General election: How should an opposition prepare for government?
The next general election is \u2013 at most \u2013 one year away. If Labour wins, there will, as is almost always the case in the UK, be an overnight transition of power. A party that has spent 14 years in opposition would be instantly thrown into government.\n\nBut having focused already limited resources on election campaigning, and often lacking the knowledge and experience of being in government, how can opposition parties prepare for an overnight transition? Which issues do they need to consider ahead of a possible election win? And what challenges might arise on that first day in power?\n\nAs the Institute\u2019s research shows, proper preparation can make the difference between success and stagnation once in office. This event, the latest in the Institute for Government\u2019s General Election programme, discussed a new IfG report \u2013 Preparing for government: How oppositions should ready themselves for power \u2013 which sets out how to prepare for a possible transition into government.\n\nJoining us to the discuss the report and its findings was an expert panel, including:\n\nWes Ball, former Director of the Parliamentary Labour Party\nBaroness Fall, former Deputy Chief of Staff to David Cameron\nDr Catherine Haddon, Programme Director at the Institute for Government\nLord Macpherson, former Permanent Secretary at HM Treasury (2005\u201316)\n\nThe event was chaired by Joe Owen, Director of Impact at the Institute for Government.\n\nFollow us on X (formerly known as Twitter) @ifgevents and join the conversation using #IfGGeneralElection.