The latest public affairs PR news, opinion and features.
Keir Starmer – political misstep or a PR masterstroke?
Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to resign if he is fined by Durham police for breaking lockdown rules. It’s risky, but from a PR perspective, has he done the right thing?
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News & analysis
‘Neither party has done enough to convince voters’ – public affairs pros digest local election results
As the Conservatives lose 11 councils across the UK, including previous flagship London boroughs Wandsworth and Westminster, what are the implications of last week’s local election results?
‘It’s barnacles off the boat time’ – how Partygate fines fallout will affect public affairs
'Partygate’ is firmly back in the news after Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak were fined this week for breaking lockdown rules. What does the fallout mean for the domestic political agenda and for public affairs professionals?
PR firms in the spotlight over Putin today
Bill Browder, the activist investor and prominent critic of Vladimir Putin, has hinted that he plans to name PR firms that have helped the Russian President, describing it as a ‘huge problem that no one talks about’.
Public affairs role crucial as ‘big versus small state’ debate hots up
Public affairs pros have a crucial role to play to square off government desire for a smaller state with greater expectations from the public, according to a senior figure at WA Communications.
New lobbying rules for MPs imminent as industry urges strict enforcement
The consultation on a revised Code of Conduct for MPs has ended, with new rules on lobbying expected before the House of Commons after Easter.
Public poll names Lib Dems’ Daisy Cooper most influential backbench MP
The Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper has been named the most influential backbench MP following a public vote based on a 20-strong shortlist of politicians compiled by Pagefield.
Labour in Communications names Lord Kinnock as first chair
Labour in Communications, the networking group for comms professionals who support the political party, has made former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock its first chair, alongside other senior appointments to its leadership team.
Collision of politics, business and ethics intensifies public affairs role in Russia-Ukraine invasion
Organisations must act holistically to navigate the policy, regulatory and reputational aspects of the Russian war in Ukraine as resolution and refugee support take centre stage, urge public affairs professionals.
Ex-Met Police comms chief hired by University of Cambridge
Former Met Police director of comms James Helm has been appointed to lead the University of Cambridge’s comms operation.
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CIPR demands urgent reform to lobbying legislation
The Chartered Institute of Public Relations has written to the Government calling for urgent changes to lobbying legislation in light of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Opinion & features
Digital campaigning in 2022 - the hyper-local election
Data and digital political campaigning is coming of age but there is still very little understanding of how parties collect and use this data to target traditional canvassing and online advertising.
Breaking the bias in public affairs
Underrepresentation of women in the public affairs sector must be challenged.
‘End of the Boris era’ – what next for Downing Street comms as Doyle resigns?
Downing Street communications director Jack Doyle was among four senior aides to resign yesterday as the Johnson administration moved from crisis to abject disarray.
Biggest public affairs and political comms hires – and senior departures of 2021
PRWeek looks at some of the biggest appointments and departures in public affairs over the past year, from major agency shake-ups to senior hires by some of Britain’s biggest companies.
Boris Johnson is a sitting duck without a real PR guru in No.10
The absence of a proper ‘spin doctor’ in Downing Street - following the departure of Dominic Cummings a year ago - leaves the Prime Minister vulnerable to attack from all sides.
In a polarised world, comms must be used to counter ‘certainty’ of people's beliefs
The recent bout of panic-buying at the petrol pumps is a reminder of how important good communication is in a crisis.
Autumn brings a sense of foreboding for public affairs and political comms people
First it was non-essential shops, then restaurants, bars and sports stadiums, as nature began to heal and venues were able to reopen after the lifting of restrictions, but this autumn - to the excitement of political wonks - it will be the turn of party conferences, at least in part.
I love a reshuffle and, as a public affairs professional, so should you
As the dust settles on last week’s reshuffle, I’ve been thinking about how the regular moving around of the ministerial deckchairs impacts those of us with the professional responsibility to help our clients understand and navigate the ever-shifting sands of government relations.
The BBC must work fast to restore its reputation and stave off privatisation
The BBC’s response to the Martin Bashir scandal has been to announce a “Review of Editorial Policies” and an investigation into the re-hiring of Bashir by the Corporation in 2016.
Defining ‘levelling up’ will be the biggest post-COVID-19 comms challenge for No. 10
Whether it's been badged as "rebalancing the economy", or as Theresa May's short-lived "industrial strategy", the concept of 'levelling up' has been at the centre of political and economic thinking for years.
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Press Officer
Crown Prosecution Service, London
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Consumer Account Manager l Senior Account Manager
V Unlimited, London (Central) & Home Working
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Head of Communications
Greater Cambridge Partnership, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
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Account Manager - Account Director Healthcare
V Unlimited, London (Central), London (Greater)
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Director of Strategic Communications and Engagement
Police Service of Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland
Public affairs people moves
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Optimum names new managing director as Mary Clark moves to CEO role
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VMLY&R Health names first chief executive
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Biopharma firm Gilead appoints expanded WA Health team
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Havas Just:: bolsters senior team as revenue surges
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Open Health appoints CEO to evidence practice
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M&F Health appoints strategy director