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The Brookings Institution, 14 March 2019, Between Brexit and a Hard Place: “Britain has been exposed as having played a weak hand very badly.” “Mrs May has made the worst of a bad job,” The Economist editorial, Whatever Next? 16 – 22 March 2019. One commentator after another has lined up this past week to …
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By Aaron Bass, There are many dates in the year that the PR world gets excited about. The Spring Statement and the Budget are undoubtedly two of them. They go in the diary months in advance. Corporates, charities, consumer brands and especially personal finance clients get VERY excited. “This is our opportunity to get national/trade/broadcast …
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Often public affairs is focused on the messages and briefing papers but sometimes it can take more than words to convince an audience. Be prepared to think beyond the written word. Of course, the written word is important. Politicians, and especially civil servants, can be quite traditional in their approach. They like and appreciate briefing papers …
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When Labour MP David Lammy tweeted: “The world does not need any more white saviours” in response to an Instagram picture posted by documentary maker Stacey Dooley of her holding a young Ugandan child, it unleashed a row about whether charities need to change their approach to influencer relations. Here six experts weigh in on …
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Opening up a public affairs campaign can help deliver greater impact but there can also be a fear of ‘letting go’. While there will always be risks, there can also be significant benefits. It is a cliché to suggest that modern communications and social media have returned power to the people. Certainly they offer greater …
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Cult novel Thank you for Smoking satirised the tobacco lobby. Here, author Christopher Buckley explains what his lead character would make of today’s world… My novel Thank You for Smoking was published a quarter of a century ago, which I suppose is a highfalutin way of saying 25 years ago, but then it is a …
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They say a week is a long time in politics but frankly it feels at the moment as if a day is a long time. February’s drama has included eight Labour MPs leave the party to become part of The Independent Group, followed by three Conservatives doing the same. The political world has been awash …
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By Daniel Gerrella, On Monday, the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMS) published Disinformation and ‘Fake News’: Final Report. It calls for: The introduction of a compulsory code of ethics for tech companies A requirement for social media companies to remove harmful content, including proven sources of disinformation The creation of an independent regulator to monitor …
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The importance of Parliament is increasing. Taking back control means that public affairs campaigns need to focus on Parliament and not just treat it as somewhere to hold events. With strong and stable majority long-term governments came Parliamentarians that followed the lines set out by the party leadership. Patronage was strong and Prime Ministers could …
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By Carolyn Lochhead Reflect on your day so far. Even if it’s early, you’ve probably handled many different issues. Perhaps you’ve coerced children out of bed, checked the day’s headlines or navigated busy traffic. You might have taken phone calls, chaired meetings or made decisions about priorities big and small. Comms people are busy, and it …