NEWS: PR and lobbying review after Lucas Varity deal

Lucas Varity, which this week announced the loss of up to 1,500 UK jobs

in the wake of its recent merger, is reviewing its agencies and

reshaping its communications team.

The automotive and aerospace group, formed by Varity Corporation and

Lucas Industries, is looking at both its public relations and lobbying

agency arrangements.

The company has worked with financial public relations firm Citigate on

a project basis. Lobbying work is being handled on a caretaker basis by

AS Biss and Co following the collapse of Lucas’ old firm Ian Greer

Associates.

Sara Ward, Lucas Varity corporate communications manager, said that

final decisions on agency hiring were on hold until Lucas Varity

appointed a communications director.

Mike Beard, who held that post at Lucas, left the group in September,

after being told that there was no role for him in the new organisation

(PR Week, 13 September).

Ward added that new communications staffing arrangements might not be

finalised for six months.

Lucas Varity announced last month that it was decentralising its

communications function with the establishment of a team at each of its

seven sites in the UK, America and France.