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Anyone considering how to engage with Government and politics in 2019 needs to consider the political realities and their impact. It shows the scale of the task ahead. There is no doubt that Brexit has dominated all else for a long time. It is sucking the time and the energy of central government and civil …
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Friends and opponents can both be critically important to the success of a public affairs campaign. So how best should you think about these audiences? Potential allies for a campaign can often be given a huge amount of attention but the role of opponents is often less well thought through. Yes, supporters can reinforce messages …
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So, is a victory by 83 good or bad? Is there any hope of new concessions from Brussels? Is Parliament likely to agree on anything soon? The answer to questions two and three looks to be no. The answer to number one is “it depends”. And there, in a nutshell, is one of Theresa May’s …
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As I sat on the train scrolling on my phone for Brexit news, a curious landmark update dropped into my timeline. It was 10 years, the tweet told me since I joined Twitter. It made me think and reflect on the journey I’ve taken and the lessons I’ve learned along the way. Many have been …
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Building relationships of trust with policy-makers is at the heart of public affairs. But how can you build those relationships? It is important to appreciate from the outset that, just as with any other relationship, time and effort needs to be invested. Sometimes the policy-makers may feel like a very needy friend but if you …
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By Matthew Rock, One of the most intriguing sub-plots in the Brexit process has been the performance of the corporate lobbying community. Most of us would have expected the voice of business to dominate the original referendum. In reality, business often seemed sidelined, not quite in tune with the visceral nature of the debate. After …
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All sides in the Brexit debate expect some economic disruption once we leave the EU. Many believe that the future should be in local hands and that Westminster needs to let go. Unfortunately, it seems that Westminster does not necessarily feel the same way. There was certainly a drive towards devolution under the Coalition Government …
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Tonight I had the privilege of representing the CIPR at a House of Commons Debating Group event. Chaired by The Rt Hon Lord McNally, we debated whether ‘Business best serves society by focusing on the bottom line.’ For the motion was Dr Jamie Whyte, research director at the Institute of Current Affairs and Valentina Kristensen, …
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A firestorm erupted last week when The Times business journalist Deirdre Hipwell tweeted her frustration at being constantly asked by PR and SEO consultants to include hyperlinks to their clients’ websites in her online articles. What hasn’t been reported, however, is how she has been mercilessly trolled and abused about it. When Deirdre initially tweeted …
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A lot of the issues that public affairs has to deal with can be quite technical and, frankly, boring for a lot of potential audiences. The level of complexity can put stakeholders off, so what approaches should you think of? Many sectors by their very nature can be technical – sciences, healthcare, financial services – …