We’ve had missions. We’ve got foundations. We had some first steps. And now we have milestones.

So what are they? Are targets a sensible way to go about governing? How do they change the way civil servants work? Whose heads roll if targets aren’t met? And has Keir Starmer even chosen the type of targets that the voters care about.

Anand, Paul and Hannah have read every word (probably) in Keir Starmer’s Plan for Change, and are here to tell you exactly what the targets say, whether they can be reached, and what they mean for Starmer and his Labour government.

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With the assisted dying bill dominating discussions and debates in Westminster, former House of Commons clerk David Natzler joins Hannah and Paul to explain how private members’ bills work – and why they sometimes don’t.

The bill to legislate for assisted dying isn’t a government bill. It hasn’t emerged from a Whitehall department. And it isn’t being steered through parliament by a minister. It is a private member’s bill, introduced by a Labour backbencher – Kim Leadbetter – whose name was drawn from a ballot.

So why might that be an issue? Has this particular bill exposed the disadvantages of this way of legislating? And what might be a better way of allowing backbenchers to make law?

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What does Donald Trump’s plan to make America great again mean for everyone else? What do tariffs actually achieve and who feels the pain or reaps the benefits? Will Trump’s America First vision push the UK towards the EU? Could the UK’s defence spending rise - and what might that mean for public services? Is there any chance of a US/UK trade deal happening? And does the US result tell us what voters might be looking for here at the next general election here?

Hannah, Paul and Anand assemble in the podcast studio to make sense of some of the many questions facing the UK – and Keir Starmer – since Donald Trump’s election triumph confirmed his return to the White House.

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It is nearly a week since Rachel Reeves set out her Halloween Budget – the first from a Labour government in 14 years. So who are the winners? Who are the losers? Do the numbers add up? How big are the numbers? And have manifesto promises been broken along the way?

Former Treasury special adviser Sonia Khan joins Paul and Anand to crunch the budget sums, dig into the chancellor’s plans and strategies, and explain what it all means for the government, for the economy, and for everyone who listens to the Expert Factor.

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Remember the days when Keir Starmer used to campaign for a second Brexit referendum? Since the general election we hear rather more about the Labour government wanting to reset the UK’s relations with the EU.

So have there been any substantial changes in the relationship so far? How likely is it that the government will be able to successfully negotiate on any trade barriers? What about Labour's plan for a security pact with the EU - what could this look like? And from the EU's perspective, is there even any appetite for closer relations?

Brexit expert Jill Rutter, of both UKICE and the IfG, dials in from Madrid to join Anand and Paul for am expert tour across the UK’s post-Brexit landscape

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Nobody wants to be in debt? To find themselves owing money? Or to end up paying back high levels of interest?

But it has been reported that Rachel Reeves is looking to adjust the government’s rules to allow her to borrow more.

So what’s the chancellor thinking? How can the government borrow more? What can it spend money on if it borrows more? If the rules are so quick to change then why doesn’t every chancellor do it? And what actually happens if the government racks up a bigger debt?

Well, take a deep breath, get your calculators out, and let the Expert Factor tell you all about it.

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How does power work in government? Where does power really sit in government? And how can power best be given away from government?

The Expert Factor team aren’t exactly known for being 24-hour festival people – but when it comes to a festival about policy they are properly in the mood.

And in this special recording for this year’s Policy Festival, Hannah, Anand and Paul explore how policy is made (and could be made better through) with a fascinating discussion taking in missions, devolution, ministers, money and much more.

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Hannah, Paul and Anand – with some snazzy new remote podcast recording equipment – met up at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham to record a special episode of the Expert Factor. So what is the mood? How does it compare to Labour’s get together in Liverpool? Has the Conservative party reflected on its historic defeat and considered how it might govern differently? And are there any announcements that we need to be paying attention to?

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How many people claim benefits in this country? Who should be allowed to claim benefits? How much money does the government spend on benefits?

Questions about benefits are back on the agenda. The row over cutting the winter fuel allowance is ongoing. Keir Starmer is insisting that most people who claim benefits should be looking for work. And the government is planning to legislate to stop benefit fraud. So is the government taking the right approach for bringing the benefits bill down?

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THE EXPERT FACTOR: Each week the directors of three leading and respected think tanks – Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Hannah White of the Institute for Government, and Anand Menon of UK in a Changing Europe – get together to discuss, explore and explain the big questions and policy challenges that will be faced by the Labour government, dominate debate in Westminster and beyond, and shape the political landscape for years to come.

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How angry should people be about Keir Starmer’s free gift list? How does a confusing set of rules governing standards and ethics in public life actually work? Whatever happened to Labour's grand plans for reform? And what can the PM due to reset the narrative?

The IfG’s standards expert Tim Durrant joins Hannah and Anand to get beyond the row over Keir Starmer’s new suits and Arsenal tickets and explore how the standards system works - and often doesn’t - and what could be done to fix it.

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THE EXPERT FACTOR: Each week the directors of three leading and respected think tanks – Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Hannah White of the Institute for Government, and Anand Menon of UK in a Changing Europe – get together to discuss, explore and explain the big questions and policy challenges that will be faced by the Labour government, dominate debate in Westminster and beyond, and shape the political landscape for years to come. Produced by Milo Hynes.

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What exactly is a National Wealth Fund? Lots of other countries have one - or something similar. In fact, there are 179 of them - holding up to $12.4 trillion in assets.

And now the Labour government is going to set one up too. So how do they work? Where does the money come from? Where does the money go? What are the opportunities? And what are the risks? And how might Rachel Reeves’ wealth fund vision play out?

Hannah and Paul are joined by top macroeconomist, finance expert, development specialist and sustainability adviser Sony Kapoor to explain all.

THE EXPERT FACTOR is the podcast for people who haven’t had enough of experts. Each week the directors of three leading and respected think tanks – Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Hannah White of the Institute for Government, and Anand Menon of UK in a Changing Europe – get together to discuss, debate and explain the big questions and themes that will shape the election – and the political landscape for years to come. 

Produced by Milo Hynes and Podmasters.

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