As he prepares to step down as Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary for the Cabinet Office, Alex Chisholm spoke at the Institute for Government for his final time as a civil servant.  

During nearly a decade at the top of the civil service as a permanent secretary, Alex served four prime ministers and worked with three cabinet secretaries, covering eventful and tumultuous times. After four years as permanent secretary at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, in 2020 Alex moved to his current role at the heart of the civil service.   

Having played a leading part in the civil service reform agenda, Alex reflected on the scheme to relocate parts of the civil service from London, efforts to improve Whitehall’s use of data and digital and to overhaul cross-departmental working, and his reflections on the government’s response during the Covid-19 pandemic.   

At the event, Alex Chisholm was in conversation with IfG Director Dr Hannah White and will take part in an audience Q&A.

In conversation with Alex Chisholm

This event marked official launch of the second edition of Exploring Parliament, a new book which brings together academic insights with real-world perspectives to bring parliament to life for readers. The book’s 73 authors – leading academic experts and parliamentary practitioners – offer an unrivalled insider’s guide to the UK parliament, providing an accessible yet in-depth exploration of how parliament works, its key functions, and the realities of law-making and scrutiny in the UK. 

Who are the key players in parliament? How is parliament organised and run? How is the government held to account? How are laws made? And what challenges does parliament face in the future? To explore these questions and more, we were joined by the editors of Exploring Parliament – who made opening remarks, reflecting on the book’s unique approach, and a panel of the book’s authors who discussed their chapters and insights.

This was followed by a Q&A session. Panellists included:

Professor Nicholas Allen, Professor of Politics at Royal Holloway, University of London
Dr Sean Haughey, Senior Lecturer at the University of Liverpool
Chloe Mawson, Clerk Assistant at the House of Lords
Dr Rebecca McKee, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government
Margaret McKinnon, Director Member and Members’ Staff Services Team at the House of Commons
Professor Meg Russell, Director of the Constitution Unit at University College London (UCL)

The event was chaired by Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government. 

Introductory remarks were also delivered by the editors Professor Cristina Leston Bandeira, Dr Louise Thompson and Dr Alexandra Meakin.

We would like to thank the Study of Parliament Group for kindly supporting this event.

Book launch: ‘Exploring Parliament’

Labour’s 2024 manifesto set out a number of big changes aimed at strengthening democratic participation, such as improving voter registration, addressing inconsistencies in voter ID rules and extending the franchise to 16 and 17 year olds. 

Twenty-five years after the introduction of the UK’s political finance regime, and a billion pounds of donations later, the manifesto also committed to “strengthening the rules around donations to political parties” – something that has become more pressing as high-profile actors flirt with introducing significant sums of money into the UK’s party funding system.

So what difference would these proposed changes make to the UK electoral system? Can they reignite voter confidence and engagement in the democratic process? What are the lessons learnt from the 2024 general election about turnout, the voter ID requirement, and candidate abuse and intimidation? And what should the government prioritise to ensure the electoral system is ready for the next general election in 2029 and able to address growing threats?

To reflect on last summer’s election and to discuss how the government’s plans will affect the way elections work, we were joined by an expert panel:

Lewis Baston, Political journalist and author
Matteo Bergamini, Founder and CEO of Shout Out UK
Professor Jane Green, Co-Director of the British Election Study
John Pullinger, Chair of the Electoral Commission

The event was chaired by Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.

How does the electoral system need to change before 2029?

The former deputy prime minister set out what this and future governments can learn from the 2010–15 coalition government.

To mark the 15th anniversary of the creation of the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition in 2010, the IfG was pleased to welcome the Rt Hon Sir Nick Clegg to reflect on the 2010-15 government and the lessons for today’s politics.

Following his speech, Sir Nick was in conversation with Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government, and took part in an audience Q&A.

In conversation with Nick Clegg

As part of its devolution agenda, the government is deepening and extending the mayoral model across England. Fourteen regional mayors are now in office, holding powers over transport, skills, housing and planning, economic growth and more. The government eventually wants every region of England to be led by a mayor.

But what are the characteristics of effective mayoral leadership? How should existing and new mayors use their powers and their platform to bring benefits to their regions? And what lessons can England’s mayors learn from international experience?

We held a discussion of these themes, informed by insights from the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University and its director, Professor Jorrit de Jong, who was in conversation with Emma Norris, Deputy Director of the Institute for Government, and Akash Paun, Programme Director for Devolution.

Effective urban leadership: What are the international lessons for England’s mayors?

After a decade of tight funding settlements and the Covid-19 pandemic, Wes Streeting is the latest health secretary trying to improve NHS productivity. But what can the government do to ensure the NHS spends its budget – due to be more than £200bn in 2025/26 – more effectively?

This event, held in partnership with the Health Foundation, explored what the NHS can do to improve productivity – which is vital to improve the quality of services for patients, ensure the NHS is financially sustainable and provide value for money for taxpayers.  

What improvements in productivity and health outcomes can technology really deliver? What lessons are there from previous governments’ attempts to make efficiency savings? What options does Streeting really have to drive through reforms? What effect – if any – will the abolition of NHS England and cuts to integrated care boards’ budgets have on driving productivity to improve performance? 

To discuss these questions and more, we were joined by an expert panel including:

Helen Buckingham, Chair of Trustees at National Voices
Anita Charlesworth, Senior Economic Advisor at the Health Foundation
Caroline Clarke, Regional Director of the NHS in London
Rachel Sylvester, Political Editor at the Observer
The event was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

This event was held in partnership with The Health Foundation.

What can the government do to improve how the NHS spends money?

Britain has been through a difficult period since the global financial crisis, leading many to conclude the country is doomed to inevitable decline. But Jeremy Hunt, who was at the top of government as both Foreign Secretary and Chancellor, disagrees. In his new book, Can We Be Great Again?, he sets out to rebut those who think Britain is no longer capable of shaping the world we live in.

With the election of president Trump, a world that was already becoming more dangerous has also become more unpredictable. But when it comes to the big challenges facing the world – whether on European security, the future of democracy, migration, trade and climate – the UK remains one of the most influential countries and should, Hunt says, use that influence wisely. Hunt does not shy away from the UK’s weaknesses but argues that they should be considered in perspective and without underestimating this country’s many strengths.

To discuss his new book and the questions it raises, Jeremy Hunt was in conversation with Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.

In conversation with Jeremy Hunt MP: Britain's place in the world

The 2025 spending review on 11 June is a critical moment for Keir Starmer’s government. Almost a year since Labour’s general election victory, Rachel Reeves will set budgets for departments up to 2028/29 – which will cover most of the rest of the parliament. But the chancellor is facing difficult choices – and her decisions will reveal a great deal about this government’s priorities.  

Will the spending allocations be sufficient to improve public services, deliver growth and make progress on the government’s other missions? Which departments will be pleased – and which will lose out? And will this multi-year spending review reveal a coherent strategy for the government over the next few years?

To answer these questions and more, IfG experts convened shortly after the chancellor’s announcement to provide their initial analysis.

The webinar was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government, with a panel including:

Nick Davies, Programme Director for Public Services at the Institute for Government
Ben Paxton, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government
Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government

What choices did the government make in the 2025 spending review?

Rumours of a cabinet reshuffle are never far away in Westminster. So how should Keir Starmer approach the delicate task of choosing his top team? The prime minister has to strike a balance between ministers’ performance, party management and the government’s policy agenda, while being a minister is a job like no other – there are no regular performance reviews, clear handovers or annual appraisals.

So how can ministers succeed in government and reach the cabinet table? What skills do they need at each rung of the ministerial ladder? How can backbench MPs prepare to become a minister? And how does the prime minister make decisions about who should serve in government?

To explore these questions and more, we were joined by an expert panel, including:

Kitty Donaldson, Chief Political Commentator at The i Paper
Rt Hon Lucy Frazer KC, former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Rt Hon James Purnell, CEO of Flint Global and former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

The event was chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

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In conversation with Alex Chisholm

Institute for Government

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