Impartiality is a defining feature of the UK’s civil service – and one if its ‘core values’ – but the future of civil service impartiality is in the spotlight.

Brexit, and the strained relationship between ministers and civil servants that characterised the Johnson and Truss governments, have seen ministers accuse officials of obstructing their agendas, with Dominic Raab attacking “increasingly activist” civil servants when he resigned from government.

The ability of an impartial civil service to serve governments of any political persuasion has been widely acknowledged as one of its strengths for generations, but recent tensions have led to calls for more political appointees in government.

So what can the UK learn from other countries? How do different governments approach the question of civil service impartiality? What are the benefits – and risks – of political appointments? And what is the right balance between impartial officials and political appointees?

To explore these questions, and identify any lessons for the UK, the IfG brought together a panel of experts from around the world, including:

Dr Catherine Haddon, Programme Director at the Institute for Government
Professor Donald Moynihan, McCourt Chair at the McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University, Washington D.C
Peter Woolcott AO, former Australian Public Service Commissioner

This event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

Civil service impartiality: what can the UK learn from abroad?

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.

The Expert Factor Live!

Productivity Pitches #7

Labour fought the 2024 general election on a manifesto which promised “a new way of doing government” – one built on the concept of mission-driven government. But how much has this government’s decisions, trade-offs and policy priorities really been shaped by its five missions? And how far have they been able to make progress on their priorities in the first year?

To mark the first year of Keir Starmer becoming prime minister, the Institute for Government and the Institute for Fiscal Studies hosted a joint event to explore what progress the government has made and whether Starmer’s government is really doing things differently to its predecessors.

Are the government’s missions realistic or do they lack ambition? Have Rachel Reeves’ tax and spending choices supported or hindered mission delivery? What did the spending review reveal about the government’s priorities? How could government be better structured – and decisions made – in a way that is more mission-driven? And one year on since the general election, can the government really say it is governing in a “new way”?

To explore these questions and more, the IfG and IFS brought together an expert panel featuring:

Stephen Bush, Associate Editor and columnist at the Financial Times
Helen Miller, Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies
Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government
The event was chaired by Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.

Labour’s first year in power: Is this still a mission-driven government?

IfG DevoLab #1: How devolution can address health inequalities

Inside Trump’s America: In conversation with Tim Ryan

Special advisers are a vital part of the glue that helps make government work effectively, and since July 2024 more than 100 spads have been appointed by Keir Starmer and his ministers. As well as experiencing the day-to-day challenges that come with one of the most intense jobs in Westminster, the new cohort has also faced ministerial churn, parliamentary rebellion and a change of No.10 chiefs of staff.

So how can special advisers be most effective in government? What are the challenges they face, and how can they deal with them? And how is the current cohort of spads faring in their difficult, and misunderstood, roles?  

To discuss how the spads of today (and tomorrow) can do the job well we were joined by:

Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall Editor at the Sunday Times and co-author of Get In: The Inside Story of Labour Under Starmer
Salma Shah, Special Adviser to Sajid Javid (2014–19)
Sam White, Special Adviser to Alistair Darling (2004–10) and Chief of Staff to Keir Starmer (2021–22); Chair of Foundations: the national what works centre for children and families
The event was chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

Spads under Starmer: How can Labour’s special advisers do the job well?

The leading think tank working to make UK government more effective. 

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Civil service impartiality: what can the UK learn from abroad?

Institute for Government

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