Thread by @ifgevents

.@stephenkb offers his reflections on how the IfG could be the best it could be. He says he was struck by the Afghan withdrawal, in contrast to 'no deal' Brexit, it could not divert the people that it needed to work on this. #IfGDirector

@stephenkb SB: There are challenges of an aging population and net zero, and UK also needs to rethink it's economic outside the EU. The government has identified the big challenges but it's not clear if it can meet them #IfGDirector

@stephenkb SB: there has now been a conservative government without David Cameron for as long as there was one. He reshuffled less frequently, and we've seen the impact that had on performance. #IfGDirector

@stephenkb SB: Third point on devolution, he says the number 1 google at the IfG is probably is x devolved. It is impossible for a person who studies this to be across it, the UK talks about 'London-style' powers but its not clear what that means.

@stephenkb SB: This confusion means that citizens cannot effectively hold their governments to account. #IfGDirector

@stephenkb SB: Most people think the government the government broke the rules. If MPs don't like the options on the table they have their own committees. MPs can if they wish to be protagonists in this process #IfGDirector

@stephenkb SB: The IfG's blind spot is on the third area. Parliament can hold their government to account, but if parliament doesn't focus on scrutiny it cannot do this. How can MPs be better at being MPs rather than wanting to be prime minister? #IfGDirector

@stephenkb .@bronwenmaddox says the government should have been able to prepare for the Afghan crisis. What does that tell us, perhaps about the lack of expertise, but it tells us some problems don't feel real to the people that need to try and solve them #IfGDirector

@stephenkb @bronwenmaddox BM: On Parliament, I agree and that is why we are doing the Review of the UK constitutions. MPs vary a lot in how interested they are in the alternative career route through committees #IfGDirector

We are now onto the first question, why is it difficult for civil servants to get promotions in their area of expertise. BM says it is a very difficult issue, there is trap in the incentive structure that cannot reward people without a change in grade.

Are other countries are also grappling with these challenges? Bronwen says the systems of government are so different, it can be hard to draw lessons. You are instantly in to cultural questions, many have no parallel here, for example French reforms of the civil service

BM: I'm wary of this kind of snap comparisons, in New Zealand many things work well but it's much smaller, Singapore is not a democracy and this is really crucial when we think about accountability. Even a perfectly running machine is hard to bottle. #IfGDirector

Stephen says that although reshuffles are frustrating, it is legitimate for the elected government to want to remain as elected government. We need to recognise political constraints. #IfGDirector

SB: One of things we are world leading on is the ONS, but if you want to make a comparison other countries have worse data. Question really is how can this country be the best version of itself? #IfGDirector

Question as to what big problems is the Government not addressing? BM says government cannot solve more than 3 big problems, although they have to say they are working on them all. They can only pick 1 or 2, levelling up and net zero may be different directions. #IfGDirector

BM: People like local government, but social care has squeezed out everything. People want more metro mayors and @instituteforgov will be doing work assessing their performance. #IfGDirector

@instituteforgov SB: says that it is unusual government is devolving power to structure controlled by other parties. But local government is becoming more vocal. Local government is the bit of the state than can do final mile stuff, but also great at carrying can for political risk #IfGDirector

@instituteforgov BM says if the civil service is going to hold on to people it wants, there is a case to pay them more.

@instituteforgov BM: On specials advisors, the civil service don't like them, but for ministers having people who can reflect back to them and support them is very helpful. It's about the number and their role - if they're shutting out the civil service that can be destructive #IfGDirector

@instituteforgov SB: says we're had special advisors for a long term, they are not responsible for problems of the modern state. The fact they are political helps the civil service stay neutral. Hiring processes are better the more open & transparent they are.

@instituteforgov SB: but the only transparent hiring process was Dominic Cummings on his blog. There are some special advisors who when they are new are not as good as they good be. But spads are important #IfGDirector

@instituteforgov Question on the power of regulators. BM says their role was initially very clear, but it almost immediately got more complicated. We started departing from their vision of purity, now there is a political mess #IfGDirector

@instituteforgov BM: On this issue roads should lead to Parliament much more quickly. Ministers are treating them as independent watchdogs but not independent. Some decisions e.g. on energy subsidies and political, but lack of visibility of these decisions is a problem. #IfGDirector

@instituteforgov SB: is this government disease or a British disease? The problem of Ofcom is that when decisions are difficult, ministers send them to successful regulators. In Britain more broadly there is a temptation to give things to things that work well until they don't work well anymore.

@instituteforgov BM says modern states need a lot of regulators, but now huge decisions are taken without democratic accountability #IfGDirector

@instituteforgov That's all we have time for, thanks for all your questions. A recording of the event will be available on the @instituteforgov website in due course #IfGDirector