Turning Political Tides and What it Means for Public Affairs in 2023

by Mia Singleton, Associate Consultant MadlinHanna Consulting

Labour has been polling well in recent months, and the current lead means tides have somewhat turned in politics, with a potential Labour government appearing on the horizon. To keep ahead of the political climate, the communications industry is already beginning to adapt and strengthen its Labour expertise in advance of the general election in 2024. With Hanbury Strategy’s creation of a ‘Labour Unit’, and H/Advisors Cicero hiring of Alice Perry, the former chair of Labour’s NEC, among other examples, we can clearly see the industry’s strategic shift towards Labour talent.

Agency Hiring

And it is relatively unsurprising. A Public Affairs team cannot effectively advocate for and give advice to clients without a handle on the positions of the key political stakeholders. Should the political landscape change from blue to red in the coming years, agencies will want to be best prepared to work with a new government by having a prior established Labour network. The current polls are therefore informing and encouraging some degree of adaptation from agencies who may be looking to bolster their Labour ranks, or simply obtain a more balanced party representation within their teams.   

Presenting Experience

As agencies become increasingly interested in talent with knowledge of the Labour party, the question arises: how can candidates strive to present their Labour affiliation in a way that is effective, but non-performative? Our advice would be that as it is very much a skillset in the current political environment, it is important to be clear and transparent about your political network. Being honest about the depth of your engagement is important here; providing tangible examples on a CV or in an interview setting will be key to this, and there is certainly nothing wrong with bringing them up!  

Beyond this, general online engagement and attendance at events will not only grow your network but indicate the scope of your involvement with the party. Currently, Labour in Communications has over 1,800 followers on LinkedIn and is an incredibly active space for those in communications that are interested in building and involving themselves in a Labour network. At a time when knowing the political landscape, policies and key players may well prove incredibly important for the future, an organisation like this is certainly worth engaging with if it aligns with your political views.   

Adapting Your Skills

What should you do if you have 10 years’ experience working with a Tory government and want to keep your career progression going? Beyond personal political allegiances, it is important that experts are prepared to grow their networks and work across changing governments. The skillset of a government relations advisor fundamentally remains the same: they must build relationships and engage the relevant political stakeholders, navigating across all who sit on those green leather benches. Those experts that can adapt to the shifting climate, as many must have done back in 2010 when we saw the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition succeed the Labour government, are those that stand to be in good stead when election day rolls around.  

MadlinHanna Consulting is a recruitment consultancy specialising in corporate affairs, covering public affairs, corporate communications and financial PR. Contact us on 020 8088 4102 for more information or a confidential conversation about these services and more.