Leading Questions is a podcast about public sector leadership, published by Global Government Forum.
Every episode we interview a former senior civil servant ...
How Government Works: How Labour is changing the way Whitehall works to focus on mission delivery
Following the UK general election, Labour has formed a government with a large majority – and with a focus on delivering five national missions. These are: kickstarting economic growth, making Britain a clean energy superpower; take back our streets by halving serious violent crime; breaking down barriers to opportunity; and building an NHS fit for the future. Focusing on delivering these long-term missions requires, according to prime minister Keir Starmer, requires a different approach to government. It requires departments to work together outside traditional silos, as well as with regional and local government, and businesses and unions, How, then, will Labour change government to deliver these missions? This podcast, the fourth in Global Government Forum’s How Government Works series and based on a webinar held on 14 November, discusses the changes that Labour is making in government to drive progress on these missions, as well as other changes in how government is structured that can deliver on its priorities. The session also touched on what the Budget reveals about the government’s priorities for the next year and beyond. This episode was recorded before prime minister Sir Keir Starmer set out the milestones for the government’s missions in a speech on 30 November, and before Sir Chris Wormald was named as the UK’s cabinet secretary and head of the civil service with a mission to “change the way government serves this country”. These updates will be discussed in the next webinar in GGF’s How Government Work series, taking place on 4 March. And find out more about how the UK government and its international peers are dealing the challenges they face at Global Government Forum’s Innovation conference on 25-26 March 2025.
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How Government Works: Operations, activity and processes in policy development and delivery – in Whitehall and beyond
In this third instalment of Global Government Forum’s How Government Works podcast series – which provides a guide to the UK’s corridors of power – we examine the scope of operations, activities and processes that are involved in the delivery of new policy initiatives. This episode explores the policymaking processes: what gets prioritised for legislation and how it is scrutinised and passed, and how does it move to delivery both in the public and private sectors. This is the third in a series of podcasts from Global Government Forum setting out how government works, and was based on a webinar held on 13 September 2024. Keep your eyes on your podcast feed for more episodes from Global Government Forum’s How Government Works series. Register for the next webinar in GGF’s How Government Work series, providing more information on the government’s missions and what they mean in areas like procurement, taking place on 4 March. And find out more about how the UK government and its international peers are dealing the challenges they face at Global Government Forum’s Innovation conference on 25-26 March 2025.
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How Government Works: governance, regulation and culture in Whitehall and Westminster
In this second instalment of Global Government Forum’s How Government Works podcast series – which provides a guide to the UK’s corridors of power – we examine governance, regulation and culture of Whitehall and Westminster. Organisational cultures are key to how any operation functions, and this episode looks at everything from the civil service and ministerial codes, to ethics advisors and independent standards committees, and onto parliamentary scrutiny of the government. This is the second in a series of podcasts from Global Government Forum setting out how government works, and was based on a webinar held on 23 August 2024. Register for the next webinar in GGF’s How Government Work series, providing more information on the government’s missions and what they mean in areas like procurement, taking place on 4 March. And find out more about how the UK government and its international peers are dealing the challenges they face at Global Government Forum’s Innovation conference on 25-26 March 2025.
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How Government Works: demystifying the structures and responsibilities in Whitehall, Westminster and beyond
Understanding how Whitehall and Westminster work can be a daunting challenge. Even those who have been interacting professionally with government for many years can find some of the practices, procedures, conventions and relationships complicated to navigate. This first podcast in Global Government Forum’s How Government Works series provides easy-to-digest information on who does what, and how, in government. Listen to this episode to get a simple summary of everything from constitutional frameworks to the organisational structures and interactions, and onto operational procedures, people and power. The session also looked at how to interact with these institutions and people in the most appropriate and effective ways. This is the first in a series of podcasts from Global Government Forum setting out how government works, and was based on a webinar held on 12 July 2024. At the time of recording, Simon Case was the UK government cabinet secretary, prior to his departure in December 2024. Register for the next webinar in GGF’s How Government Work series, providing more information on the government’s missions and what they mean in areas like procurement, taking place on 4 March: And find out more about how the UK government and its international peers are dealing the challenges they face at Global Government Forum’s Innovation conference on 25-26 March 2025
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BONUS EPISODE: How the US federal government is getting ready for President Trump
The US presidential election is the most consequential taking place in the ‘year of democracy’. This special episode of Global Government Forum’s Leading Questions podcast, taken from a webinar held on 19 November, looks at what public servants will be doing to prepare for the incoming presidential team led by President Donald Trump. In this podcast, webinar chair Siobhan Benita discusses the work that civil servants will be undertaking for the government transition with Jason Briefel, non-attorney partner and director of government and public affairs, Shaw Bransford & Roth, and Richard Johnstone, executive editor, Global Government Forum. Listen to this podcast to hear insight on what civil servants will be doing to prepare for a new president, the process of a presidential transition, and what the Department of Government Efficiency means for government. The conversation covers: What the election result reveals about the public's priorities for government - particularly around trends like tackling inflation and immigration. How the result fits into international electoral trends. What happens in a government transition. How civil servants will be preparing for implementing Trump's priorities - introducing tariffs, deportation of illegal immigrants, reducing government spending. Key appointments that are made so far. Mentioned in this episode: Japan looks to learn from Elon Musk’s US government efficiency programme Read the US CIO study mentioned in this report Register now for Government Service Delivery – the new name for GovernmentDX Over the two days of May 13 – 14, 2025, the Government Service Delivery event program unites global digital government leaders to explore tech-driven innovation for delivering high-quality public services for customers. This event will include an exclusive series of roundtables and an open conference – find out more here and register your interest
Leading Questions is a podcast about public sector leadership, published by Global Government Forum.
Every episode we interview a former senior civil servant and ask them to reflect on key challenges they have faced in their career and what they learned from them.
Packed with interesting insights into government, inspiring stories and handy advice, this is leadership in practice.
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