Behind the Scenes of the US-UK Trade Deal
What really happens in a high-stakes negotiation between Donald Trump and Keir Starmer? In this episode of Negotiating Government, Negotient’s Chris Brown and Josh Flax dissect the tactics behind the recent US-UK trade deal—and what it reveals about power, pressure, and process in public-private negotiations.
The Spending Review 2025: Capital Growth and Financial Credibility
In the second episode of Negotiating Government, Former Chief Secretary to the Treasury David Gauke and former Senior Treasury spending official John Hall delve into the 2025 spending review, exploring the government's strategic choices and the challenges they face in balancing fiscal responsibility with urgent public service needs.
The Spending Review 2025: Plugging the gaps and hoping for growth (and private sector money…)
Rachel Reeves has been dealt a tough hand – but, as an economist, has played it reasonably well in choosing which areas to prioritise for extra spending. How her plans land politically, given the relative tight settlements for most public services, is less certain. And unless there is a sustained upturn in the economy, even tougher decisions lie ahead.
Former Treasury spending team leader John Hall identifies the key things that happened (and didn’t happen) when Rachel Reeves addressed the House of Commons on June 11th. What do the choices she made mean for public services, economic growth and future tax bills?
Mapping out the Spending Review: what does the Spring Statement tell us about HM Treasury thinking on the Spending Review?
In this inaugural episode of Negotiating Government, the podcast from Negotient, hosts David Gauke and John Hall draw on their extensive backgrounds in Government and HM Treasury, to reflect on what the Spring Statement means for the Spending Review - and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for those involved in negotiations with the UK public sector.
How does America ‘regulate for growth’?
Government is not always best placed to get the balance right between protecting the public and reducing burdens on businesses. The US offers a tried-and-tested alternative, says Joshua Flax.
Politico interview
Launched in January this year by a group of experienced former government advisers and ex-public affairs pros, Negotient reckons it has the answer: boosting negotiation skills so good deals are agreed from the very start.
A Budget for Public-Private Dealmaking?
The Budget is now a week old and has been very well-analysed. Since then we have seen a lot of discussion of the aggregate tax take, and of individual tax measures – and in particular national insurance and inheritance tax. Less well travelled is some joined up thinking about some of the areas where the Budget necessitates private investment and wider partnership with the private sector to deliver the growth that Reeves targets.
Dose of reality for Labour’s public-private partnership deals
Medicines tie-up between the state and pharma sector shows how long-term thinking and creativity can deliver benefits for both the taxpayer and business.
The Labour Government has huge ambition - but will only succeed if it makes good on its promise of genuine partnership with the private sector
The central conundrum of Labour’s victory is that their plans require a lot of money, but raising sufficient tax to fund their ambitions purely from public resources is arguably impossible.