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PRESENTED BY
SNEAK PEEK
— Polite civil war breaks out among public affairs pros over Downing Street’s latest business engagement wheeze.
— Labour shelved a ready-to-roll foreign election funding crackdown, a new book claims.
— Lobbying luminary Gill Morris launches a new agency with plans for a devolution revolution.
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LOBBYING WESTMINSTER
HIT THE PHONES: Downing Street’s first briefing call for public affairs pros attracted a whopping 700-plus attendees… but it also triggered a furious — and fascinating — debate in Influence’s inbox over what the whole thing signals about Keir Starmer’s wider business engagement strategy. Here are your battle lines.
ICYMI: Spencer Livermore was the star turn in the first of what No. 10 Downing Street promised will be a recurring series of updates for lobbyists. The Treasury minister reeled off the government’s stock lines that delivering stability, investment, and reforms to planning, regulations and trade are crucial to its growth agenda.
Proof in the pudding: Pretty boilerplate stuff. But the call was pitched as concrete evidence of the government meeting its commitment to do it all while working with business. And the response on that was pretty … mixed.
The good: Stuart Thompson, founder of CWE Communications, tells Influence the idea itself was a “good innovation.” Tom Hashemi, CEO at Cast from Clay, said despite being understandably top-level in scope, he also “quite liked” the briefing and talk of immigration reforms to attract top talent.
Inside the tent: “It was exactly as expected and helpful,” argued Inflect managing director Emily Wallace, who said she was “really pleased that they see public affairs professionals as important stakeholders and are being open about invites to briefings.”
But but but: Now for the major gripes. “Bland” and “uninspiring” came back from more cynical industry pros, with one veteran lobbyist saying: “I guess it was useful so I could namedrop in a client meeting today… but I didn’t learn anything new.” Ouch.
The ugly: No.10’s decision to only answer pre-vetted questions — with suggestions Livermore even had scripted answers printed out in front of him — provoked the most complaints. One in-house pro said the “bullsh*t” Q&A felt “unbelievably staged.”
Even worse: Some questions were so overwhelmingly fawning that it warranted the Number 10 mandarin running the call to insist to those on it that they were “not planted.”
Welp: “Top marks for performative engagement,” added one agency boss.
However however however: It’s worth pointing out there is (unsurprisingly) a broadly positive consensus around the concept of bringing in public affairs pros for the lowdown. Ex-special adviser Celia McSwaine argued ministers could build on the whole thing by being “braver” and “much more candid.”
Know your audience: Ditching headlines in favor of detail, and being frank about what government is actually asking of industry would help transform the calls, wrote McSwaine — who is now a vice-president at Crestview Strategy.
Summon courage: Of course, Whitehall’s instinct is to keep its cards close to its chest. But the former SpAd argued that an open forum with an informed and generally supportive industry audience could actually produce some real results. Just make sure you’re all still leaking the best bits of Influence’s inbox, right?
Adapt or die: Michael Martins, founding partner at Overton Advisory, agrees “recycled speeches” ain’t going to cut it. He fears treating engagement as a “box-ticking exercise” jeopardizes the wider opportunity for ministers to build trust and benefit from “honest, experience-backed advice” out there in the real world. “Expecting lobbyists to parrot government talking points about growth to their clients can be less than helpful and echoes the Brexit-era confusion for businesses making major investment decisions,” he argued.
There’s a bigger problem here too: Away from scripted calls, the broader engagement picture with the new government — while improved since the Budget — is still pretty spotty.
For example: Martins laments that letters to ministers only seem to prompt a response if they come from global business giants. The government, he charges, is hunting for “LinkedIn-friendly content to post about to appear more pro-business ahead of April’s business tax rises.”
Eek: Influence has heard on the grapevine of one global business leader so frustrated by the lack of face time with the government that they threatened to publicly announce an exit from the U.K. market. A panicked coffee invitation swiftly followed. Sensitive souls, these captains of industry.
Of course: Government time crunch is hardly surprising given the scale of the challenge facing ministers, says Blakeney director Dan Hogan. “That’s a big contrast with the last government, which had run out of ideas worth discussing by the end,” he argues. Hogan takes a pop at the “unserious” criticisms of Labour’s briefing call — but agrees that there’s still a pretty notable mismatch between Whitehall departments when it comes to engaging with the outside world.
Two tier: While the Department for Business and Trade gets top marks for seeming “really eager” to troubleshoot problems raised by firms, Hogan says it’s a significantly different picture when it comes to those grappling with energy policy. “Firms who should be essential partners in the clean power mission seem to be finding it harder to get the attention of key departmental stakeholders,” he warns.
All the while… Public affairs pros are having to seek out novel routes for getting their clients’ key asks under the nose of Starmer’s frantic ministers and their key advisers.
Up and comers: “Some of the most successful outcomes we’ve won have come through work with ambitious backbenchers eying a ministerial post, and who are therefore keen to champion causes that align with the government’s missions, pillars and milestones,” says Martins.
Meanwhile… Hogan says his firm is already ramping up engagement with select committees and the newly-formed backbench caucuses of Labour MPs in an attempt to pique the interest of Whitehall departments.
Still struggling? Well, then it’s time to put in some graft and track ’em down on home turf, argues Crestview associate vice president Josh Harvey. MPs are notably less defensive about approaches from corporate lobbyist types outside the confines of SW1, he says. “They are able to understand a business’ value more clearly when applied to their constituents and home turf,” he said. “It also makes for a much more authentic engagement compared to sitting across a table in Portcullis House.”
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QUICK HITS
FOREIGN FUNDING FREEZE: Labour plans to crackdown on foreign cash flowing into British politics were blocked after an intervention from party mega-donor Waheed Alli, according to this striking tale from The Times’ Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund (who have a gripping new book out). Signed off by Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner way back in March 2023, the plans would reportedly have only permitted donations from registered U.K. electors — slamming the door firmly shut on, for example, Reform enthusiast Elon Musk.
But but but: The paper reports that Rayner’s plans to announce the changes alongside Gordon Brown — who’d apparently already booked his flight — were cancelled just weeks before the event after Alli advised top Labour aide Morgan McSweeney to pull the plug. Downing Street this week declined to get into the specifics of Labour’s pre-government plans when pressed on the book’s claims.
ACQUISITION STATIONS: Connect Group snapped up Edinburgh-based agency, Linco, as they look to expand their operations north of the border ahead of next year’s crucial Holyrood elections.
Top team: Founded in 2023 by former Nicola Sturgeon SpAd and ex-SNP head of communications Catriona Matheson, Linco’s senior advisory team includes ex-Rishi Sunak adviser Innes Taylor and ex-Sunday Post political hack James Millar. The firm will keep trading under the Linco brand, but plans to boost headcount on the back of the tie-up.
DEFENESTRATED: The government’s decision to push out Marcus Bokkerink as chair of the Competition and Markets Authority for not being sufficiently pro-growth for its liking has left Spotlight on Corruption boss Sue Hawley on high alert over government overreach and a race-to-the-bottom on deregulation.
History lesson: Hawley reckons there is an ominous precedent, saying Gordon Brown admitted his attempts to boost growth through post-financial crash deregulation was a big mistake which Starmer risks repeating if he presses on with his heedless red-tape slashing. Can’t say they weren’t warned…
GROWTH AGENDA: Former Tony Blair adviser and Portland founder Tim Allan has become chair of boutique comms firm Thorndon Partners after investing a six-figure sum into the shop.
Reunited: Thorndon was launched by ex-Portland managing director Philip Hall in 2024, who said the cash injection from his old boss was a vote of confidence after having “grown faster than I could have imagined.” The firm said that new hires will bolster that growth, with Daphne Cafritz and Grazielle Chelo — both also coming from Portland — announced as founding partners.
WHAT WE’RE READING: EU diplomats hired a prominent Republican-linked lobbying firm as President Trump’s special brand of chaotic diplomacy continues to stir the pot. The full story from my colleague Elisa Braun is here — and features a lobbying power player named Jim Murphy (no, not that one.)
HELPING HAND: Parliamentary staffer Dan Horrocks — and husband of H/Advisors Cicero partner Sonia Khan — is raising money for a specialist treatment in the U.S. following the return of his brain cancer. You can read Dan’s story and donate here.
**Excitement is in the air as we prepare to delve into the second edition of our POLITICO Energy & Climate UK Summit, taking place in London on March 27. Join in-depth discussions and debates on the future of energy, infrastructure, and climate resilience. Apply to secure your seat today.**
TALKING SHOP
WELCOME TO THE PARTY: This week saw the launch of Devo Agency, the brainchild of public affairs veteran Gill Morris, who sat down with Influence to talk about her plans to Make Devolution Cool Again.
Big picture: Morris has launched the firm to meet the needs of clients looking to make an impact outside of the M25. But she insists it also has big ambitions to help shape the debate about the government’s promised “full fat” devolution agenda.
Passion project: “The whole piece is about how we’re governed, who actually has the power. That for me is the devolution revolution, because it’s the biggest change we will see in our lifetimes and we need to get it right,” she said.
Sound the alarm: Based in Manchester, the firm has office space just two floors above the Greater Manchester Authority — offering a prime opportunity to collar mayor Andy Burnham for some whirlwind lobbying when the fire alarm goes off, Morris jokes.
But but but: It’s not just about being based outside of London. Morris says they will operate a “very different” model to the traditional Westminster agencies who simply tack the word “north” on to a department or hire a former local government staffer from another region and call it a day.
Box tickers: “That’s not how it works,” Morris argues. “It is about having a real understanding of the geography, understanding the local politics, and also understanding how Westminster works as well.”
Twin track: Whether lobbying for clients or helping drive the devolution agenda, the agency pro argues the initial approach is similar. “We build coalitions, we build consensus, we work out how to get leverage and bring that pan-northern or pan-regional voice together,” she adds.
Big pontential: While Morris reckons there’s a clear commercial opportunity for what she claims is the only purely devolution focused-agency in the country, she appears genuinely passionate about the agenda. “If they’ve got that mandate they can more or less do what they want,” she says of local leaders. “They can bring the busses back into public control, they can have their own policies for housing and health and wellbeing. They can think about education and employment skills. There’s enormous potential.”
Of course: Labour has talked up its devolution agenda. But Morris says that — like everything else — it “seems to be going a bit slow” and could be driving “further and faster.”
Sorry who? Part of the problem is that awareness of this whole debate remains low among both the public and Westminster politicians, meaning even voters that get pumped about a general election often shrug their shoulders when it comes to mayoral fights. “There’s a big communication gap, and a lot of that is because that voice isn’t being heard,” she says. “Literacy around how we are governed and local services is pretty low and it’s too complicated… And the devo-literacy, as I call it, in Westminster is pretty low too.
To address that… The agency is planning to launch a “Devo Network” in the coming months — a professional network of politicos, public affairs pros, businesses, and outside thinkers to help drive it up the political agenda.
On the plus side… Morris is upbeat about the enthusiasm she’s seeing among new MPs, and their willingness to engage in regional groups. And she reckons there’s also an upside for those already fretting about their prospects of victory in 2029.
Win win: “If they’re worried about their majority, they can get some of that Midas touch from their work collaborating with mayors,” she argues. “That association will only get stronger because [the mayors] have more visibility in those local areas than the individual MP, and being seen to work with them will be a good thing.”
ON THE MOVE
Jonathan Van-Tam (yes, that one) joined 5654 as a senior adviser in their health and life sciences practice.
Stephanie Howell has been promoted to head of public affairs at ARUP.
Angus Parsad-Wyatt has been appointed as director of political engagement at Total Politics Group.
Joe Bear and David Sforza both left Edelman to take up new gigs as senior consultants at Hawthorn Advisors.
Former transport and Treasury minister Charlotte Vere joined Stonehaven as a partner working on transport. She’s a Conservative member of the House of Lords.
Lucas Farrimond joined Charlesbye as a consultant after three years at the Theo Paphitis Retail Group.
Eloise Sacares has been promoted to senior researcher at the Fabian Society.
Neil Ross is joining Public First as director of tech, media and telecoms after five years at techUK.
Pooja Kumari has been seconded to lead on policy and public affairs for Manchester Metropolitan University and Nuffield Health’s research partnership.
Daisy Robertson and Jordan Mullan have been promoted to account director at Portland, while Millie Imogen Jenkins has been bumped up to account manager.
Francesca Hinton joined London Gatwick as their public affairs leader from Lexington Communications.
Jobs jobs jobs: HS2 want to hire a public affairs manager… Global Counsel have an opening for a senior associate, financial services… GoFundMe have an associate communications manager gig going… Alzheimer’s Research UK have openings for a public affairs manager and a policy communications manager… ARUP are on the hunt for a public affairs lead… Charlesbye want to hire a consultant/senior consultant… and the Institute for Government are looking for a communications intern.
Thanks: To editor Matt Honeycombe-Foster for putting typos on hold. And to the production team for making Influence look just lovely.
**A message from Electrical Safety First: Deaths and injuries from fires and explosions caused by substandard e-scooter and e-bike batteries are on the rise. The UK is now facing a disturbing projection of almost one e-bike or e-scooter fire per day, so we need to see action. Our campaign has four key asks to solve this problem, but we need your support. Learn more.**