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Philip Nye

@philipnye.bsky.social
2.6K followers 331 following 274 posts

Senior data scientist @instituteforgovernment.org.uk • Words and numbers on what the govt is up to, edu policy, doing data at a thinktank • Bilingual: 🐍/SQL • Sign up to the IfG newsletter: bit.ly/3xDINTz

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Philip Nye @philipnye.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Making it 16 months in total since the departure of the last permanent holder of the office The government had previously given the recruitment of a Nat Stat as something to achieve before recruiting a UK Statistics Authority chair (now also without a permanent occupant in 12 months)
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Megan Bryer @meganbryer.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
One week in and Andy Burnham's government is up and running. So who are the new ministers and what do Burnham's appointments tell us about how he wants to run his govt? Here's our @instituteforgovernment.org.uk top 6 takeaways - with @rebeccamckee.bsky.social and @philipnye.bsky.social 🧵...
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Six things we learned from Andy Burnham’s government formation | Institute for Government
What do Andy Burnham’s cabinet choices reveal about the priorities and direction of his new government?
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Rebecca McKee @rebeccamckee.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
We've crunched the numbers on Burnham's new government to bring you up to speed with the new faces around the cabinet table, and what Burnham's choices tell us about how he wants to run his government. New from @meganbryer.bsky.social, @philipnye.bsky.social and I 👇👇
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Six things we learned from Andy Burnham’s government formation | Institute for Government
What do Andy Burnham’s cabinet choices reveal about the priorities and direction of his new government?
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Philip Nye @philipnye.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
I’ve now made a full-government version of this Of the 92 MPs in Burnham’s government, 11 represent constituencies in Greater Manchester The north west has 16 in total, equalling the number from London and Yorkshire and the Humber
A small multiple of bar charts from the Institute for Government, showing the number of ministers by constituency region for the Starmer and Burnham governments in July 2026. The North West has the 16 ministers under Burnham, up from 10 under Starmer, and equalling the number in London and Yorkshire and the Humber
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Rebecca McKee @rebeccamckee.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
It's been a busy week in government, and at the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk We've been keeping up with the key moves and announcements this week, so you don't have to Here's a round up of my top picks of analysis from my excellent colleagues 🧵
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
He wants to be adored – Burnham’s people-pleasing policy debut | Institute for Government
The Manchester Mill's Joshi Herrman joins the podcast team to explore Andy Burnham's first week as prime minister.
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Rebecca McKee @rebeccamckee.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
New @instituteforgovernment.org.uk comment from me and @aliceolilly.bsky.social Burnham is right to identify parliament as a source of useful scrutiny rather than a problem to be managed, but fixing relations with MPs will require more than warm words and should be backed by bigger changes.
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Fixing relations with MPs will require more than warm words from Andy Burnham | Institute for Government
Andy Burnham should be prepared to redistribute power in Parliament.
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Alan Smith @theboysmithy.ft.com · 21/07/2026
By my reckoning the median latitude of the cabinet has shifted north from Wolverhampton/Leicester to betwixt Sheffield and Knowsley ...
A pair of maps comparing the locations of the constituencies between Starmer's outgoing cabinet and Andy Burnham's new cabinet. There is a greater cluster of MPs now in the North West
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Heloise Dunlop @hcdunlop.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Good thread from @gavinfreeguard.com about the decision to split DSIT. It struggled with its ability to influence (esp. as digital centre of govt) across govt, hiring senior roles, and has just had a reorg with the move of GDS in 2024. But the new depts have big & more varied (& unrelated) briefs
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Philip Nye @philipnye.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
A landmark moment, as the cabinet reaches gender parity for the first time
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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Major machinery of govt changes including - finally! - the creation of an Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet Long overdue and excellent news that the Burnham govt has grasped this nettle questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-stat...
questions-statements.parliament.uk
Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament
Information from UK Parliament on written questions & answers, written statements and daily reports.
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Rebecca McKee @rebeccamckee.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Andy Burnham is holding his first cabinet meeting as prime minister and there are a few new faces around the table. Key appointments were confirmed late yesterday, so we've updated our @instituteforgovernment.org.uk chart to show where we currently stand with ministerial appointments 👇
A chart setting out confirmed and new appointments in Andy Burnham's cabinet as of 12:30pm on 21st July 2026. It shows all the cabinet positions have been filled, some ministers of state have been confirmed but others are yet to be confirmed as either staying in post or leaving.
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Philip Nye @philipnye.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
One question that’s come up a couple of times: where do Andy Burnham’s new cabinet represent as MPs? The north west has been the big gainer, with seven cabinet ministers holding seats there – of whom, five are in Greater Manchester
A small multiple of bar charts from the Institute for Government, showing the number of cabinet ministers by constituency region for the Starmer and Burnham governments in July 2026. The North West has the highest number of cabinet ministers under either government, with seven under Burnham
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Philip Nye @philipnye.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
As cabinet appointments start to come in, a reminder that we (@instituteforgovernment.org.uk) hold a database of all ministerial appointments back to 1979 It's easy to look up all the previous holders of a post, all the roles someone has had etc: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers-da...
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
IfG Ministers Database | Institute for Government
Search our database of all government ministers since 1979.
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Jill Rutter @jillongovt.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Its a sad ending for Britain's first woman Chancellor (as Theresa May once said - hopefully not the last) as Rachel Reeves returns to the backbenches. But she bears a lot of the responsibility for the failures of the Starmer government. The biggest mistakes were before the 2024 election
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Rebecca McKee @rebeccamckee.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
The two ministers who have resigned today were both direct ministerial appointments (appointed to the Lords by Starmer to serve in government) As PM Starmer appointed ten of these - you can read more about these posts and how they're appointed in our @instituteforgovernment.org.uk explainer
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Direct ministerial appointments to the House of Lords | Institute for Government
If the prime minister wants to appoint a minister who is not a sitting MP or serving peer, they must ennoble them.
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Amber Dellar @amberdellar.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Good news, and... One of the big positives in the Starmer govt’s approach was its move beyond a narrow focus on rough sleeping. Burnham should make sure this pledge sits within a broader prevention strategy - not simply drive more spending on poor-value temporary accommodation to meet the target
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Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 20/07/2026
For updates on ministerial changes including 'the' IfG chart follow @rebeccamckee.bsky.social, @meganbryer.bsky.social & @philipnye.bsky.social who will be keeping a close eye on who's who and what this means in government www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/burn...
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Burnham’s first reshuffle should resist a sweeping change of junior ministers | Institute for Government
Beyond refreshing his Cabinet, keeping most ministers in their current roles is Burnham’s best chance of getting things done in government.
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Rebecca McKee @rebeccamckee.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Ahead of Burnham's first speech as PM here's the latest from @instituteforgovernment.org.uk on how he can hit the ground running ✅A 25 point plan for tackling the big issues in the civil service, centre of gvt, public services, constitutional reform and the skills he needs to show from the start
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
The next prime minister: How can Andy Burnham hit the ground running? | Institute for Government
A 25-point plan for Andy Burnham as he succeeds Keir Starmer in No.10.
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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Move increases the chances of a whole new ministerial team at MoJ, with Lammy widely expected to lose his role as justice secretary. The most damning thing is that by staying for two years, Timpson has become the longest serving prisons minister *for 15 years*. This level of turnover is so damaging!
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Rebecca McKee @rebeccamckee.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
No live blog from us today, instead we'll be bringing you expert insights and analysis from across the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk - starting with this from @cassiarowland.bsky.social who leads our work on criminal justice
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Alice Lilly @aliceolilly.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
It's England's world cup semi-finals day. Forget team selection dilemmas and xG analysis. What you really want is a really nerdy deep-dive into football, pub opening hours, and what they tell you about the most important form of legislation that you may never have heard of. Let's go.
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Amber Dellar @amberdellar.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
NEW REPORT: how to make a success of SEND reform Government needs to get off the sidelines and build a SEND system that makes it easier for schools, councils and health services to work together. Our new report sets out how 🧵
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Joining up SEND | Institute for Government
How to begin fixing SEND by making the system more joined-up.
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Philip Nye @philipnye.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
There are risks to the 2031 Census because of challenges the ONS is still grappling with, the interim chair of the UK Stats Authority is to warn today, according to FT reporting www.ft.com/content/e99c...
A screenshot of the FT's story, reading "The UK’s Office for National Statistics faces a huge challenge in preparing for the crucial once-a-decade census while it is still struggling to stabilise core economic data, a top official is set to warn on Thursday. 

Penny Young, interim chair of the UK Statistics Authority, is to deliver a lecture on the state of the statistical system, a year after the first such annual event was originally meant to take place, and in the absence of a permanent chair or a national statistician."
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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
NEW REPORT: How to deliver digital transformation in public services. Successive governments have looked to digital solutions for problems facing public services – with varying success. We’ve looked at past examples and drawn out 7 lessons for people working on future programmes:
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
How to deliver digital transformation in public services | Institute for Government
A practical guide to improve the design and delivery of digital transformation programmes in public services.
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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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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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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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Rebecca McKee @rebeccamckee.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
4 quick thoughts on the King's Speech 1) It's BIG - 37 bills in the background briefing including carried over and draft bills Very unusual for a second parliamentary session - it's very unlikely all of these will end up on the statute book by the end of the session
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Stuart Hoddinott @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
NEW REPORT: the government claims that it wants public services to be more devolved, better integrated, and more focused on prevention With a raft of reform programmes now underway in services, are they on track to achieve those aims? www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Devolution, integration, prevention: Do the government’s public service reform plans add up? | Institute for Government
There is a mismatch between the government's stated aims for public service reform and how departments are driving change.
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Philip Nye @philipnye.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Chinese agents must be discovering the pleasures of delayed responses, incorrectly applied exemptions and lengthy appeals
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Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 03/03/2026
What did we learn from the OBR's forecast? @danhaile.bsky.social gives his reaction to the 2026 spring forecast and tells us why the chancellor was right to preserve a buffer against her fiscal rules. More analysis to follow www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/spring-forec...
A quote from Dan Haile, IfG senior economist 

"Despite lots of moving parts, the OBR forecast for the UK economy and the public finances hasn’t changed much. However, international events will continue to pose risks which is why the chancellor was right to build up more of a buffer against her fiscal rules last November and to preserve that buffer today."
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Stuart Hoddinott @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
The civil service people survey results are out DHSC has the largest drop in engagement (staff morale) among Whitehall departments, 6ppts from 63% to 57% The dept also had a *13 ppt* drop for its leadership and managing change theme Seems like NHS England abolition is causing serious discontent
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Amber Dellar @amberdellar.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
We're developing recommendations for central government to support better coordination in the SEND system. Have a read of the comment if you'd like a taste of some of the issues we'll be thinking about, and if you have any thoughts please get in touch!
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Philip Nye @philipnye.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
🚨 Results from the 2025 Civil Service People Survey have been published Last year these showed deteriorating morale at the Office for National Statistics – especially around change management The 2025 results show a slight further dip in overall morale - but bad results again on change mgmt (1/3)
A line chart from the Institute for Government showing civil servant engagement, ONS and whole civil service, 2010–25, in which morale at the ONS has dropped every year since 2020
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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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Hannah Keenan @hannahkeenan.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
New data! Looks like civil servants were about as happy in 2025 as they were in 2024 (which I think is quite impressive given big exit schemes happening) @instituteforgovernment.org.uk will be digging into the new civil service people survey scores to get under the skin of how CS are feeling...
A line chart from the Institute for Government of civil servant engagement, 2010 to 2025, where engagement rises from just under 50% to a peak in 2020. It then falls slightly for three consecutive years before rising slightly again in 2024 and staying the same in 2025.
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Martha Ford @martha-ford.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
New comment from @danhaile.bsky.social, @jillongovt.bsky.social and me on why next Tuesday's spring forecast should ideally be a fiscal "non-event". We don't expect major shifts in the economic outlook, and so shouldn't see the "knee-jerk" policy responses of past spring statements.
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Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 24/02/2026
Will Rachel Reeves’s 2026 spring forecast be as low key as promised? @danhaile.bsky.social @martha-ford.bsky.social @jillongovt.bsky.social assess whether the chancellor will be able to avoid creating headlines and what we might expect on 3 March www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/rach...
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Will Rachel Reeves’s 2026 spring forecast be as low key as promised? | Institute for Government
The government is right to approach 3 March as a fiscal ‘non-event’.
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Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 20/02/2026
Looking to kickstart your career in communications? Applications are now open for our 2026-27 Communications Internship, starting in September 2026. ⏰Closing date: Monday 9 March at 10:00am Find out more www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/about-us/car...
A job advert for a communications intern, starting in September 2026. The salary is £32,000 per annum. Applications close on Monday 9 March, 10:00
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Philip Nye @philipnye.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Great new explainer on the May elections from our devo team - full of charts and maps @meganisaac.bsky.social @matthewfright.bsky.social @akashpaun.bsky.social
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Jack Burrows-Worlidge @jackworlidge.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
Analysis of government spending on consultancy services has become a solid feature of Whitehall Monitor (2026 edition out today!) in recent years. This year it's particularly pertinent given the government's focus on cutting spending. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Whitehall Monitor 2026 | Institute for Government
Labour’s efforts to ‘rewire the state’ aren’t addressing longstanding workforce problems.
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Heloise Dunlop @hcdunlop.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
This year's Whitehall Monitor deep dive into how the civil service is looking under this govt reveals familiar and longstanding problems. This govt has strongly advocated for digital transformation and AI to boost productivity - but it's not clear it's going about it in the right way (1/3)
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Ben Paxton @drbenpaxton.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
Government is looking for efficiencies within its tight spending plans: 16% back office cuts, 'technical' efficiencies as big as the MoJ budget (£13.8bn) and a reheated Sunak-era blanket 5% savings target Some thoughts on how these all add up from the IfG's Whitehall Monitor report out today...
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Hannah Keenan @hannahkeenan.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
👇In which I explain that while civil service reform may not be the most glamorous thing a government could focus on, they absolutely need to do it. A year and a half on from entering gov the civil service hasn't meaningfully changed. Gov needs a plan to make that happen.
politicshome.com
The government promised to rewire the British state – so, where is the plan?
If you were disappointed with your presents this Christmas, spare a thought for the recipient of one of the more formidable festive gifts of recent...
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Philip Nye @philipnye.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
We’ve today published Whitehall Monitor 2026 As well as being your guide to whether Labour is making progress on rewiring the state (A: definitely still a work in progress) it also contains some fantastic data viz Some of my highlights 🧵
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Hannah Keenan @hannahkeenan.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
📢NEW REPORT📢 Every year @instituteforgovernment.org.uk sets out the latest on the civil service - size, professions, pay, morale. You name it, we analyse it. This year's report is out today. If you're interested in state capacity, you should be interested in what's happening in the civil service. 🧵
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Whitehall Monitor 2026 | Institute for Government
Labour’s efforts to ‘rewire the state’ aren’t addressing longstanding workforce problems.
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Sophie Metcalfe @sophiemetcalfe.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
NEW report from @nehaldavison.bsky.social and I. Why have successive governments failed to tackle persistent inequalities in early years outcomes? We set out 5 systemic policy making failures that lead to some children being 'left behind'. 🧵⬇️ www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Policy making blind spots | Institute for Government
The systemic policy-making failures that have contributed to a sharp ‘cliff-edge’ in attainment levels.
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Toby Nangle @tobyn.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Nice dataviz from the ONS showing median wealth split by category at different points of the distribution: www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...
Median value of household wealth for the top 1%:
Property: £1.4mn
Private pension: £1.4mn
Finl portfolio: £640k
Physical wealth: £206k
Total: £3.66mn
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Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 27/11/2025
Autumn budget 2025: What did we learn from Rachel Reeves’ announcements? From tax rises to OBR forecasts and cost of living, our IfG experts give their verdict on the chancellor’s plans www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/autu...
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Autumn budget 2025: What did we learn from Rachel Reeves’ announcements? | Institute for Government
IfG experts review the key things we learnt from the 2025 budget.
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