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Ministers must be challenged on misleading statements, says former cabinet secretary

Former cabinet secretary Lord O’Donnell today expressed frustration with ministers who make false statements or skew statistics, a trend he says is eroding public trust in government. Speaking at an […]

UK appointments regulator condemns briefings against civil servants

First civil service commissioner Ian Watmore condemned briefings against civil servants today. “I absolutely, absolutely hate it,” he told an online evidence session for the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs […]

Who’s in? A round-up of Biden’s recent nominations for key policy roles

US president Joe Biden this week announced a slew of nominees for positions in his administration, including his choice for federal chief information officer (CIO). In a series of statements […]

Pandemic spending failing to build back better so far, report finds

Just 2.5% of all spending – and 18% of long-term economic recovery measures – announced by governments in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic last year is earmarked for green […]

How to raise taxes without unleashing a firestorm: lessons from former UK chancellors

The question of how to raise taxes without prompting public anger and media criticism will be on the minds of policymakers around the world as they begin to consider the […]

Treat pandemic preparedness as a national security issue, says former UK PM Tony Blair

Governments must treat future pandemic preparedness as a “national security” issue, developing shared systems for identifying mutations and new viruses, former UK prime minister Tony Blair said last Friday. While […]

Lithuania showcases regtech prototype amid focus on anti-money laundering efforts

Lithuania’s central bank, Lietuvos Bankas, showcased a new regulatory technology (regtech) protoype this week that automates reporting procedures, cutting the administrative burden for financial market participants. The prototype – developed […]

Trust in public services soars in New Zealand due to handling of COVID-19

Trust in New Zealand’s public sector surged between December 2019 and December 2020 following the government’s successful response to COVID-19, according to results from an online survey. More than two-thirds […]

WTO appoints Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as new director general

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) appointed its first woman and first African director general, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Monday. Okonjo-Iweala takes the helm after the Biden administration endorsed her appointment […]

UK abandons redundancy cap following legal challenges

The UK government has repealed new regulations that limited exit payments for departing public sector staff to £95,000 (US$132,000), after its policy was challenged in the courts by unions and […]