Longer-term certainty over departmental funding will improve value for money and give government spending plans more credibility, the Institute for Government has said.
Most public services will remain worse in four years’ time than they were just before Covid-19 – and most of them were already worse than they were in 2010 – CIPFA and the Institute for Government’s...
Northern Ireland’s civil servants have warned that “sub-optimal” budgets will lead to further cuts that could constrain council services and worsen court delays.
To get brilliant people from the private sector or local government into Whitehall, the Civil Service needs to fix its reputation, increase pay and ensure there are sufficient senior roles to...
Ministers should use Wednesday’s budget as an opportunity to provide a sustainable long term funding settlement for the social care sector or risk exacerbating existing care issues, experts have said.
Measures in the Autumn Statement favour councils in well-off areas that already raise lots of money from council tax, while those in deprived areas that already bore the brunt of austerity miss out,...
Autumn Statement plans to keep public bodies’ spending tight from 2025 onwards are unlikely to actually be followed when the time comes, economists have said.
The government’s plan to temporarily cap energy bills for households and businesses will likely lead to higher borrowing and increased pressure on public finances, experts have said.
The new prime minister would face a £23bn cost if they want to help shelter households from the ongoing cost-of-living crisis by scaling up a previously announced scheme with inflation, a leading...
Some regions across the UK are likely to miss out on initial development funding as the government directs its support towards the most deprived areas first, according to experts.
A lack of comprehensive data is hampering the government’s ability to track how funding cuts have impacted councils in England, according to the Institute for Government.
“Poor decisions” made by the government during its initial Covid-19 response were a result of a lack of long-term strategy and poor use of evidence, a think-tank has claimed.
Bringing back outsourced services from the private sector could improve quality, increase reliability, and save money, according to a report from think-tank the Institute for Government.
The proposed new border in the Irish Sea is “unlikely” to be fully operational by the 31 December deadline, according to a report from think-tank the Institute for Government.
Several Whitehall departments regularly ignore outsourcing guidelines produced after contractor Carillion collapsed two years ago, meaning government is still signing risky contracts that could...
To achieve “sorely needed” reform of the tax system, the chancellor must set out a clear vision, seek expert advice and not rush through his plans, the Institute for Government has said.
The government may be talking tough on criminal justice but the government’s current plans do not address how to improve standards in prisons and will leave a hole in their budgets, writes the IfG’s...
Civil servants have been forced to take decisions in Northern Ireland for nearly 1,000 days. In the event of a no-deal Brexit Westminster would have to take direct control of the country, a situation...
