On December 2, The Future Governance Forum and UCL Policy Lab are teaming up to convene a one-day conference exploring a new era of public service reform and how each of us can play our part in achieving it.
We are delighted that Cabinet Office minister Josh Simons MP and Scotland minister Kirsty McNeill MP will be joining us on the day, alongside a wide array of politicians, senior civil servants, experts, innovators and practitioners (see the programme below for a full rundown).
Britain Renewed 2025 will bring together the officials, political leaders and advisers leading the charge on public service reform at all levels of government with innovators from frontline services, business and civil society.
Together, we’ll tackle the grit that gets in the way of collaboration, spotlight examples of next-generation practice emerging across the UK, and unpack how we can enable innovation to thrive because of the system, not in spite of it.
Britain Renewed 2025 is delivered in partnership with AWS, Inner Circle Consulting, the Growth and Reform Network and the UKRI (ERC) Relational State Capacity Project.
Please note, due to limited capacity, registration is subject to approval.
Full programme
08:45 – 09:30
Registration and refreshments
09:30 – 09:45
Opening remarks and welcome
Speakers:
- Marc Stears, Director, UCL Policy Lab
- Nathan Yeowell, Executive Director, The Future Governance Forum
09:45 – 10:00
Keynote address from Josh Simons MP, Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office
10:00 – 10:45
Renewing Britain: Setting a direction for public service reform that rebuilds trust and delivers for citizens
Speakers:
- Josh Simons MP, Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office
- Helen MacNamara, Chair, The Future Governance Forum and former Deputy Cabinet Secretary
- Cllr Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich
- Sophie Clarke, Managing Director, Juno
- Chair: Polly Curtis, Chief Executive, Demos
More speakers to be announced.
10:45 – 11:05
Shaping a story that matters: Exploring the tensions and trade-off of public service reform and innovation
Interactive session.
11:05 – 11:20
Break
11:20 – 12:10
Not waiting for permission: Stories of people and places that are innovating and collaborating in spite of the system
Featuring presentations from:
- Samantha Harris, Head of Strategic Safeguarding and Independent Review, and Ahmed Esat, Head of Children’s Service Improvement, Nottinghamshire County Council
More speakers to be announced.
Presentations will be followed by a panel discussion chaired by Professor Dan Honig, Associate Professor, Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy and Associate Professor of Public Policy, UCL.
12:10 – 13:00
Translating ambition into everyday reality: What role do we all play in reforming the state?
Speakers:
- Dr Henry Kippin, Chief Executive, North East Combined Authority
- Rachel Hope, Director of Digital Prevention Services Portfolio, NHS England
- Chair: Hannah White, Director and CEO, Institute for Government
More speakers to be announced.
13:00 – 14:00
Lunch
14:00 – 15:00
A story that counts: How should we work together to tell a new story about public service reform that means something to people in their places?
Speakers:
- Luke Tryl, Executive Director, More in Common
- James Plunkett, Editor, Kinship Works, formerly 10 Downing Street
- Eve Roodhouse, Director of Strategy and Policy, Local Government Association
- Chair: Evie John, Managing Director, Inner Circle Consulting
More speakers to be announced.
15:10 – 16:00
Breakout session #1: Beyond pilotitis – Shifting the conditions to help innovation stick
Speakers:
- Polly Mackenzie, CEO, Zinc Innovation Partners, former Director of Policy to the Deputy Prime Minister
- Afzal Hussain, Chief Officer, Witton Lodge Community Association
- Dr Simon Kaye, Director of Policy, Re:State
More speakers to be announced.
15:10 – 16:00
Breakout session #2: Beyond transactions – Why and how should we build the relational and preventative capacity of the state?
Speakers:
- Professor Dan Honig, Associate Professor, Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy and Associate Professor of Public Policy, UCL
- Aisling Barker, Violence Against Women and Girls Workforce Development and Practice Manager, Islington Council
- Nana Bonsu, Director of Relational Practice, Camden Council
- Chair: Annabel Smith, Director, Growth and Reform Network
More speakers to be announced.
16:10 – 16:55
Where do we go from here?
Speakers:
- Kirsty McNeill MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland
- Jonathan Slater, former Permanent Secretary for the Department for Education
- Piali Das Gupta, Associate Director, Roretti, formerly London Councils
- Richard Pope, former Product Manager, Government Digital Service and author of Platformland
- Chair: George Eaton, Senior Editor (Politics), New Statesman
16:55 – 17:00
Closing thanks
17:00 – 19:00
Drinks reception
