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Jack Burrows-Worlidge

@jackworlidge.bsky.social
177 followers 126 following 157 posts

Working on civil service @instituteforgovernment.org.uk. Former SpAd to Deputy Prime Minister at MoJ, parliamentary staffer, lobbyist. Views my own.

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Reposted by Jack Burrows-Worlidge
Giles Wilkes @gilesyb.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
substack.com/@institutefo... Nice substack from @jackworlidge.bsky.social on why officials should go to Conference. At the least, it may enhance their understanding of what has gone wrong int he world ...
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Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 25/09/2026
LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE | Getting things done: How can government deliver policy priorities? Heading to Liverpool? Join us on Monday 28 September at 10:30 with @davidpintod.bsky.social, James Reeve at PA Consulting, Felicity Slater, @jackworlidge.bsky.social and @hannahkeenan.bsky.social
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Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 24/09/2026
LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE 2026 | Getting things done: How can government deliver policy priorities? 📅 Monday 28 September, 10:30–11:30 Join us in Liverpool as our expert panel explore how Andy Burnham's government can effectively deliver its agenda www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/ifg-la...
An image for an IfG event at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool. 

Getting things done: How can government deliver policy priorities?
Monday 28 September | 10:30–11:30
Speakers:

James Reeve, Partner at PA Consulting
Felicity Slater, former special adviser in No.10, Cabinet Office, and HM Treasury
Jack Worlidge, Associate Director at the Institute for Government

This event will be chaired by Hannah Keenan, Associate Director at the Institute for Government. 

This event is in partnership with PA Consulting.
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Heloise Dunlop @hcdunlop.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Following on from @jackworlidge.bsky.social's analysis, here are a few other interesting things to pull out from this year's civil service stats (1/3)
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
The civil service team at @instituteforgovernment.org.uk has been busy today crunching the numbers of the Cabinet Office's annual civil service statistics release... As ever, plenty of interest! Couple of bits below ⬇️
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Ideal weekend reading.... A huge amount of analysis around the first week of the Burnham government from @instituteforgovernment.org.uk colleagues 👇
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Ben Paxton @drbenpaxton.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
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)
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Hannah White @drhannahwhite.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
We are hiring - just two weeks to go to apply for this rare senior role at the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk working with our brilliant team to make government work better for the people of the UK!
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Ruth Curtice @ruthcurtice.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Ahead of Reeves delivering what most people assume will be her final Mansion House speech we’ve been looking at the data on how the economic picture has changed over the past two years. What is Reeves’ legacy?
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
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.
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Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 07/07/2026
Nigel Farage has announced that he will resign as an MP and intends to stand in the Clacton by-election. Read our explainer on by-elections to find out how they work: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/by...
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
By-elections | Institute for Government
How are by-elections triggered?
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Tim Durrant @timdurrant.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Very timely as the government today confirms that Sir Anthony Finkelstein will lead the review on government's use of WhatsApp and other non-official ways of communicating inside government: www.gov.uk/government/n...
gov.uk
Independent Review of the Use of Non-corporate Communications Channels in Government
The appointment of an Independent Reviewer of the Use of Non-corporate Communications Channels in Government
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Tim Durrant @timdurrant.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Wouldn't dare to claim as much experience as Ciaran or Gus, and definitely not the two of them together, which is why it's great to see them come to the same conclusion I did for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk a couple of weeks ago: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/usin...
Again, some want to see this as proof that Starmer and his team are behaving in nefarious ways. But government has always relied on communications that are not accessible to all and that leave no formal trace: the spoken word is the original disappearing message. Much of government happens informally, and there are good reasons for lots of information to remain protected. While WhatsApp is the latest technology that facilitates this communication, this will always be a feature of government and it is naïve to expect otherwise. What matters is that ministers take decisions on the basis of detailed advice, and that the nature of that advice and the resulting decision are properly recorded and communicated (and preserved for posterity). Using WhatsApp along the way, even with disappearing messages turned on, is not inherently a problem.
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Good to see that access talks with Burnham (and other 'prospective candidates'...) have been confirmed today
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Paddy McAlary @paddy-mcalary.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
With another prime minister being forced to resign it is worth looking at the role in the context of recent history Since Brown took power in 2007 there has been seven (soon to be eight) PMs - compare that to the previous 30 odd years where the UK had only 3 PMs @instituteforgovernment.org.uk
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Paddy McAlary @paddy-mcalary.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Keir Starmer has announced his resignation, becoming the latest PM unable to see out a term in office But he won't stop being prime minister just yet - as the process to replace him gets underway Starmer will continue to man the ship as PM (but for how long depends on the Labour leadership contest)
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Cath Haddon @cathhaddon.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
So. Solution they’ve gone for (and Starmer suggested he at least had considered this) is nominations open 9 July and close by recess in third week of July). That’ll be to get the MPs PLUS affiliates/ CLP If no one else nominated then Burnham becomes PM by end of July Or full contest over summer
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
With Burnham's route to No10 looking far clearer, a lot more thought will be going into what he'll do once there. So @cathhaddon.bsky.social and I have set out for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk what prep for government involves & why it's harder for leadership contenders than opposition parties👇
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
A bit of a side note, today of all days, but @instituteforgovernment.org.uk analysis of yesteday's civil service staff numbers showed the civil service is *still* growing. FTE numbers were up almost 2,800 in Q1 2026 compared to Q4 2025. Very much continuing the trend of recent years
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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Policy changes create winners and losers It’s a truism that losers complain more than winners are grateful But we’re on a ludicrous path if those who lose out from policy decisions demand and then get compensation That’s a recipe for nothing being decided ever
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Megan Bryer @meganbryer.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Defence secretary John Healey has just resigned over the govt's Defence Investment Plan, writing that it "falls well short of what is required for defence and the country at this dangerous time". We're getting our @instituteforgovernment.org.uk resignation chart fired back up..
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
New data on officials' socio-economic backgrounds out today Despite slight changes, the broad pattern remains - the more senior the grade, the more of them are from higher socio-economic backgrounds. But always very notable just how high that proportion is in the SCS!
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Great news from @darrenpjones.bsky.social today - fantastic to see @instituteforgovernment.org.uk recommendation on performance-related pay progression introduced. This should be just part of a promised 'fundamental review and reset' of the long-broken SCS pay system..
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
It's unfortunate how a political statement of the obvious ('don't cause a contest, nothing will get done because people will be distracted') has been hugely over-interpreted into purdah-type restrictions..
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Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 13/05/2026
In the King's Speech, it was announced that the government will bring forward proposals to strengthen and improve the civil service. @alexgathomas.bsky.social says this is a huge moment for government reform. 📖 Read our view on how to achieve this www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Occurred to me this morning that the King's Speech debates open with a proposer & seconder from govt backbenches - conventionally one an older party stalwart and one new MP. Those MPs are lined up a long way in advance. You'd hope someone's checked which side they've come down on in recent days...?
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
I was also struck by how detailed this is. It's not necessarily unusual for oppositions to prep for govt to this extent - Labour in 2015 for example did an awful lot of in-depth work..
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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Really exciting news in the King’s Speech - delighted to see the govt adopting our ideas to legislate to strengthen and improve the civil service. Amid the political turbulence this should be a massive moment for government reform
"My Government will bring forward proposals that strengthen the delivery, accountability, innovation and productivity of the Civil Service. These proposals will also seek to safeguard its impartiality and core values, to enhance trust and confidence in the institutions of government.”
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
I think comparing the Starmer and Johnson lines is useful for defining the word 'herd'
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Westminster attention is very much not on policy issues today…but it still feels like a fitting time for two big reports setting out different visions for Labour's agenda 🧵 www.cityam.com/going-for-gr...
cityam.com
Going for growth? Labour groups set out competing visions for economic strategy
Both the left-wing Tribune group of MPs and the more centrist Labour Growth Group published pamphlets setting out economics policy ideas.
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Tim Durrant @timdurrant.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Great work from @meganbryer.bsky.social updating our @instituteforgovernment.org.uk ministerial resignation chart with Miatta Fahnbulleh's decision You can see our full list of resignations since 1979 here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
A chart showing how many ministers have resigned under different prime ministers; Starmer has seen the most ministers resign by this point in his premiership
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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
The grinding sound of bridges being rebuilt I guess this is a good message (suspect the hand of cab sec Antonia Romeo) but it’s all a bit civil-service-truth-to-power by rote More passion, curiosity and confidence should I think be the message www.thetimes.com/article/25d1...
thetimes.com
Keir Starmer tries to heal civil service rift after Mandelson scandal
PM urges officials to keep ‘speaking truth to power’ in a letter to more than 500,000 staff following the ‘unsettling’ dismissal of Olly Robbins
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Some superb interviews published by the IfG ministers team today....including this nugget 👇
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Hannah White @drhannahwhite.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
My reflections on parliament’s response to the Mandelson scandal. Scrutiny of the truth of what politicians say is rightly increasing but politicians need to make judicious use of strong accountability mechanisms www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/star...
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Starmer, Mandelson and parliamentary scrutiny: lessons for MPs | Institute for Government
Keir Starmer has avoided a Privileges Committee inquiry – but the use of parliament's transparency mechanisms is likely to rise.
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Cath Haddon @cathhaddon.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Just did a quick bit on the radio about the end of the Parliamentary session, prorogation and ping pong. All the Ps. So let's get into that....
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
As we listen to Philip Barton....some thoughts on the evidence on Mandelson vetting from Ian Collard, published by foreign affairs committee last night committees.parliament.uk/publications...
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
New weekend reading from me - Antonia Romeo is the first Cabinet Secretary in a decade (and there have been a few) to publish her performance objectives. Sounds a bit unremarkable, but there's more to it than meets the eye 👇
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Daniel Howes @howesdaniel.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
It's that time again... ONS Public Sector Employment dropped today, revealing a familiar pattern - the civil service just can't stop growing. An increase of 535 from Q3 2025 to Q4 2025 brings the total to 520,860 (FTE). @instituteforgovernment.org.uk
A line chart from the institute for Government showing how the size of the civil service has changed since 2009. It shrinks gradually to a minimum in 2016, but has been steadily increasing since then.
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
A hard-hitting report out today from the Public Accounts Committee on government use of external consultants. Lots which chimes with our @instituteforgovernment.org.uk analysis in Whitehall Monitor 2026. committees.parliament.uk/committee/12...
committees.parliament.uk
Chancellor’s pledge to cut billions in govt’s consultancy spending in doubt – PAC report - Committees - UK Parliament
Government is currently unable to deliver on its strategic objective to reduce spending on consultants. In a new report, the Public Accounts Committee not only casts doubt on government’s abilit...
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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
I wrote a piece for LBC on how proposed reforms to criminal trials actually risk making things worse, rather than better www.lbc.co.uk/article/crim...
lbc.co.uk
Criminal courts have a productivity problem. Scrapping jury trials will make it worse | LBC
There is a real risk that these reforms will only serve to make a dire situation even worse, writes Cassia Rowland
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
Lots of v good points in this from @neildotobrien.bsky.social - civil service performance management is rubbish. But important not to think that's unrecognised inside CS. It's the complaint you hear most often, at all seniorities - the problem is making fixing it a priority & sticking with it!
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Hannah Keenan @hannahkeenan.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Worth saying that DHSC was one of the morale success stories last year - engagement went up by 5 ppt between 2023 and 2024
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
We've got the full picture of what happened across the main themes in the people survey here 👇 A notable increase of almost 3 percentage points in officials' satisfaction with their pay and benefits And the fifth(!) consecutive year of falling satisfaction with 'leadership and managing change'
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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Extraordinary day of course for the royal family, the picture will live on for a long time. Also the sovereign is central to govt and important in many ways But people who spend a lot of time centring the royals can get royal-pilled. This is not (a) the abdication; (b) a war; (c) the fall of a govt
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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Our analysis of the likely impact of the gov’s jury trial reforms has got some attention! This is the courts minister's response to the justice select committee asking about my figures. Here’s why I don’t think it’s a fair assessment: (report here www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...)
A screenshot from a letter from the courts minister, Sarah Sackman MP, to the chair of the justice select committee, Andy Slaughter MP, which reads: 
The Institute for Government Report 
The Institute for Government’s Report on the court reforms referenced at the panel by Cassia Rowland is a useful contribution to the debate. However, we take issue with the report in two key respects. First, as the Department’s modelling, to be published with the Bill, will show, the IfG has understated the savings that can be achieved by the proposed reforms. This is understandable given they lack the complete data picture. 
Second, and perhaps more significantly, the IfG’s analysis assumes that court productivity could be restored to 2016 levels in a short space of time and that the backlog could be resolved without making significant reform. That is neither realistic nor does it account for the ways in which the system has changed over the last decade, with a backlog set to hit 100,000 open cases in a year from now. 
For example, Ms Rowland identified cancelled trials, resulting in wasted sitting days, as a major source of inefficiency. That reflects the workforce challenges and the lack of sufficient lawyers and judges in the system which I described above. That is a workforce issue which requires long term investment and will take years to resolve. The Government has begun to make that investment but it is not an issue which can be addressed in the short term.
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
New piece from @hannahkeenan.bsky.social, @hcdunlop.bsky.social and me. Our take on the task facing the new cabinet secretary 👇
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
An old debate, but this is (mostly) the right answer - current job is way too big for one person. But 'chief advisor' bit is confused. The cab sec part of the job *is* being principal policy adviser to the PM...
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Romeo was always the bold choice and is more likely than Wormald to drive the change the civil service needs. But after recent briefing she's appointed under a bit of a cloud. Not knowing where that will go makes this feel risky - and Starmer *really* can't afford another appointment going south
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
That really was an expedited process
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Hannah Keenan @hannahkeenan.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Antonia Romeo appointed as cabinet secretary - @alexgathomas.bsky.social and I wrote last week about the challenges ahead for her and what lessons need to be taken from Wormald's tenure: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/next...
bbc.co.uk
Starmer appoints Antonia Romeo as head of UK civil service
Dame Antonia will be the first woman to hold the post and replaces Sir Chris Wormald as the UK's top civil servant.
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