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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
PR leaders: ‘Trumpian’ Cummings defence a ‘Government comms disaster that could prove deadly’
The Government’s ‘arrogant’, ‘hypocritical’ handling of revelations that the Prime Minister’s top aide apparently flouted lockdown rules could prove a 'deadly tipping point’ in its comms efforts to keep people safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
Exclusive: Cicero/AMO hires Chancellors' former adviser
Cicero/AMO has hired Sonia Khan, who was a special adviser to two recent Conservative Chancellors, as a director working across its public affairs and corporate comms teams.
Public Affairs Board strengthens code of practice to raise ethical standards
The PRCA’s Public Affairs Board has voted unanimously to strengthen its Public Affairs Code of Practice on the employment of elected officials and the use of privileged information.
APCO Worldwide hires veteran Conservative minister in advisory role
APCO Worldwide has appointed former Conservative business minister and Brexit sceptic Richard Harrington as a senior adviser, following his decision to step down at December's general election.
Number 10 special advisor joins MHP
Downing Street special advisor Nick Vaughan has joined MHP’s 20-strong public affairs team as an associate director, PRWeek can reveal.
Hybrid Air Vehicles appoints public affairs agency to support UK production
Madano has been appointed by Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) to help win Government support to build a production facility in the UK for its Airlander 10 vehicle.
Heineken appoints global corporate affairs chief
Stacey Tank returns to the brewing company next month to take up the role of chief corporate affairs and transformation officer.
How will the collapse of Number 10’s truce with the media affect its comms in the pandemic?
The uneasy truce Downing Street director of comms Lee Cain called with the media as the pandemic took hold in the UK in March is already showing signs of falling apart, as the Number 10 comms machine begins to revert to its instincts and favour certain journalists over others. But is this practical for a Government trying to get its message across or a responsible attitude toward a country amid a crisis?
Agency leaders: ‘The pandemic has changed how internal comms, crisis comms and purpose are valued'
Internal comms – regarded by some in the industry as a “poor relation” to external – is having a moment due to the coronavirus pandemic. Leaders of freuds, Grayling and Cicero/AMO highlight the services clients are turning to during the coronavirus crisis.
Fundraising Regulator hires consultancy for PR and public affairs contract
The UK’s Fundraising Regulator has retained Pagefield for the next three years, at a challenging time for the charity sector.
Sajid Javid's former special adviser joins Grayling
Grayling has hired a former special adviser to the ex-Chancellor as an associate director in its public affairs and corporate affairs team.
Exclusive: Hanover appoints director following merger of health and PA in London
Hanover has appointed health and public affairs specialist Jennifer Blainey as a director in its London Health team.
Chancellor picks top political journalist as comms chief
Former ITV News national editor Allegra Stratton has been appointed director of strategic communications to the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak.
Hanbury makes senior hires including former government adviser
Hanbury Strategy has announced three senior appointments, which also include an ex-senior civil servant and a former Barclays Bank MD.
Badoo swipes right on inaugural global agency partner
Dating app Badoo has appointed Grayling as its first strategic global communications agency, following a competitive pitch.
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t: will party conferences go ahead this autumn?
The coronavirus pandemic has permeated every sector of society, with no business, organisation or charity left untouched – including in the political sphere.
Coronavirus: ‘Airline comms directors have a real challenge’ – travel PR expert
Airlines face a “real challenge” to strike the right tone when asking for government support and several carriers are likely to collapse, a travel industry communications expert has warned.
Opinion and features
The Government’s failure to keep ‘on message’ could be a matter of life and death
24 hours earlier, a shabby, sneering Cummings said he didn’t care what people thought.
From the editor-in-chief: 'We're going back to work, but how much have we changed?'
Week 10 working from home, the warm spring mornings continue to bring cheer and I’ve been reading a lot about how we could all WFH forever, as Twitter suggested last week.
COVID-19 has given us a hybrid Parliament and a form of politics that forces us to adapt
Just like Parliament itself, politics isn’t built for social distancing.
Why do some government and political slogans land while others fall flat?
A good slogan inspires unity and action, while a poorly crafted one will land in a politician’s face like spit in the wind.
The PR industry’s greatest challenge could be to fight the coronavirus infodemic
COVID-19 has brought sudden and extreme change to our lives.
The pandemic has brought the skills of journalists working in PR to the fore
It takes a white-hot news story to bring out the best in a journalist.
Why small agencies will thrive post-coronavirus
PRCA research recently talked about the state of the PR industry during the COVID-19 pandemic; despite almost half of agencies furloughing staff or making redundancies, there’s still optimism.
'Snoop's refreshing… and I don't want the smell of my local boozer in my lounge room' – Creative Hits and Misses of the Week
Ollie Edwards, earned creative director at Good Relations, looks at the best and the worst creative offerings from the past seven days.
This could be a moment of change: two views on juggling parenting and work during the pandemic
During the lockdown, parents working in the PR industry have been forced to add a new act to their panoply of circus skills. Forget plate-spinning; combining work with home-schooling is the new juggling act.
PRWeek UK Top 150: Average profit margin rises, but fewer agencies are in the high-margin zone
Procurement-led pitches and staffing costs continue to place pressure on the profit margins of the Top 150 UK consultancies, comprehensive analysis reveals. The average is up, but there has been a downward trend at the top end of the margin scale.
Boris Johnson’s statement: Should we stay or should we go now?
‘Should I stay or should I go?’ The last great song by The Clash could be the theme music to a nation rising to consider whether to go to work following the Prime Minister’s address to the nation last night.
PRWeek UK Top 150 2020: Public Affairs comms rankings
Cicero – now part of Havas – is clear at the summit, while top-ten shops FTI, Grayling and Interel enjoy double-digit growth. Our public affairs breakout table reveals all...
PRWeek Top 150: Brexit and political uncertainty drive growth in public affairs agency rankings
There have been some big changes in the public affairs agency rankings since last year’s table was published: Cicero, now owned by Havas PR, retains the top spot but Portland returns to the rankings for the first time since 2018 to take second place.
In defence of the press: You get the media you’re willing to pay for
I was heckled many times as a hack. The Tory faithful once groaned when I asked David Cameron a question at an event.
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Senior Consultant- Health, Top PR Agency, London, Great Benefits Portland Communications London (Greater)
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Senior Communications Officer House of Lords London (Central), London (Greater)
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Corporate PR/Public Affairs - Account Executive Premier Resourcing UK Central London
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Consultant, Healthcare, Policy/Public Affairs Premier Resourcing UK Central London
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Account Manager | Purpose | Ethical | Sustainability Prospect Resourcing Ltd London (Central), London (Greater)
Recent public/corporate affairs people moves
Movers & Shakers: Heineken, MHP, Enero, Cicero/AMO, M&C Saatchi Talk and more
PRWeek's weekly round-up of industry hires, departures and promotions.
Movers & Shakers: Ogilvy, Hanover, H+K, Carlsberg, Grayling, Ranieri and more
PRWeek's weekly round-up of industry hires, departures and promotions.
Carlsberg hires group corporate affairs chief
The brewer has appointed Christian Wulff Søndergaard as vice-president of corporate affairs. He will begin his new role on Friday (1 May).
Edelman promotes Tristan Roy to global chair of digital
Roy had been filling the role since Thomas Crampton left the firm in February.
BCW corporate reputation chief Ramiro Prudencio joins McKinsey & Company after 30 years
Ramiro Prudencio – a senior figure at BCW who has worked at the agency and its predecessor for almost three decades – has left to head global comms at management consulting giant McKinsey & Company.
Coca-Cola hires communications lead for Western Europe
Coca-Cola has appointed ex-Coty corporate responsibility lead Anna Lucuk to its most senior comms role in Western Europe, PRWeek has learned.