Tim Durrant
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timdurrant.bsky.social
Tim Durrant
@timdurrant.bsky.social
5.9K followers 1.8K following 620 posts
Programme Director at the Institute for Government - interested in how government works and how it can work better

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timdurrant.bsky.social
You want me to upload the data where?
An update from gov.uk called "Uploading data to the National Fraud Initiative"
November 11, 2025 at 9:45 AM
timdurrant.bsky.social
Interestingly, this assessment comes from officials in local government - not necessarily from the politicians...

I think there's a lesson here for national government - particularly relevant after one of the largest reshuffles ever, which saw around 50% of ministers in a new job
Senior officials in one of these local authorities attributed their strong performance to a few factors. First, they said that stable political leadership over many decades meant that members were able to take a longer-term view during austerity, meaning they were less inclined to make knee-jerk, short-term cuts to balance budgets in-year. Second, recent localised economic growth – driven by rising
October 17, 2025 at 9:28 AM
timdurrant.bsky.social
The new Ethics and Integrity Commission has launched today, with a shiny new website (outside the gov. uk brand!)

We spoke to its chair, Doug Chalmers, earlier in the year about the new body and its work...

eic.independent-commission.uk
October 13, 2025 at 3:25 PM
timdurrant.bsky.social
...do it for real, these exercises allow them and their colleagues across government to practise how they would respond to particular challenges.

As Amber Rudd told us about her time as home secretary, while these exercises can feel like a drain on time, "you're very grateful that you've done it"
October 9, 2025 at 11:27 AM
timdurrant.bsky.social
What day is it? That's right, it's Day 2 ("containment") of Exercise Pegasus, the "largest ever simulation of a pandemic in UK history" - right now, teams in the NHS, govt depts and others are testing their approach to dealing with a possible future pandemic...

hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025...
A written statement from Ashley Dalton MP, health minister: Exercise Pegasus will be the largest ever simulation of a pandemic in UK history and will involve participation from every Department, the devolved Governments and representation from arm’s length bodies and local resilience fora. The exercise is due to take place from September to November 2025, led by the Department of Health and Social Care and delivered with the UK Health Security Agency. Core exercise days have been confirmed for 18 September, 9 October and 30 October, simulating the first phases of a pandemic: emergence, containment, and mitigation. A fourth phase—recovery—is also planned for 2026. The UK Government have committed to communicating the findings and lessons of the exercise as recommended by the covid-19 inquiry and a post-exercise report will be delivered in due course.
October 9, 2025 at 11:27 AM
timdurrant.bsky.social
And Beatrice Butsana-Sita, CEO of the British Red Cross, talks about the work of the BRC in the UK (responding to an emergency every four hours!!) and around the world, including in Gaza, Myanmar and Ukraine
September 29, 2025 at 5:34 PM
timdurrant.bsky.social
And Emma Hardy talks about the importance of public services working together to deal with floods - it cuts across multiple departments and agencies, so govt created the flooding taskforce to bring everyone together to make better policy
September 29, 2025 at 5:28 PM
timdurrant.bsky.social
Dan Jarvis tells us about the importance of preparing for crises-this work doesn’t always attract the most attention, but when the world is acutely dangerous and the country faces challenging threats, it matters. He also talks about his role as minister for resilience across Cabinet and Home Offices
September 29, 2025 at 5:19 PM
timdurrant.bsky.social
Great crowd hearing all about the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk and the @britishredcross.bsky.social’s work on ministerial leadership during crises, and how they can support communities facing crises. Chuffed that ministers Dan Jarvis and Emma Hardy have joined us!
September 29, 2025 at 5:16 PM
timdurrant.bsky.social
We've literally just closed the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk live blog with this fantastic wrap-up from the team... and government has announced MORE changes! Michael Shanks is no longer doing two jobs...

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/seve...
Michael Shanks MP as Minister of State in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Chris McDonald MP as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Department for Business and Trade Liz Lloyd CBE as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and the Department for Business and Trade, and Baroness in Waiting (Government Whip) His Majesty has also been pleased to signify His intention of conferring a Peerage of the United Kingdom for Life on Liz Lloyd CBE.
September 11, 2025 at 4:01 PM
timdurrant.bsky.social
Fascinating analysis from @paddy-mcalary.bsky.social on the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk blog of the new ministers: 14 of the 19 new MPs in their first ministerial role were previously parliamentary private secretaries

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/live-blog/st...
A table from the IfG showing the parliamentary private secretary roles that newly-appointed ministers held before being appointed - the original table is available at https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/live-blog/starmer-reshuffle-september-2025
September 9, 2025 at 9:53 AM
timdurrant.bsky.social
What happened with ministerial changes over the weekend? @instituteforgovernment.org.uk has kept an eye on it - there are *62* ministers in new roles, meaning around half the government are in a new role today

Keep an eye on our analysis here:

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/live-blog/st...
Chart from the Institute for Govt showing the degree of change in the reshuffle
September 8, 2025 at 11:48 AM
timdurrant.bsky.social
I bet he wishes he’d thought of that
Senior Labour figures tell Keir Starmer to stop making mistakes
September 7, 2025 at 7:34 PM
timdurrant.bsky.social
So some new ministerial appointments after all - including a new role created as chief sec to the PM. Darren Jones has clearly impressed at the Treasury - will he be able to get things done in No10? Or will this just be another person trying to "deliver"...
The King has been pleased to approve the following appointments: The Rt Hon Darren Jones MP as Minister of State (Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister) at the Cabinet Office. James Murray MP as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Daniel Tomlinson MP as a Parliamentary Secretary (Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury) in His Majesty’s Treasury.
September 1, 2025 at 8:38 AM
timdurrant.bsky.social
Eg (though not quite the same slant - government should also be clear when information it publishes is being misinterpreted)
The government should work closely with these users of transparency information to ensure it is as useful as possible for them. Understanding how information might be used allows government to publish it in the most useful way. This will help avoid what the Cabinet Office described as “lots of data, little insight”.65 Officials aiming to make information public should work with potential users to understand when, and how often, it should be published; what format for publication may be most accessible; and what level of detail is necessary.
August 5, 2025 at 2:15 PM
timdurrant.bsky.social
This from @stephenkb.bsky.social is spot on - tallies with what we said @instituteforgovernment.org.uk last year on the benefits of greater transparency to government, when done well

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
Better collection and transparency around data is a prerequisite to improve trust, but it also requires a government that is willing to talk about what that data shows and what it means, and to push back against malign use of it.
August 5, 2025 at 2:15 PM
timdurrant.bsky.social
The new requirement that ministers repay their severance payments if they break the revolving door rules is based on an "expectation" that ministers will sign something committing to do so. Interesting- I think this is the first time ministers have been asked to sign their commitment to the rules?
A parliamentary question from Baroness Finn: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 21 July (HLWS867), what legal mechanism will be used to require a minister to repay severance payments following a breach of the Business Appointment Rules. Answered by Baroness Anderson, 31 July 2025: The Ministerial Code is clear that the Business Appointment Rules apply to former ministers after they leave office. Ministers will also be expected to sign waivers to confirm that they will repay their severance payment in the event they are found to have seriously breached the Business Appointment Rules.
August 4, 2025 at 9:22 AM
timdurrant.bsky.social
IS HIS FIRST INNOVATION GOING TO BE MAKING EVERYTHING SHOUTY?
A headline from a gov.uk press release in all caps: PERMANENT SECRETARY DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS APPOINTED
July 30, 2025 at 3:34 PM
timdurrant.bsky.social
This is one of the discussions I’ve most been looking forward to - ethical standards across public services. As Amerdeep Somal says of her organisation, the local government ombudsman, “helps keep public services honest”

Watch here: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/nolan-...
A panel of speakers at the Institute for Government
June 19, 2025 at 1:08 PM
timdurrant.bsky.social
Interesting from No10 - a new "expert adviser" on health (I think there are some on other policy areas too?)

A way of getting in expert advice from someone the PM trusts and whose opinion he values? Great!

Interesting if No10 are realising they need more support from experts?
gov.uk press release: Axel Heitmueller has been appointed as the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Health. The Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser will advise ministers and drive forward the Government’s vision for health and social care. Axel brings with him extensive experience working in the healthcare sector as CEO of Imperial College Health Partners and Executive Director of Strategy at the Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust Hospital.
June 9, 2025 at 4:07 PM
timdurrant.bsky.social
The govt has published info on the tax that the PM, deputy PM and chancellor paid before entering govt - most of their earnings came from their salaries as MPs and members of the opposition, and some from book royalties.

But Starmer earned £5k in bank interest, compared to Rachel Reeves' £64...
Tax return showing Keir Starmer's income in 2023/24 Tax return showing Rachel Reeves' income in 2023/24
April 14, 2025 at 4:06 PM
timdurrant.bsky.social
New from @drmatthewgill.bsky.social on the latest cuts to public bodies - start with what you want government to actually be doing, not how many organisations you want

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/pat-...
The number of bodies is the wrong measure of success Reforms often seek to reduce the number of bodies – an easy metric on which the media can focus – rather than identifying functions that are not needed. Merging existing functions (for example the creation of the UK Health Security Agency), moving functions into government departments (as with the UK Border Agency) or even privatising them (some functions of the Audit Commission), can create an illusion that major savings are being made when they aren’t. In previous purges, the government has not been good at eliminating functions. As a result, public body numbers have been significantly reduced over the years, but staff numbers and costs have not. Sometimes, the government has even found it necessary to rebuild those functions it has disbanded later (as in the Audit Commission’s case, or in small business finance where the British Business Bank partly replaced the Industrial and Commercial Finance Corporation, privatised as 3i).
April 10, 2025 at 3:06 PM
timdurrant.bsky.social
Missed this from a few days ago - in No10 of an expert adviser on education and skills, working across government.

A new model of super spad? Someone who's an expert in their field and can cut through departmental siloes? Sounds very sensible!
10 Downing Street press release: Oli de Botton has been appointed as the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Education and Skills. The Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser will advise ministers and drive forward the Government’s vision for education and skills. Oli brings with him extensive experience working in education and skills as a teacher, adviser, headteacher and national CEO.
April 7, 2025 at 9:54 AM
timdurrant.bsky.social
Cabinet Office press release: Thousands of pounds have also been spent in recent years on goods branded with department logos or slogans—including mugs, jumpers, water bottles, and even fidget cubes. Dr Evil
April 7, 2025 at 8:31 AM
timdurrant.bsky.social
Does the left hand know what the right hand is doing? Why brief no 1 on Monday if you're going to do no 2 on Thursday?
A news story from 10 March saying "NHS England to cut workforce by half as Streeting restructures" Today's BBC live report: "Starmer scraps NHS England to bring health service back under 'democratic control'"
March 13, 2025 at 11:14 AM