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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
‘Undeniable conflict of interest’: PRCA issues complaint against Tulchan’s Lord Feldman
The PRCA has submitted a complaint to the House of Lords Commissioner for Standards, alleging that Tulchan Communications managing partner Lord Feldman has failed to uphold ethical standards.
Hancock faces questions over Luther Pendragon shareholder hired to advisory role
Gina Coladangelo, a shareholder in Luther Pendragon and marketing and comms director at Oliver Bonas, has benefited from her personal ties to health secretary Matt Hancock, according to newspaper reports at the weekend
Exceptional communicator with a ‘touch of Machiavelli’: Who is ‘Slacky’, Downing Street’s new comms chief?
Last week brought the spectacular implosion of Boris Johnson’s inner circle and the departure of Dominic Cummings and Lee Cain after either a blazing row or an amicable chat, depending on which sources you read.
Subway hires consultancy for corporate and public affairs brief
The restaurant franchise has chosen MSL to handle a UK and EMEA corporate reputation brief.
Portland under investigation over potential lobbying breaches related to coronavirus crisis
The PRCA’s Public Affairs Board is investigating after a complaint was lodged that a Portland lobbyist may have breached ethical codes when “secretly” serving as an adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) during the pandemic.
'Symptom of the final days' for Johnson: Industry reacts to Lee Cain's shock departure
Downing Street director of comms Lee Cain has resigned – hours after reports suggested he was to become Boris Johnson’s chief of staff.
Downing Street comms chief appointed as Prime Minister's chief of staff
Downing Street director of comms Lee Cain is in advanced discussions to become Boris Johnson’s chief of staff, it has emerged.
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‘This is not the end of populism' – how will a Biden presidency shake up UK political comms?
The victory of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to become the next president and vice-president of the US, after a nail-biting four days of vote-counting, is still subject to a raft of legal challenges.
Hanover hires chief political adviser following 'heartbreaking' exit of public affairs head
Nick King – former chief of staff to Sajid Javid – joins Hanover amid a leadership restructure that involves the departure of public affairs leader Katie Cooper and the promotion of several others, PRWeek has learned.
Whitehouse hires ex-Labour strategist and reveals fresh public affairs clients
Former Labour strategist Max Wilson has joined The Whitehouse Consultancy to lead its public affairs practice, as the agency announced several new client wins and an expanded brief with Hong Kong democracy campaigners.
Hoile returns to the fold in senior public affairs role at MHP Health
Nick Hoile has been appointed as a senior director in Engine's MHP Health team, returning to the agency after a two-year stint at Langland, PRWeek can reveal.
Convergence of health and public affairs as Lodestone announces health unit
Political strategy and corporate comms specialist Lodestone has announced the formation of a health unit managed by co-founder David Wild, PRWeek can reveal.
Former Westbourne COO takes role with political insights firm
Ben Abbotts, former partner and chief operating officer at Westbourne Communications, has been appointed chair of PoliMonitor, the political tech agency announced today.
Joey Jones leaves Cicero/AMO for Grayling
Joey Jones, former Weber Shandwick UK head of public affairs and most recently strategic counsel at Cicero/AMO, has moved to Grayling, PRWeek has learned.
Google’s public affairs chief to join Ofcom as director of comms
The communications regulator has appointed Google’s public affairs chief to be its new director of comms, as the organisation prepares to take on new duties from the government, PRWeek can reveal.
Summertime blues: Five days for a public affairs agency to save live music
The Blakeney Group’s #LetTheMusicPlay campaign became the top trend on Twitter, globally, with a £1.57bn government rescue package announced just days later. PRWeek explores how they did it in this case study.
Former PRCA chief advising Laurence Fox’s 'Reclaim' political group
Former PRCA director general Patrick Barrow is advising Laurence Fox and the Reclaim political group, PRWeek has learned.
Opinion and features
Seven ways US election shows how the Networked Age is shaping political comms
As the final votes are counted in the US Presidential Election, here are seven key takeaways from the contest for communicators who want to understand how this Networked Age is changing politics.
Political mastermind Cummings threw final ‘dead cat’ on table with resignation
First off, without Dominic Cummings the Tory faithful would not have had Brexit – or an 80-seat majority.
From the editor-in-chief: Cain, Boris, Symonds and terrifying parallels with the unravelling Gordon Brown machine
The internecine warfare that appears to be raging in Downing Street this week reminds me of covering the unravelling of Gordon Brown’s office in 2008-10.
The biggest lie in the industry: ‘Our people are our greatest strength’
This lie (sorry, line), or similar, is often found about five slides into an agency’s creds document – usually accompanied with a full-bleed image of smiling agency employees in wetsuits from that one summer surf trip in 2012.
Vaccine comms 'cronyism' row: where's the real ethical line for PR?
Most people say government communication about the pandemic needs improving. Some of those people also say it is an ethical scandal spending taxpayers' money to bring in extra help and expertise to improve that communication. This attitude seems a little contradictory.
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Why are our clients not demanding more diverse teams from agencies?
Over the past few months, diversity and inclusion (D&I) in the PR industry has taken centre stage.
Five ways you can support the mental health and happiness of your employees
With almost everyone working from home, it’s important that people continue to feel a part of their work family and – as a chief happiness officer – my objective is to ensure that everyone knows they are supported and cared for.
Rashford’s 'simple, authentic' school meals campaign is a lesson for anyone lobbying government
‘An open goal’, ‘He shoots, he scores!’ – the headlines write themselves for footballer Rashford’s campaign for the Government to extend free school meals to cover holidays during the pandemic.
Agencies: don’t make your pro bono work for charities a PR exercise
Every PR agency should be investing time and money in CSR and pro bono initiatives.
Is that ‘on background’ or ‘on the record’? How to use these terms with journalists
Companies sometimes find themselves in a muddle over the use of ‘on background’ interviews, so what does it mean and when should it be used?
Click-bait stories are bad news for readers, the PR industry and its clients
I read an article about how a fire had devastated the Moria migrant camp on Lesbos.
Can you have a killer PR career despite having a killer problem?
Do you know how easy it is to develop a drinking or substance abuse problem in the UK PR industry? Pretty bloody easy.
BLM activists need to decide on policy aims and translate support into change
The Black Lives Matter movement has raised its profile to new heights in the UK, but there is work to do to turn that awareness and support into action.
Eight ways public affairs pros can achieve genuine community engagement during COVID-19
This week Homes for Lambeth sacked its public affairs agency for measuring the success of its stakeholder engagement programme by counting the number of IP addresses visiting its website.
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Agency Lead Loop Bicester, Oxfordshire
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Director of Communications Ministry of Defence London (Central), London (Greater)
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Public Affairs Senior Account Executive / Account Manager Premier Resourcing UK London
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Executive Director Economic Change Unit London
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Senior Associate Director | Director | Corporate Comms | Public Affairs | Agency Prospect Resourcing Ltd London (Central), London (Greater)
Recent public/corporate affairs people moves
Aviation firm Lilium hires ex-Starbucks comms director to lead global marcomms
Munich-based aviation company Lilium has hired Meredith Bell, the former Starbucks comms director and Edelman veteran, to oversee global marcomms.
Movers & Shakers: Hanover, Frank, Archetype, Edelman, Engine MHP and more
PRWeek's weekly round-up of industry hires, departures and promotions.
Steffan Williams to leave Portland for new venture
Steffan Williams, who joined Portland in 2018 to launch and lead its financial communications division, is leaving the agency at the end of the year to start a new venture.
Marco hires tourism comms veteran to global role amid recruitment spree
Marco has appointed tourism communications leader, Tomás Matesanz, as its global business development and innovation officer. The agency has also won a raft of new clients.
Where are they now? Thomas Cook’s senior comms team in new roles
A year on from Thomas Cook Group's collapse, its senior comms executives have landed roles across various sectors. PRWeek tracks them down in this special report.
Movers & Shakers: Virgin Group, Don't Cry Wolf, Yorkshire Building Society, Engine and more
PRWeek's weekly roundup of industry hires, departures and promotions.