Tim Durrant

This was lots of fun - will be very interesting to see what the next few days hold...

People want to take functions away from HM Treasury. I want to give it a new one - getting the UK's act together on climate adaptation www.ft.com/content/2789... (£) - much more than an environment issue..

If Burnham wants to do welfare reform, then No.10 must help navigate the big trade-offs (not just leave this to HMT/DWP). Putting senior people in No.10 who understand just how difficult that is should help (Cooke was a DWP adviser with Purnell 2008-09, then DWP SpAd in 2024 before moving to No.10)

Andy Burnham faces many big choices as he prepares to enter No10. One of the lower-profile, but potentially most consequential, is how he responds to last week's @ethicsandintegrity.bsky.social report on lobbying... I've been having a look at his options for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk

It's England's world cup semi-finals day. Forget team selection dilemmas and xG analysis. What you really want is a really nerdy deep-dive into football, pub opening hours, and what they tell you about the most important form of legislation that you may never have heard of. Let's go.

Our conference on Regulation in a changing world will be starting in 10 minutes.🚨📺 Tune in for our first session, including a welcome from @drhannahwhite.bsky.social and keynote speech by @blairmcdougall.com. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/regula...

NEW REPORT: how to make a success of SEND reform Government needs to get off the sidelines and build a SEND system that makes it easier for schools, councils and health services to work together. Our new report sets out how 🧵

At our @instituteforgovernment.org.uk event with Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader says parliamentary committees should call the new cabinet over the summer - with the Liaison Committee calling the new PM in the next week or two. I kind of agree - am I a Lib Dem now?

Having taken at least two years to learn how to spell Keir, it turns out I regularly struggle to type B̶u̶n̶h̶a̶m̶ B̶r̶u̶n̶h̶a̶m̶ ̶ Burnham

With one week to go until Burnham becomes PM, I've been looking ahead to his first reshuffle - obviously he'll want to signal that he's doing politics differently by bringing in different people to his top team, but beyond that I think he should be careful about moving too many people around...

The essential @instituteforgovernment.org.uk take on the Starmer premiership. We look at his record across state reform, public services and more. But also at how he approached being prime minister, where he went wrong and why. Ultimately, a government characterised by missed opportunities.

PODCAST 🎙️ Burnham, Binface and Starmer's final flight Reform UK may have dominated headlines, but Westminster's attention is turning to a far bigger political moment: the arrival of Britain's next PM The IfG's experts are in the studio to discuss www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/insi...

Looks like a really interesting read and tallies with a lot of what we've said at IfG - will read the whole post with interest. Let's hope Burnham and team are learning these lessons too...

Ok seen a few of these stories now. It's weird, given how many mid-term changes of PM we have had lately, that people don't remember they don't have shadow cabinets and there are many reasons they literally can't 'appoint' their picks before actually becoming PM. www.ft.com/content/66ad...

Good decision by Burnham (if true). He needs to prioritise improving the centre of govt and economic/fiscal policy making, but splitting the Treasury would be a damaging distraction (set up a bolstered PM dept, have a bold tax strategy and improve the SR instead) www.ft.com/content/61c0...

Most of my BlueSky is about football rather than Pride and I can’t help but feel something has gone wrong somewhere

Last week #Brexitcast's Adam Fleming joined @anandmenon.bsky.social @ukandeu.bsky.social and me for a special #Brexitatten edition of @instituteforgovernment.org.uk Inside Briefing.. reflections on the last ten years - and some thoughts on where next www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/brex...

Great panel discussion getting underway @instituteforgovernment.org.uk about the future of the Foreign Office - watch along at www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/diplom...

This week, Andy Burnham promised to deliver “growth in every postcode” and argued that growth requires "a clear shared vision that everyone can understand and investors can back”. So how can mayors and local leaders develop a shared vision for growth? Our event today explores precisely that⬇️

👇It was fascinating to co-author this report on delivering digital transformation in public services and pull out the 7 lessons for future leaders of digital transformation to keep in mind:

EVENT | Integrating diplomacy and development: How does the Foreign Office set itself up for success?  📅Today, 12:30-13:30 Join us today as an expert panel explores the challenges and opportunities facing the FCDO, drawing on the IfG’s existing and ongoing research and commentary.

Does* Andy Burnham have a mandate? Constitutionally, yes. The debate is conflating the constitutional mandate and the right to be PM, with the political mandate PMs need to sustain themselves in office New from me www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/does... *Will he

A cut out and keep guide from @cathhaddon.bsky.social for next time some asks if Andy Burnham (read any new leader of the governing party) has a "mandate" to be prime minister. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/does...

Effective transitions of prime minister: lessons for Andy Burnham To make a success of his transition to power, Andy Burnham must learn from the experience of previous prime ministers www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/effe...

PODCAST 🎙️ Brexit at 10: A decade of drama, deals and disruption @adamfleming.bsky.social joins @jillongovt.bsky.social @anandmenon.bsky.social to look back on 10 years of key Brexit moments and explore what they told us about Britain and the world www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/brex...

WEBINAR | Andy Burnham: What to expect from the next PM? 📅Today, 13:15–14:00 Join us online today as an IfG expert webinar explores Andy Burnham’s preparations for No.10, including an analysis of what kind of government he would lead.

What did we learn from @andyburnham.bsky.social 's big devolution speech in Manchester today? See my insta-take on BBC News below (with apologies for the messy domestic backdrop!) www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GV5...

As we start to see what the Burnham plan for government looks like, my fab colleagues at @instituteforgovernment.org.uk are working out how it can all work - take a read! (One unanswered question: what will the inevitable acronym be? No10N? 10N? N10N?)

I enjoyed speaking to @dantomlinson.bsky.social at @instituteforgovernment.org.uk this morning about how he is delivering improved taxpayer experience and digital transformation at HMRC. If you missed his speech and our conversation, watch it here: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/dan-to...

Join us in Sheffield (and online) this Thursday for a very timely discussion about how devolved and local leaders can create a shared vision for growth in their regions⬇️ www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/devola...

a joint @instituteforgovernment.org.uk @ukandeu.bsky.social production - @anandmenon.bsky.social BBC's Adam Fleming and I came together to reflect on 10+ years of Brexit - nerd heaven www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/brex...

👋 Meet the IfG Academy team! We’re kicking off a thread to introduce the people behind our work – what they do and what they’re passionate about. First up…

EVENT | Integrating diplomacy and development: How does the Foreign Office set itself up for success?  📅Thursday 02 July 2026, 12:30-13:30 Join us as an expert panel explores the challenges and opportunities facing the FCDO, drawing on the IfG’s existing and ongoing research and commentary.

“An extended operation” - does that mean a bigger, more strategic PM’s department, as @instituteforgovernment.org.uk has recommended? www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/andy...

Just how useful is having been a mayor for taking on the role of PM? Great new paper from @timdurrant.bsky.social @tompope.bsky.social @akashpaun.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

Just what we need from our next government www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Latest from me and @hannahkeenan.bsky.social for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk Burnham might be mulling breaking up the Treasury. He’s right to want to reform the centre, but no.10 and cabinet office should be his focus. HMT reorg would be a distraction and would not fix underlying problems

I know failing to adjudicate in disagreements *between* departments has been a recurring theme in Starmer's premiership, but this failure to adjudicate in one *within* a department (in which, let's be clear, nobody comes out looking good) is further proof that the heat is getting to everyone

Great thread from Tim on our new piece looking at how the mayor and PM roles compare. It's short, so do give the full piece a read!