IfG Events

The worthy aims of the NHS’s prevention shift include reducing childhood obesity, cutting the prevalence of smoking, and tackling harmful alcohol consumption. But previous Institute for Government work shows that shifting to prevention is incredibly difficult, with successive governments’ actions rarely meeting lofty rhetoric.

So, one year on from the launch of the 10-year health plan, how much progress has the government made on its prevention goal?

This event brought together a panel of experts to discuss the following questions:

What has the government done to shift the NHS towards prevention since July 2025?

How is the government assessing its own progress on this shift? What would demonstrate success in its eyes by the next election?

Where has it made the most progress? Where has progress been slower?

What does the NHS bill mean for the prospects of future progress?

What are proving to be the particular stumbling blocks to implementation within the department, central government and local systems?

What could the government do to push this agenda ahead faster?

To explore these questions and more, this event brought together a panel featuring:

Dr Zubir Ahmed MP, former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety

Dr Jennifer Dixon DBE, Chief Executive of the Health Foundation

Ravi Gurumurthy, Group Chief Executive Officer at Nesta

Ian Walker, Executive Director of Policy, Information and Communications at Cancer Research UK

The event was chaired by Stuart Hoddinott, Associate Director at the Institute for Government.

We would like to thank Nesta for kindly supporting this event.
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Andy Burnham will surely become prime minister in a matter of weeks. But what kind of government would he lead and how can he prepare for the biggest job in British politics?

As Burnham sets out his policy priorities, and with much speculation about the key appointments he will make to his top team, this webinar brought together leading IfG experts to explore the challenges awaiting the next prime minister – and the skills and he experience he will need for job.

How can Burnham best use the time available to prepare for succeeding Keir Starmer as prime minister? What are the decisions that need to be taken before a transition of power? What do we know so far about the choices he could make on personnel and policies? And how will Burnham’s experiences of Mayor of Greater Manchester equip him for the job of prime minister?

Sam Freedman, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government

Dr Catherine Haddon, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government

Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government

This event was chaired by Dr Hannah White, CEO of the Institute for Government.
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The Institute for Government was pleased to welcome Dan Tomlinson MP, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, to share his experiences as the sole departmental minister for His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs – and set out his vision for transforming the department.

What will the shift to “digital by default” mean for HMRC’s performance, culture and operating model? How can digital transformation improve customer service? And what have the minister’s 10 months in the role taught him about the way HMRC works and how it can be reformed?

Following his keynote speech, Dan Tomlinson was in conversation with IfG Chief Economist Thomas Pope and took part in an audience Q&A.
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The Brexit Effect, edited by Sir Anthony Seldon, is a collection of over 30 essays on the impact of the referendum on whether the UK should stay in or leave the European Union. To discuss the book, the Institute for Government brought together some of its contributors to consider the continuing impact of that decision on the way the UK is governed and its place in the world.

Sir Anthony Seldon, editor of The Brexit Effect, made opening remarks. That was followed by an expert panel, including:

Helen MacNamara CB, author of the chapter on Brexit and civil service impartiality and former Deputy Cabinet Secretary

Rt Hon David Miliband, author of the chapter on Britain’s economic standing and future relations with the EU and former Foreign Secretary 2007-10

Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government and co-author of the chapter on Brexit and the quality of UK governance (with Alex Thomas)

Marina Wheeler KC, author of the chapter on engaging with Europe as a sovereign nation

This event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Executive Director for Impact, at the Institute for Government.
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Boys from families living on low-incomes have been ‘left behind’ in early years policy making for decades. Nearly three in five boys from low-income families are not reaching a good level of development by the end of reception year, with long-term effects on their later educational attainment, job prospects, health and wellbeing.

Two reports from the Institute for Government (IfG) – supported by Impact on Urban Health – set out how the government can ensure this group is not left behind in the implementation of its early years policy agenda over the next 12 months.

Why have successive governments overlooked the needs of boys from low-income families? Where are promising models and practices already making a difference? What practical lessons do they offer central government as it works towards its target of 75% of five-year-olds being ‘school ready’ by 2028?

To explore these questions and more, this event brought together a panel featuring:

Claire Ainsley, Director of the Project on Center-Left Renewal and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government

Candice James BEM, Director of the Loughborough Community Centre

Miriam Loxham, Senior Principal, Early Years and Family Help at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority

Alistair Strathern MP, Member of Parliament for Hitchin and Co-chair of the Labour Group for Men and Boys

Shaina Sangha, Researcher at the Institute for Government, started the event with a presentation of key findings from the reports.

The event was chaired by Sophie Metcalfe, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government.

We would like to thank Impact on Urban Health for kindly supporting this event.
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