Hello and welcome to this special end of year episode of Inside Briefing, the podcast from the Institute of Government. I'm Hannah White. So whether you've been simply having a wonderful Christmas time or simply want to get away from the in-laws,

here's the RFG's end-of-year podcast.

It's the IFG review of the last 12 months in Whitehall, Westminster and Beyond.

And what a year it was.

Three prime ministers, two monarchs, four chancellors, I think, record-breaking numbers of ministerial

resignations, including 28 over three days in July, some toe-cirling reality TV performances

and some unlikely comebacks, and so much more besides. So join us as we take a deep breath

and take a deep dive into one of the

most astonishing years in British political history, stopping along the way to pick out the

IFG's highs and lows and moments to remember, or perhaps forget. Joining me throughout are two

IFG stalwartes who have seen the best and worst of government from close quarters.

And that's senior fellows, Jill Rutter and Giles Wilkes.

Hi both.

Hi, Hannah.

Hi, Hannah.

And I'm absolutely delighted that we're joined today by Jack Blanchard, UK editor of Politico.

Hello.

Hi, Jack. It's been quite a year.

It's been quite a year. We seem to have had quite a lot of quieter years, haven't we? But even by recent standard, this one's been pretty special.

Let's start with a person who began the year in number 10. It's almost impossible to believe that 12 months ago, at the end of 2021, Boris Johnson was under pressure after losing the North Stropshire by-election and his mishandling of the Owen Patterson affair. In some ways, that was the beginning of the end for Prime Minister dogged for much

of his tenure by his intensely relaxed attitude to rules and ethics. Jack, at the start of 2022,

would you have predicted that Johnson would be gone within the year? No, I don't think so.

...