The IfG was pleased to welcome Rt Hon Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, to deliver a keynote speech on how the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) plans to use its expanding powers and spending freedoms.

From April 2025, Greater Manchester will be funded by a new ‘integrated settlement’ that gives the mayor and other local leaders far greater control of spending in areas such as transport, skills, employment and housing. In his speech, Andy Burnham set out his vision for how these powers should be used to drive growth and improve outcomes for people across the region, and what further powers should be devolved.

Andy Burnham was then in conversation with IfG Devolution Programme Director Akash Paun.

A keynote speech by Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester


After 30 years of the Nolan Principles, ethical scandals – from partygate to freebiegate – are still a regular feature of UK political life and public trust in politicians remains low. What role do politicians play in leading by example? How should politicians in Westminster, devolved and local governments demonstrate their commitment to the Nolan Principles? How can they show ethical leadership within their organisations? And what does upholding standards look like in different political and governmental contexts?

Speakers:

Paula Barker MP, member of the Commons Select Committee on Standards
Roger Gough, former leader of Kent County Council  
Dr Melissa McCullough, Commissioner for Standards, NI Assembly
Dave Penman, General Secretary, FDA

This session will be chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

How can politicians demonstrate ethical leadership?

Chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

This event was part of the IfG's conference on the The Nolan Principles at 30: What does the future hold for standards in public life?


Speech: Alberto Costa MP, Chair of the Committee on Standards

Chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

This event was part of the IfG's conference on the The Nolan Principles at 30: What does the future hold for standards in public life?


Keynote speech: Rt Hon Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office

To reflect on the topics raised during our conference on the Nolan Principles, the IfG and CSPL convened small group discussions to talk through more specific questions:  

What are the emerging threats and opportunities in the standards landscape?  
How do politics and partisanship affect the way standards are perceived?
What does ethical public service leadership look like?

Those joining online were able to take part in a webinar discussion on the same topics. A panel of IfG and CSPL staff reported back on the themes raised in the discussions.  

Shaping the standards debate: interactive discussions

Many of the public’s interactions with the state are with frontline officials in health and social care, policing and local government. How much do the Nolan principles resonate with those delivering public services? How can frontline officials be supported to make ethical decisions? And how can frontline organisations prevent failures, and rebuild public trust where they occur?

Speakers:

Neil Basu, former Assistant Commissioner, Metropolitan Police
Helen Buckingham, Chair of National Voices
Amerdeep Somal, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

This session was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

How can frontline officials uphold high standards of behaviour?

Chaired by Emma Norris, Deputy Director of the Institute for Government.

This event was part of the IfG's conference on the The Nolan Principles at 30: What does the future hold for standards in public life?


Speech: Marie Goldman MP, Liberal Democrat shadow leader of the House of Commons

To conclude our conference on the Nolan Principles, our panel discussed the impact of the Nolan Principles in public life today. How have they changed the standards landscape in the UK? What do the public think about standards in public life? How useful are standards and principles to leaders in government? And how can a strong standards system support a government’s wider objectives?  

Speakers:  

Doug Chalmers, chair, Committee on Standards in Public Life
Chris Morris, CEO, Full Fact
Sachin Savur, researcher, Institute for Government
Rowena Mason, Whitehall Editor at the Guardian

This session was chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government  

What do the Nolan Principles mean today?

Back by popular demand, Hannah White, Paul Johnson and Anand Menon reunited on stage to record a special live episode of The Expert Factor – the podcast for people who haven’t had enough of experts.  

Nine years to the day since the UK voted to leave the EU, as the directors of three of the UK’s leading think tanks – the Institute for Government, the Institute for Fiscal Studies and UK in a Changing Europe – got together to discuss, explore and explain the big questions facing Keir Starmer’s Labour government and Britain’s opposition parties in an increasingly unpredictable world.

The event was held in partnership with UK in a Changing Europe.

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A keynote speech by Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester

Institute for Government

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