The Labour government has a huge majority in parliament – but Keir Starmer’s administration is also facing an incredibly complex set of policy challenges. So how can the prime minister and his team turn around public service performance? What can chancellor Rachel Reeves do to get the economy growing again? What will mission-driven government actually mean in practice? Who should be making the key decisions in Westminster – and beyond? And what will the appointment of a new cabinet secretary mean for the future direction of the civil service?
From reforming how the centre of government works to the battle for the future of the civil service, from making a success of levelling up to achieve net zero goals, IfG EVENTS stimulate fresh thinking and share ideas about how government works – and how it could work better.
All content for IfG Events is the property of Institute for Government and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
The Labour government has a huge majority in parliament – but Keir Starmer’s administration is also facing an incredibly complex set of policy challenges. So how can the prime minister and his team turn around public service performance? What can chancellor Rachel Reeves do to get the economy growing again? What will mission-driven government actually mean in practice? Who should be making the key decisions in Westminster – and beyond? And what will the appointment of a new cabinet secretary mean for the future direction of the civil service?
From reforming how the centre of government works to the battle for the future of the civil service, from making a success of levelling up to achieve net zero goals, IfG EVENTS stimulate fresh thinking and share ideas about how government works – and how it could work better.
Leadership change in the civil service: How can new permanent secretaries deliver for government?
IfG Events
1 hour
2 weeks ago
Leadership change in the civil service: How can new permanent secretaries deliver for government?
As well as the election of a new government, the last year has seen the appointment of a new cabinet secretary and eight new permanent secretaries to lead departments.
How will this new leadership cohort change the civil service? What should they prioritise as they get to grips with their new departments? And how can they build the most talented teams to deliver the government’s priorities?
To explore these questions, with a particular focus on the Civil Service Commission’s role in recruiting senior leaders and developing the talent pipeline, the IfG was delighted to be joined for a panel discussion on civil service leadership and change by:
Atul Devani, Civil Service Commissioner and entrepreneur
John-Paul Marks CB, First Permanent Secretary and Chief Executive of HM Revenue and Customs
Baroness Gisela Stuart, First Civil Service Commissioner
Baroness Stuart spoke briefly to consider the opportunities and challenges for the civil service. She spoke to the Commission’s strategic priorities for 2025–27.
The event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
IfG Events
The Labour government has a huge majority in parliament – but Keir Starmer’s administration is also facing an incredibly complex set of policy challenges. So how can the prime minister and his team turn around public service performance? What can chancellor Rachel Reeves do to get the economy growing again? What will mission-driven government actually mean in practice? Who should be making the key decisions in Westminster – and beyond? And what will the appointment of a new cabinet secretary mean for the future direction of the civil service?
From reforming how the centre of government works to the battle for the future of the civil service, from making a success of levelling up to achieve net zero goals, IfG EVENTS stimulate fresh thinking and share ideas about how government works – and how it could work better.
