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The latest public affairs and politics news, opinion and features.
Got a story? Contact Ian Griggs on 020 8267 4893 or ian.griggs@haymarket.com.
News and news analysis
Exclusive: Swedish defence giant Saab awards major public affairs and corporate comms account
Swedish defence and security-technology company Saab AB has appointed Cicero/AMO and its Havas stablemate Maitland to deliver a wide-ranging integrated brief, spanning public affairs and corporate comms.
Interel reveals new UK leadership as McGregor exits
Public affairs consultancy Interel Group has appointed a new leadership team for its UK practice as George McGregor leaves the business.
Hanbury Strategy in radical restructure to woo investors
Hanbury Strategy has split its three divisions – public affairs and comms, policy and research, and political technology – into separate companies in an attempt to attract future investors, its co-founder has told PRWeek.
Downing Street appoints comms chief amid friction over televised briefings
Jack Doyle has been promoted to be the new No. 10 director of comms, Downing Street has confirmed, leaving the future of the Government’s strategy on daily televised press briefings in doubt.
The PRWeekly podcast: Top 150 preview | Cameron lobbying scandal | The creative challenge this summer | Prince Philip coverage
PRWeek's latest podcast takes listeners behind the headlines of the week's most important news, views and industry gossip.
Lexington Health announces new leadership amid ‘record-breaking’ year
Lexington has promoted Ed McRandal to head of health, while Will Culliford has been promoted to be his deputy and lead its health-tech offer.
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Hanover Health bolsters leadership team as fee income rises
Two associate directors, specialising in comms and public affairs, have been appointed by Hanover Health after fee income climbed by almost one-fifth.
Lobbying industry's self-regulator unveils six-point plan to fix 'unfit' Lobbying Act
The lobbying self regulator has urged the Government to adopt six reforms to lobbying rules to improve transparency, accountability and trust in the UK political system.
‘Blatant cronyism’ – industry reacts to Cameron's lobbying admission
Senior lobbyists and the lobbying self regulator would like to see lobbying rules tightened after David Cameron finally broke his silence over his role lobbying on behalf of Greensill Capital.
Kekst CNC grows senior team with hires from Weber Shandwick, KPMG and MoD
Kekst CNC has added three senior consultants and eight others to its London team.
Senior hire and promotion at Cicero/AMO as agency eyes fintech growth
Cicero/AMO has hired Sameer Gulati as a director to lead its growing fintech division and promoted Sonia Khan to associate director and a member of the agency’s UK public affairs senior management team.
Portland hires former Spad Anita Boateng
Boateng has joined Portland as a partner, PRWeek has learned.
Life after Slack: Who are the contenders and what next for Downing Street comms?
Downing Street’s director of comms, James Slack, will soon leave to take up his new job as The Sun’s deputy editor-in-chief and his departure fires the starting gun on a search for a successor who could emerge from journalism, politics, or within the No. 10 operation.
Senior lobbyist calls for transparency overhaul following David Cameron ruling
Cicero/AMO executive chair Iain Anderson has called on lobbying transparency rules to be overhauled after former Prime Minister David Cameron’s lobbying efforts escaped scrutiny over a technicality in the current legislation.
Weber Shandwick and anti-violence charities launch #AllMenCan campaign
Weber Shandwick has brought together a group of anti-violence charities to launch the #AllMenCan campaign, which aims to tackle violence against women in the UK.
Regulator launches investigation into David Cameron for unregistered lobbying
The Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists (ORCL) is investigating whether David Cameron has engaged in "unregistered consultant lobbying", under laws brought in during his tenure as Prime Minister.
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Rees-Mogg unrepentant following attack on political journalist
Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the House of Commons, has been rebuked over a personal attack on Arj Singh, deputy political editor at HuffPost UK, in which he accused the journalist of being a “knave or a fool”.
Opinion and features
PRWeek Top 150: Pandemic triggers client demand for public affairs while agility is rewarded
The acquisition of Cavendish and a strong performance overall propelled BECG from third place last year into pole position in the PRWeek Top 150 public affairs agency ranking.
PRWeek UK Top 150 2021: Public Affairs comms rankings
BECG has stormed to the top of our list, while two top-five agencies record double-digit negative growth. Our public affairs breakout table reveals all...
Disinformation is corrosive: businesses must understand the risk and inoculate
Disinformation was once the near-exclusive provenance of nation-states, but not any more.
Cameron has botched crisis comms basics in Greensill scandal
Given his previous role as director of corporate affairs for Carlton, now part of ITV, you would be forgiven for thinking that David Cameron would be well equipped to handle his own personal PR crisis.
For non-profits trying to cut through during the pandemic – it’s ER, not PR
For years as an agency professional, I heard the phrase ‘It’s PR, not ER’ batted around and I used to say it myself - that is, until I moved into the non-profit sector.
Women’s issues: a problem we can’t run away from any longer
When it comes to sexual harassment, it’s time for women to share their experiences and for men to listen, address their behaviours and question their actions. This is why we established the #WeWill runners’ campaign.
Cameron lobbying scandal: was it a warning or a promise?
When David Cameron famously warned 11 years ago that lobbying would be the 'next political scandal', many of us hadn’t realised he was not sounding a warning, but making a promise.
Twenty years in public affairs: so much has changed, but we can still do better
The past 20 years have changed almost everything about public affairs, but do I miss what we had back in 2001? Not much.
Agency leaders: beware the ‘Q2 Blues’
As I agree to share some thoughts via a PRWeek opinion piece, your esteemed associate editor reminds me: “You can’t promote your agency, clients, use words like ‘we’ or ‘our’, quote people, or use stats too much.” Got it, Ian. Thanks.
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Brand comms and sustainability: don’t make it a shotgun wedding
In a world where the constant barrage of online noise is ever-increasing in volume and intensity, never has the term ‘jumping on the bandwagon’ been more relevant to the unfortunate shotgun wedding of brands and sustainability.
PRWeek UK Power Book 2021: Top 10 in political comms/public affairs
PRWeek's UK Power Book reveals the PR pros who lead the way in their respective areas. Today, we rank the big players in political comms and public affairs.
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Eight ways industry professionals can be better champions of diversity
Last year’s momentous global social justice movement forced the PR industry to examine its accountability as a gatekeeper of public dialogue.
Rishi Sunak: The Movie was too long for voters and too short for fans
Imagine the scene. You’re the Chancellor’s comms Spad, and you’ve had a great idea: a video – the story of the young, popular Rishi Sunak, tracing his progress from unexpected Chancellor to author of a generation-defining Budget; the Budget that will get us out of the COVID-19 crisis.
Packing a powerful punch with poetry and the ‘hill we climb’ making PR anti-racist
In recent weeks, poetry has hit the headlines and, while this powerful art form hasn’t achieved such prominence for a long time, many of us will have heard or read poetry again this year – or observed its impact around the globe – thanks to Amanda Gorman.
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Consultant (Account Manager equivalent) Pagefield Soho, London
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Communications Executive - 12 Month FTC Gambling Commission UK (currently home based), but willing to commute to central London/Birmingham at least once a week
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Public Affairs / Communications Executive Hanbury Strategy London (Greater)
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Account Executive/Senior Account Executive - PA/Built Environment Premier Resourcing UK London (Central)
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Account Manager Flame PR London (Greater)
Recent public/corporate affairs people moves
Movers & Shakers: Hope&Glory, Weber Shandwick, Airbus, Clarity, FT, Finsbury Glover Hering and more
PRWeek's round-up of industry hires, departures and promotions.
Airbus appoints head of UK public affairs
Airbus has hired Josh Hardie, former deputy director-general of the CBI, as its new head of public affairs in the UK, PRWeek has learned.
Weber Shandwick EMEA hires health policy and sustainability leads
Weber Shandwick has added EMEA leaders to strengthen its sustainability and healthcare practices.
Former Conservative HQ CEO joins Hume Brophy
Hume Brophy has appointed former Conservative HQ chief executive Mark MacGregor as a senior adviser. He joins the international comms firm from consultancy Stonehaven, where he was a director.
Sanofi poaches pharma comms veteran from rival
Fiona Olivier has left AbbVie, where she was the pharma giant's head of global patient relations and international public affairs, to be global head of public affairs and communications for Sanofi's general medicines division.
Lexington names new managing director and rebrands
Independent consultancy Lexington has promoted its healthcare lead Emily Cook to managing director and rebranded.