With the new government committed to continuing to reduce government spending, the size of the state in the UK is planned to shrink to the lowest for many decades. Is that an ideological choice or just pragmatism given the size of the budget deficit? What are the implications for the kind of public sector we will have in future? Speakers: Chair: Katrine Marçal (columnist and author) Nick Crafts (University of Warwick), Stephen Davies (Institute of Economic Affairs), Rachel Gibson (University of Manchester), Michael Keating (University of Aberdeen)