Dress to depress

A weekly newsletter on campaigning, lobbying and political influence in the U.K.
By JOHN JOHNSTON
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Who thought three conferences was a good idea? Tips, gossip, state secrets and coffee requests @johnjohnstonmi or [email protected] | View in your browser
— Labour’s ethics drama is sucking the oxygen out of everything else. Who’d have thunk it?
— Influence gets the post-match analysis from Lib Dem conference … and some field-tested tactics for the rest of schmoozing season.
— Do people… actually trust journalists again?
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DRESS TO DEPRESS: Everyone in Westminster is talking about frocks, footie and freebies. It’s almost like Labour’s tangle this week is proving years of doom-laden warnings about shaky hospitality and transparency rules completely right…
Chart topper: Per Sky News’ sums, Keir Starmer has netted £100,000 in gifts and giveaways since December 2019. That’s more than any other MP. Number 10’s been on the defensive after Starmer made a late declaration about gifts to his wife from a wealthy donor. And this all comes after weeks of bad headlines about plum Whitehall gigs going to well-connected political types. Mix it in with the big decision of the summer — to pare back winter fuel allowance — and you sure have got yourself a heady mix for the new team in charge.
You know you’ve got a problem: When Tories are now gleefully sharing historic clips of Starmer accusing *them* of being p*ss poor at following donations rules.
A reminder: In the weeks running up to the election, Influence was full of clever voices prophesying exactly this, if the party didn’t move fast on its much-hyped plans for a big overhaul of the Westminster standards regime. They could’ve gotten on the front foot and had something tangible to point to when the inevitable questions came. Instead…
Fuel to the fire: It’s all being made worse by Labour’s haughty responses. Minister Angela Eagle accused an LBC journalist of having a “rant” after he asked some basic questions about it. Starmer baulked at suggestions he should turn down eye-wateringly expensive corporate hospitality to attend Arsenal games because, er, he likes football?
But but but: Fear not, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has polished the line up a bit this morning. Starmer faces real “pressure” in his job, so why shouldn’t he be allowed to accept a jolly to see Taylor Swift provided it’s declared properly. That’ll do it.
More where that came from: There are “clear rules” in place and the government has “no objection to how the system works,” he added.
On the plus side: There’ll be a glut of fringe events in Liverpool focused on Labour’s apparently not-yet forgotten ethics and standards plans. Influence will be there with a loud hailer.
THE BRIGHTON BRIGADE: £8 pints, karaoke crooning and a case of the sniffles. Conference season is back, baby.
Sure… Labour’s imminent jamboree is this year’s lobbying Glasto. But, buoyed by an historic election result, the Lib Dem’s Brighton bash was a proper fixture in the corporate calendar. Naturally, Influence did a tour of duty to bring you the best bits.
Probing on the pier: The big takeaway is that the party clearly sees itself once more as a serious political force — even if it hasn’t quite figured out how it goes about showing that. Fishing Ed Davey out of his wetsuit might be a good place to start.
Still… Speaking to Influence after his first Lib Dem outing, Samir Dwesar, a senior public affairs and policy manager at Santander UK, says beneath the “family reunion” feel, there was a clear tension about where the party positions itself in the new Westminster world.
Tightrope: “It is unclear what their strategy is going to be,” he says. “Balancing how to be a constructive opposition and get some of their agenda through vs. where to oppose the government and hold their feet to the fire.” My ace colleague Noah Keate has lots more on that front.
The big positive for biz… Is that party insiders playing “spot the lobbyist” (yes, really) in the bar of the Grand Hotel seemed genuinely chuffed to have them along for the ride. While Brighton wasn’t the place to be dumping detailed pitches this year, there was still a clear ROI to be had for those getting stuck into those early policy chats.
Two way street: “They were hoping to find out the general direction of Lib Dem policies about business — as they still know little about the party with newly-gained power,” says Crestview Strategy consultant Zhiai Xiong. “They were also hoping to put their issues on Lib Dem MPs’ radar and even test out some of their arguments.”
Sign of the times: The best opportunity for that big picture chat came at the party’s closed door business event — which not only attracted major sponsors including NatWest and Lloyds — but was elevated this year to a full day’s program to accommodate the post-election surge in interest.
Pumped up: Shayne Halfpenny-Ray, head of policy and public affairs at the British Insurance Brokers’ Association, picked up genuine excitement for engagement among the senior party officials he’d collared. “If there was one message every single Liberal Democrat voice wanted to land on Monday, it is that the door is open, they want to hear from business and they want to continue to work in partnership with them,” he says.
Meanwhile: With three select committee chairs, a solid showing in the private member’s bill ballot and a swathe of ambitious new MPs, there’s still plenty of opportunity for fruitful networking away from Davey’s top team. Lib Dems have little chance of actually changing legislation amid Labour’s parliamentary dominance, but Santader’s Dwesar says building those early relationships can pay dividends when it’s time to raise an issue in a Westminster Hall debate, or find a friendly sponsor for a parliamentary event.
Pub bores: In a vindication for bleary-eyed lobbyists, Shearwater Global director Chris Adams says the smartest operators were those tapping into the after-hours pub gossip on the party’s reshuffle. “Some of the front-runners were seen getting collared far more than their colleagues,” he says of these champagne-fueled intel operations. It’s a hard job, but someone’s gotta do it.
Another top tip: “It’s clear a lot [of MPs] are very keen to have an impact in their constituency, and are keen to get through to local solutions quite quickly in conversations,” say George Brewster and Jovana Lalic from Better Society Capital. Translation: think local.
Campaign starts now: Yes, yes, Labour’s mission-led mumbo jumbo might be a pre-requisite for a ministerial meeting in Liverpool, but with average majorities slashed across the country — a constituency coup is still going to be persuasive to MPs of all persuasions.
Of course: Those planning a serious Lib Dem love-bombing better be able to answer this one crucial question: WTF is the FPC?
Yeah, didn’t think so: The Federal Policy Committee is the beating heart of the party’s decision making process, and party insiders are insistent that ignoring it is a major blunder. “For organizations who have never engaged with the Lib Dems, the biggest challenge is probably getting to grips with party’s policy process, which is complex and highly democratic,” says Grayling account director Alexis King.
No, seriously: It’s not just Glee Club and dad-dancing. Pablo John, head of external affairs at the Association for Decentralized Energy was “shocked” at how seriously the party takes conference as a forum for setting policy direction. “As the Lib Dems grow in force, influence professionals should start trying to get coffees with FPC members and working group chairs,” he reckons. “With the way the polls are pointing, a hung parliament seems a real possibility in 2029 — so these conference votes could become policy sooner than we think.”
Prizes for the taking: With a new power dynamic in Westminster and the relative importance of the backbencher diminished, there’s a big prize awaiting those who can find engagement opportunities off the beaten path.
And yet… While Labour are charging the price of mid-sized sedan to host a fringe in Liverpool in the coming days, hardly anyone seemed to have take advantage of the very modestly priced slots at this year’s TUC conference, which feels like an oversight given its importance to Labour.
If none of that works: King spied plenty of lobbyists plying their trade at Lib Dem bash by … simply touring the conference centre and asking anyone dressed smartly if they were a new MP. See you in Liverpool!
WONK WOE: The future of the renowned think tank UK in a Changing Europe looks uncertain as it announced its public funding is set to end next April.
End of an era: Director Anand Menon — who became a fixture on TV screens calmly explaining everything during the madness of the Brexit years — said he was “gutted” by the news, but insisted they’ll continue producing “high quality” analysis until the end of the funding period.
GOOD NEWS FOR NEWS: Some interesting polling from Grayling Media — a new unit within the Grayling operation — has found a whopping 64 percent of the public trust journalists, with the highest trust levels among 18-35 year olds. Hooray!
On brand: The data shows one in five consumers now actively seek to get their news from specific journalists, a trend which rises to 40 percent in the younger demographic.
Mystic meg: The group reckons the shifting consumer landscape will mean more innovation among news orgs, while individual journalists will be eager to grow their personal brands beyond the publications they work for … even if they are more likely to be held individually accountable if their byline appears on a duff tale. DM us for signed headshots.
POLL POSITION: Nominations are open for the House mag’s 2025 Women in Westminster awards — and you’ve got until Nov. 1 to put forward names. The awards showcase the achievements of everyone from parliamentarians to policy wonks and public affairs pros — and there’s always a decent knees-up to celebrate the results. Make your case here.
INSPIRING TALE: Plucky lobbyists standing up for their big bank bosses to slap down an under-resourced regulator looking out for fraud victims. God, it brings a tear to the eye.
No, but seriously: This excellent behind-the-curtain yarn from my colleague Eleanor Myers into the fascinating lobbying scrap over responsibility for refunding fraud victims is well worth a read.
What a mess: Big banks and big tech are blaming each other. Academics are worried our system is open for abuse, and the newly created vacuum risks creating “Christmas day” for scammers. Cheery stuff.
Hanbury snapped up ex-Unison assistant secretary general and former Labour Party exec director Emilie Oldknow as the agency’s first-ever CEO. Fellow Labour exec director Fiona Stanton is also joining the firm as a partner.
Former deputy Labour leader Tom Watson is joining Lodestone Communications on their new advisory council and as a senior advisor, while Max Wind-Cowie has been appointed as MD of its new corporate and reputation practice.
Johnny Luk joined Cast from Clay as head of public affairs after a spell at Global Counsel and a run as a Tory candidate in the 2024 election.
Peter Middlehurst started as head of parliamentary engagement at the Premier League after a stint as an adviser to Thangam Debbonaire as shadow culture sec.
Woolf Thomson Jones is joining Nepean as a director, while Ella Henderson and Patrick Storey are joining as senior consultants.
Jonathan Simmons is starting as the new chief executive of think tank NPC in November.
Tom Williams is joining USDAW as a political officer working for Labour MP Afzal Khan.
Patrick Geddis started as a program manager (energy transition) at the Labour Climate and Environment Forum.
Gabriel Hedengren has been promoted to senior associate director at Camarco.
Jobs jobs jobs: UK Music has openings for a director of campaigns and engagement and a head of communications… UK Youth is looking for a head of policy and public affairs… Citizens Advice is on the hunt for a public affairs assistant… Do the chicken run: there’s an opening at the British Poultry Council for a political and public affairs manager… Pro Bono Economics wants to hire a head of analysis… Age UK London is looking for a campaigns support officer… and the National Trust are looking to hire a public policy officer.
Thanks: To editor Matt Honeycombe-Foster for his deeply illiberal stance on typos. And to the production team for keeping it real.
**A message from bp: Did you know an estimated 81,000 UK jobs – that’s 1 in every 410 jobs – are supported by bp’s activities in the UK? bp has been investing in the UK for more than a century, including 60 years developing North Sea oil and gas. Read our latest economic impact report, produced with Oxford Economics, to find out more. bp.com/uk/EIR.**