capital)

Ben Paxton@drbenpaxton.bsky.social · 2mo ago

The central critique in Healey's resignation letter is that Starmer/Treasury have not found a way to meet defence spending pressures in the next few years, and instead have backloaded increases well into the next parliament (defence reaching 2.68% of GDP in 2030, compared to 3% he says is needed)

The central critique in Healey's resignation letter is that Starmer/Treasury have not found a way to meet defence spending pressures in the next few years, and instead have backloaded increases well into the next parliament (defence reaching 2.68% of GDP in 2030, compared to 3% he says is needed)

Follow Megan for all the latest updates to our excellent ministerial charts (and then read @drbenpaxton.bsky.social's blog from earlier this week on the government's unconvincing efforts to find money to pay to pay for defence) www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/slic...

Salami-slicing capital budgets for defence is bad fiscal policy making | Institute for Government

Raiding capital budgets in this way to pay for greater defence capability is the wrong approach.

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

Megan Bryer@meganbryer.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Defence secretary John Healey has just resigned over the govt's Defence Investment Plan, writing that it "falls well short of what is required for defence and the country at this dangerous time". We're getting our @instituteforgovernment.org.uk resignation chart fired back up..

Reform UK are saying they'll raise the VAT registration threshold to £150,000 (from £90k), but worth remembering the UK already has the one of the highest VAT thresholds in the OECD www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Policy changes create winners and losers It’s a truism that losers complain more than winners are grateful But we’re on a ludicrous path if those who lose out from policy decisions demand and then get compensation That’s a recipe for nothing being decided ever

Lucy Fisher@lucyfisher.ft.com · 2mo ago

NEW: Andy Burnham has hinted at a new multibillion-pound spending commitment if he becomes PM, saying that more than 3.5mn women “deserve” compensation over what he regards as a pension scandal

It's good government is confronting the long-known-about fiscal implications of its defence commitments. But across-the-board capital cuts would risk undermining the stability of capital investment, which has been a strength of the government's fiscal and economic policy. New comment from me here

Institute for Government@instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 2mo ago

NEW | Salami-slicing capital budgets for defence is bad fiscal policy making Raiding capital budgets in this way to pay for greater defence capability is the wrong approach, says @drbenpaxton.bsky.social Read our latest comment piece here: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/slic...

As a long-time sufferer of the West Coast Main Line's terrible connectivity, have found this analysis showing quite how bad it is strangely validating. And its making me consider switching provider for that extra ~20%. A great bit of public service from Ofcom www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/r...

Public sector fraud is a huge problem. £12bn of fraud was detected in 2023/24 according to the NAO (+ an extra £41bn 'estimated'). Crises like Covid risk creating extra opportunities for fraud, so it is vital we're set up to stop this happening again in the future. Sign up below for this great event

Institute for Government@instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 2mo ago

EVENT | Lessons from Covid: How to avoid fraud in future crises? 📅Thursday 11 June 2026, 12:30-13:30 Join us as we put together an expert panel to explore what government should do to ensure more robust checks and balances ahead of the next crisis.

Few thoughts on this: a) the DIP has taken ages. Ideally it would have been agreed shortly after/at the SR - delay has costs. But, good plans delayed are better than bad plans rushed b) The DIP's credibility depends on government committing to explain how it will be paid for (come the autumn budget)

Lucy Fisher@lucyfisher.ft.com · 2mo ago

EXC: Treasury is preparing to seize control from the MoD of spending on the GCAP multibillion-pound fighter jet programme Turf grab is part of the final DIP wrangling, with PM set to unveil c. £15bn extra for military up til 2030, incl c. £6bn for GCAP, as soon as next week (Thurs 11 June mooted)

1/ I’ve set out why recent local election gains by opposition parties – especially Reform UK – could make it harder for Labour mayors in the North and Midlands to get things done. A quick thread 🧵

Institute for Government@instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 2mo ago

Reform UK’s local election gains pose new challenges for Labour mayors Fragmented local politics will make agreement harder to secure at the regional level and reshape how mayors govern, says @shawharriet.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/refo...