Public affairs blog archive
Show some initiative (15th Nov 2011)
Following the recent scrutiny the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) has faced, both in Parliament and beyond...…Read more
Watching the climate for change (4th Nov 2011)
This week, climate minister Greg Barker announced a 50pc cut in solar incentives for domestic and small scale business installations. …Read more
Reading between the lines: Nick Clegg's Speech (16th Sep 2011)
In this week’s infrastructure speech, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg made what amounted to an announcement about an announcement: Government will look t……Read more
End of summer blues (and yellows) (9th Sep 2011)
Parliament has returned after an extraordinary summer recess, which saw rioting in London, a revolution in Libya and the launch...…Read more
Planning a fight (30th Aug 2011)
The traditional August ‘silly season’ failed to materialise this year. Instead of non-stories filling up the pages of newspapers whilst everyone takes a break…Read more
The rise of the class of 2010 (26th Aug 2011)
The 2010 intake of new MPs will be coming back from recess feeling perhaps more confident with a year's experience under their belt...…Read more
PFI and Parliament (11th Aug 2011)
This week Westminster Advisers published research commissioned from Comres exploring parliamentary opinion into the future of private financing…Read more
Plan B or steer the course ? (5th Aug 2011)
Calls for Osborne to find a Plan B to revive the economy amid reports of anaemic growth will impact policies in the pipeline for the financial, manufacturing…Read more
Same old story? (15th Jul 2011)
There’s nothing the media likes more than a story about itself, especially one with implications that shake the political and media establishment to its core…Read more
Blinded by transparency… (8th Jul 2011)
The government’s bid for transparency rolls on, with this week’s commitment to publish schools and hospitals performance data. Writing for the Telegraph…Read more
The triumph of politics over policy (17th Jun 2011)
This week, politics has focused on government U-turns and the supposed triumph of the Liberal Democrats in changing government policy. For example…Read more
The personal is political (20th May 2011)
This week has seen revelations at both a national and international level involving the personal lives of senior political figures. At the IMF, the arrest of Dominique…Read more
The power of Clegg (6th May 2011)
In the face of what seems likely to be massive losses in the local elections and defeat in the referendum, Liberal Democrats have been questioning Nick Clegg’s position…Read more
The political world after the referendum (21st Apr 2011)
The 5th May is looming and the Yes and No to AV campaigns are well under way. But whatever the outcome, the days after the referendum will be the hardest test yet for…Read more
Order out of chaos (15th Apr 2011)
It has been another tough few days for the coalition government. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley continued to be a lightning rod for media ire, with his week…Read more
Civil servants resurgent (8th Apr 2011)
With the government increasingly beset by opposition to its plans for health reforms it has been the civil service who have benefitted most from the furore…Read more
Roll with the Polls (24th Mar 2011)
We live in an age where the near ubiquitous use of polls provides us with a continual update on the popularity or otherwise of the Government…Read more
New policy advisers at No.10 (22nd Mar 2011)
David Cameron is in the process of bolstering Number 10 with nine new advisers. Having criticised the previous government for its heavy-handed approach…Read more
Perceptions matter, especially when they’re wrong (17th Mar 2011)
This week, domestic news has been dominated by union and political opposition to the NHS reforms. As with so much political campaigning, it seems that perception…Read more
The Divisiveness of AV (11th Mar 2011)
The No to AV campaign got under way this week. Posters have sprung up along road sides urging the electorate to vote no in the referendum on the…Read more
Express Yourself (4th Mar 2011)
Cameron’s mantra since assuming the role of Prime Minister has revolved around trust: trusting local people to deliver services, inspiring trust in politics…Read more
The new pragmatism (18th Feb 2011)
With the Parliamentary Voting and Constituencies Bill having finally received Royal Assent after a spirited display of obstinacy by the Lords, Number 10 will now…Read more
The unity of centrists (10th Feb 2011)
This week, more Liberal Democrats publically criticised the coalition government. Council leaders were complaining about the cuts, some MPs were becoming increasingly…Read more
The big question (4th Feb 2011)
Clients often ask us the $64,000 question: how long will the coalition last? A difficult question to answer for anyone without a crystal ball! That’s not only because…Read more
The Government’s Growth Strategy (28th Jan 2011)
Over the last eight months, the government has focused on its “cuts” agenda, attempting to get to grips with the deficit. People have criticised this because…Read more
The Big Society Punch-up? (28th Jan 2011)
The nature of a coalition government tends to focus the eye on looking for fault lines (actual or otherwise) between the parties in power and their often antithetical groups…Read more
The Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election: the Liberal Democrats vs Labour (14th Jan 2011)
The Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election was presented as a possible turning point in British politics. If the Liberal Democrats had pulled off a victory it would have…Read more
An electoral pact could be bad for democracy (11th Jan 2011)
Last week's media saw more speculation that the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives might fight the next general election with an electoral pact.…Read more
Strictly come Politics… (21st Dec 2010)
Finally, this year’s run of reality television shows’ before Christmas is over. Newspapers have become obsessed by the X Factor losers, I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here…Read more
Attitudes towards the Pharmaceutical Industry (7th Dec 2010)
Research we have just commissioned and published analyses the attitudes and opinions MPs hold regarding the pharmaceutical industry. The report makes…Read more
The coalition's approach to business is broadly unified, but for how long? (2nd Dec 2010)
At a Westminster Advisers roundtable discussion this morning, we heard from Lorely Burt MP (Chair of the Lib Dem Business Committee), Miles Templeman…Read more
Government’s cancer drug fund not being optimized (22nd Nov 2010)
News out today highlights that only 200 patients have accessed the Government’s interim £50m emergency fund for drugs not approved by the National Institute…Read more
New Peers (19th Nov 2010)
The list of new working peers was announced today, to the sound of inevitable controversy. It includes a number of political donors, as well as a large contingent…Read more
Labour MPs are not entirely in the shadows (5th Nov 2010)
Despite gaining 100 seats, the results of May's general election were tinged with disappointment for the Conservative Party. Only six months previous…Read more
‘Innovation out of adversity?’ (29th Oct 2010)
Plato was the first to claim that ‘necessity is the mother of invention’. Looking at the radical reform of local government in response to the years of public spending cuts…Read more
Public Affairs Award 2010! (27th Oct 2010)
We were delighted to pick up the Public Relations Consultants Association Public Affairs Award 2010 this week, in recognition for our Save Childcare Vouchers Campaign…Read more
What does the content of the CSR say about the nature of the coalition? (22nd Oct 2010)
Wednesday’s Spending Review signals the unequivocal start of Britain’s age of austerity. Osborne pronounced it guided by the principle of fairness…Read more
The Spending Review (20th Oct 2010)
Chancellor George Osborne yesterday set out the details of the Government's spending review, which confirms the Coalition's programme…Read more
Child Benefit: a taxing issue at Conservative Conference (7th Oct 2010)
After 13 long years out of power, many could have expected that this year's Conservative conference was going to be a victory celebration…Read more
Behind the scenes at Labour Conference (1st Oct 2010)
Ed Miliband's victory in the party leadership election had caused shock. The narrow margin of his victory (a mere 1.3%), and the role of union members' votes in Ed's success…Read more
Little turmoil to be found in Liverpool (24th Sep 2010)
Liberal Democrat conference this year was far busier than it has ever been before. Security was heightened, PR professionals were in abundance and most unusually…Read more
The Spending Review is just the beginning (15th Sep 2010)
Media and parliamentary attention is focussing on the Chancellor's spending review announcement next month. With such intense attention being paid, the government…Read more
Regulatory challenge (25th Aug 2010)
UK government has ambitious proposals for a regulation revolution across business sectors. No other area is as deeply affected as financial services regulation…Read more
We're all going on a summer holiday... (24th Aug 2010)
With the lengthy summer recess stretching before us at the beginning of July, many working in politics had hoped for an easier few months…Read more
An overview of policy, spending and public services cuts (18th Aug 2010)
It is a time of change, uncertainty and opportunity for organisations that provide services to the public sector. A new coalition government…Read more
A new dawn for privatisation? (6th Aug 2010)
The news that the Department of Health is seeking private investment in NHS Professionals is the beginning of the beginning for public service outsourcing…Read more
The need for endorsement (3rd Aug 2010)
Last week the Cycle to Work Alliance was launched in the House of Commons with speeches from the British Heart Foundation and Chris Boardman MBE…Read more
The Civil Service and the new political settlement (30th Jul 2010)
As MPs return to their constituencies for the summer recess, it gives politicians, public affairs professionals and the wider public a chance to take stock…Read more
Round Two! (28th Jul 2010)
We are busy telling our clients about the 'round two' negotiations between Conservatives and Liberal Democrats on the government's policy programme…Read more
More than mere frivolity - the serious side to APPGs (15th Jul 2010)
From cheese to cider and from football to the furniture industry, there are a great wealth of All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) for MPs and peers…Read more
Two Tribes - but is there a war? (15th Jul 2010)
19th Century French historian Francois Guizot, wrote: "Not to be a republican at twenty is proof of want of heart; to be one at thirty is proof of want of head…Read more
Keep the Constituency link (9th Jul 2010)
This week saw Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister, set out his plans for constitutional reform. This news is important for anyone working in government relations…Read more
Don't start writing those election manifestos just yet (8th Jul 2010)
In recent weeks, political commentators have gone from praising the cleverness of the Lib Dems for getting so much from the coalition arrangement…Read more
Don't lock 'em up (30th Jun 2010)
As of May 2010, the prison population stood at 85,201 and continues to rise rapidly. Justice has long been an area of inter-party wrangling with accusations…Read more
Budget analysis: judging the political fallout (24th Jun 2010)
This week George Osborne delivered the most extensively trailed Budget in the modern era. A combination of the election campaign, the Coalition Agreement…Read more
Elections are fun, but when is it time to start work? (17th Jun 2010)
The Labour party is focussed on its leadership election. An election for the shadow cabinet will follow, and then the election to decide who will be the party'…Read more
It's not going to be a quiet Summer (17th Jun 2010)
It is a vital time for companies working with government to have their say in the coming weeks and months. The ministers are making big decisions that will set the tone…Read more
Understanding your environment (11th Jun 2010)
BBC Radio 4's 'Bottom Line' BBC podcast had an interesting discussion this week with senior executives from SKY, the CBI, and the Cirque du Soleil…Read more
Preparing for the spending review (10th Jun 2010)
David Cameron's speech earlier this week, designed to prepare the public for the scale of the economic challenges ahead, signalled an era of radical change. Spending cuts are predicted to affect…Read more
Select Committee Elections and cross-party collaboration (1st Jun 2010)
Next week's elections for the Chairs of Commons Select Committees mark a significant step in the modernisation of Parliament and of UK politics. Previously gov…Read more
Political marriage. Made to last? (27th May 2010)
When pondering wedlock in 1838, Charles Darwin listed the pros and cons of marriage under two headings: 'marry' and 'not marry'…Read more
Government Newspeak (26th May 2010)
Every government has its buzzwords. Public affairs programmes must quickly to get to grips with the new lexicon. Yesterday's Queen's Speech confirmed that…Read more
Long Live the 2010 Committee (20th May 2010)
Cameron's success yesterday of opening the membership of the 1922 Committee to include the entire Conservative Party, was the first victory against his backbenchers. However the war is not over…Read more
TV news and public affairs (19th May 2010)
Very interesting to see figures published today showing that internet users in the UK now trust online news more than they do most offline media, including…Read more
Coalition politics and the end of short-term strategies (10th May 2010)
In recent months we've all been reading about the latest Conservative advisers in the public affairs industry. Consultancies and in-house teams have been demonstrating…Read more
Don't ignore the permanent government (22nd Apr 2010)
It is always tempting to place too great an emphasis on the importance of influencing political party manifestos. Public affairs practitioners are too eager…Read more
Efficiency savings - how not to fund manifesto pledges (15th Apr 2010)
It is election time and therefore all parties have a whole host of policies to fund. The Tories want tax incentives for married couples, Labour want to provide more care…Read more
Marginal Seats - just follow the money (13th Apr 2010)
We've all seen a lot of news lately about the shifting polls and how each percentage point dramatically changes the makeup of parliament. Most predictions translate percentages into MPs…Read more
Navigating the new politics (12th Apr 2010)
Election fever has firmly set in - the media is obsessing over polling data; voter profiles; average national swings; and marginal seat predictions…Read more
Earning the right to be heard (19th Mar 2010)
The 'right to be heard' is a guiding principle for public affairs professionals. But an accusation often levelled at consultancies is that we only work for corporate interests…Read more