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Brexit battle scars: in conversation with Theresa May’s chief of staff
As senior aide to Theresa May, Gavin Barwell was in a unique position to guide the prime minister as she tried to navigate the UK’s turbulent split from the EU. Mia Hunt hears him discuss his boss’s Brexit mistakes, the fragilities around Northern Ireland, and why May was right not to fire Boris Johnson. It…
The politics of personalities: how three bad behaviours shaped Brexit
Analysis: Politics may be fought in the language of principles and philosophies, but personality often decides the victor. Digging through a new set of interviews on Britain’s Brexit journey, Matt Ross picks out three ill-judged behaviours that fatally undermined the efforts of political leaders In the run-up to the June 2016 EU referendum, the Leave…
Secret story: inside the delivery suite with the reluctant midwives of Brexit
In-depth interviews with Conservative special advisers and ministers reveal the moments that shaped Britain’s exit from the EU. Matt Ross explores the strategic errors and political calculations that led two Remain-supporting prime ministers to pave the way for an extreme form of Brexit The roots of Brexit go deep. Within a few years of the…
How the Tories’ new direction left government directionless, and other Brexit stories
Brexiteers have long accused civil servants of hampering the UK’s exit from the EU. But new interviews with leading Tory ministers and advisers paint a very different picture – one in which, despite the best efforts of officials, Tory leaders’ miscalculations and in-fighting stymie progress. Adam Branson reports Ever since 2016, Brexit-supporting politicians and newspapers…
Black comedy of errors: how the UK accidentally left the Single Market, and other Brexit stories
Newly published interviews with key figures involved in Brexit reveal how a lack of expertise led to major mistakes – and suggest that the UK government deliberately built an inexperienced team to handle this crucial issue. Catherine Early reports In October 2016, three months after the Brexit referendum, UK prime minister Theresa May made a…
‘An iconoclastic government’: former DEXEU chief Philip Rycroft on threats to the UK and its democracy
Philip Rycroft ran both the UK’s Brexit department, and Whitehall’s relations with the devolved governments. Now the former permanent secretary is speaking out: the Johnson government, he says, is ‘challenging the democratic basis of our system’ and boosting support for Scottish independence. Interview by Matt Ross “There is no tradition at the UK government level…
Construction or demolition? Explaining Boris’s new Brexit battle
UK PM Boris Johnson had been wildly happy about his new EU exit deal; then he introduced a law undermining both it, and the last round of trade negotiations. Speaking with two former permanent secretaries of the UK’s EU exit department, Matt Ross asks whether Johnson is applying firm leverage – or deliberately sabotaging the…
Former UK diplomatic chief warns of declining influence overseas
The UK’s global influence is in decline, the former head of the country’s foreign office has argued – with Brexit and an over-controlling Number 10 at the heart of the problem. In an opinion piece published by the Financial Times, former Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) permanent under-secretary Simon Fraser – who led the FCO…
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Discover independent research reports, surveys and in-depth studies from Global Government Forum and knowledge partners, exploring the most important issues facing governments and the public sector. Our research provides practical insights and evidence-based recommendations for senior civil servants, policymakers and public sector leaders. Our reports combine exclusive survey data, expert analysis and interviews with government leaders from around the world to help public sector organisations improve performance, inform policy and deliver better outcomes for citizens.
Empowering Public Servants to Make Confident, Informed Decisions with Data and AI
Governments around the world are working hard to extract – and act upon – the insights held in their vast data stores, and to embrace AI and the promise it holds for innovation and transformation. At the same time, economic pressures and constrained budgets are compelling public servants to do more with fewer resources, while governments are called to respond quickly and effectively to complex challenges.
Against this backdrop, data and AI can help those working in government both to streamline their workflows and make fast, informed decisions. This in turn drives efficiency and can unlock productivity gains – and ultimately lead to improved performance and better services for citizens.
Global Government Forum surveyed over 600 civil servants worldwide to understand how data and AI are being used in government decision-making and where there are further challenges and opportunities.
Read this report for insight into how governments are using data and AI in decision-making today and the potential for the future; the major challenges to using data and AI in decision-making and how to overcome them; and how AI agents can be used in decision-making.
The report includes examples of data and AI in decision-making from countries including the UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada, Singapore, the US, and more.
(Published September 2025)
Making Government Work: Five Pillars of a Modern, Effective Civil Service
Around the world, governments are dealing with substantial challenges – from economic stagnation to the transition to net zero, military conflicts and cyber threats. Governments are also grappling with shifting geopolitics and the rise of populism – and all of these factors are set against the emergence of new technologies, including generative AI, which have the potential to fundamentally transform every aspect of society, but which also pose huge ethical, security and regulatory questions for the public sector.
The Making Government Work: Five pillars of a modern, effective civil service report was undertaken to help identify the key characteristics needed in a modern public service, with priorities ranging across leadership, digital service delivery, workforce development, cross-departmental integration, and citizen trust.
This report has been covered by publications around the world including the Financial Times, BBC Radio 4’s PM programme, Ottawa Citizen, Fed Manager, the Mandarin and the i newspaper.
(Published August 2024)
The Future of the Finance Ministry
From setting tax rates and financial regulations that create the ground rules for national economies, to allocating – and tracking – spending for public services, finance ministries occupy an essential role at the centre of government. Geopolitical crises have reinforced the importance of finance ministries, as they tackle both immediate shocks and long-term trends such as ageing populations, the digital transition, and the impact of moves to net zero.
Against this backdrop, this global research explores what the future finance ministry looks like and how to prepare for it.
Based on interviews with 10 senior leaders from finance ministries – led by John McCarthy, chief economist in Ireland’s Department of Finance, working with Ian Hall, editor, Global Government Finance, and Richard Johnstone, executive editor, Global Government Forum – the study identifies four key themes: the evolving role of the finance ministry in response to uncertainty; the shift to more flexible finance systems that support outcomes; digital transformation and the growth of AI; and the battle for talent and trust.
(Published May 2026)
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