Public Affairs: The week in Lobbying

PR Week UK, Friday, 20 March 2009, 12:00am,

The Conservatives have selected two lobbyists to contest neighbouring seats in Hackney in the next general election. Citigate Dewe Rogerson Public Policy MD Simon Nayyar will stand in Hackney South and Shoreditch, currently held by Labour MP Meg Hillier. Brands2Life public affairs director Darren Caplan has been selected to fight Hackney North and Stoke Newington, held by Labour's Dianne Abbott.

InHouse PR has hired former PPS Group consultant Rob Day as a senior consultant. He joins from the Manchester office of PPS. PR and public affairs agency InHouse also said it was keen to hear from interns and freelancers.

United Utilities head of government affairs Will Parkes has moved to the Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR) on a two-month secondment. BERR is overhauling its comms team in the wake of Lord Mandelson becoming Secretary of State.

Lloyds Banking Group has said it will not be seeking a new pubic affairs agency, despite moving its financial comms account out of eight-year incumbent Finsbury. A spokesman for the bank said it had no plans to review the public affairs account held by Citigate Dewe Rogerson Public Policy.