UK households are experiencing a severe cost of living crisis. Annualised bills for a typical household are currently rapidly. The UK government has already provided some support, but more is likely to be needed. This paper lays out the government’s options.

Ministers make appointments to powerful roles across the public sector. These can be controversial, so ensuring a high calibre of appointees is important. This report responds to concerns about the appointments process – and standards in public life generally – by proposing reforms to restore confidence in public appointees.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed weaknesses in the United Kingdom’s approach to managing extreme risks. This report looks at some of the problems that emerged and sets out recommendations for how the UK government could strengthen its risk management to ensure that the nation is better prepared for the next crisis.

This report recognises the UK civil service’s vital role, but warns that it has been weakened by high-profile policy and operational failures, like the Kabul evacuation and pandemic contingency plans, and damaged by the Downing Street 'partygate' fallout.

This guest paper reveals patterns in ministerial leadership styles that have profound impacts on the relationship between ministers and civil servants. The paper identifies two distinct styles of ministerial management and leadership of civil servants – and finds evidence that male and female ministers adopt different approaches.