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On 2 December 2025, UCL Policy Lab and The Future Governance Forum 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 full programme below).
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, hear from those innovating in places across the UK, and unpack how we can enable this innovation to thrive because of the system, not in spite of it.
Please note that due to limited capacity, registration is subject to approval.
Full programme
08:45 – 09:30: Registration and refreshments
09:30 – 09:40: Opening remarks and welcome
- Marc Stears, Director, UCL Policy Lab
- Nathan Yeowell, Executive Director, The Future Governance Forum
09:40 – 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
- Josh Simons MP, Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office
- Helen MacNamara, Chair, the Future Governance Forum and former Deputy Cabinet Secretary
- Sophie Clarke, Managing Director, Juno
- Cllr Anthony Okereke, Leader, Royal Borough of Greenwich
- Chair: Polly Curtis, Chief Executive, Demos
10:45 – 11:05: Shaping a story that matters: Exploring the tensions and trade-off of public service reform and innovation
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
- 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?
- Rachel Hope, Director of Digital Prevention Services Portfolio, NHS England
- Dr Henry Kippin, Chief Executive, North East Combined Authority
- Chair: Hannah White, Director and CEO, Institute for Government
More to be announced
13:00 – 14:00: Lunch
14:00 – 15:00: A story that counts: how do we tell a story about public service reform that means something to people in their places?
- Luke Tryl, Executive Director, More in Common
- James Plunkett, Editor, Kinship Works, former 10 Downing Street
- Eve Roodhouse, Director of Strategy and Policy, Local Government Association
- Ruth Ibegbuna, Founder of RECLAIM, The Roots programme and Rekindle School
- John Wrathmell, Group Director - Strategy, Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
- Chair: Evie John, Managing Director, Inner Circle Consulting
15:10 – 16:00: Breakout session #1: Beyond pilotitis – Shifting the conditions to help innovation stick
- Polly Mackenzie, CEO, Zinc Innovation Partners, former Director of Policy to the Deputy Prime Minister
- Dr Simon Kaye, Director of Policy, Re:State
- Afzal Hussain, Chief Officer, Witton Lodge Community Association
- Ash Ramuni, Strategy and Delivery Lead - Test, Learn and Grow, Public Sector Reform and Efficiency, Cabinet Office
15:10 – 16:00: Breakout session #2: Beyond transactions – Why and how should we build the relational and preventative capacity of the state?
- 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
- Eve Holt, Head of Policy and Implementation, Greater Manchester Combined Authority
- Nana Bonsu, Director of Relational Practice, Camden Council
- Chair: Annabel Smith, Director, Growth and Reform Network
16:10 – 16:55: Where do we go from here?
- 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
