The Liverpool lowdown

— Forget the political Glastonbury, public affairs pros reckon Labour conference was a bit more like Fyre festival.
— Was this the “Arden conference”?
— The freebies row cast a shadow over conference, but ministers still don’t seem ready to take it seriously.
** A Message from Intuit: Small businesses and accountants power the UK economy. Their voices should be represented in policy conversations. Intuit invited small businesses and accountants from across the UK to share what they wish from policymakers to help them grow and scale. Read what they have to say.**
DROWNED OUT: Sold out attendance, a massive majority, and a fringe guide thicker than a phonebook. All the ingredients were there for Labour’s conference to be a blow-out bash, and yet … it all felt a bit flat.
Own goal: As much as ministers refused to admit it, there was palpable anger among MPs and supporters that the freebie fiasco had been allowed to taint the conference mood, while the torrential rain was hardly a morale booster.
Tears in the rain: “It didn’t feel like a party that had won a landslide majority,” said Mitchell Cohen, head of public affairs at Lansons. “Less Glastonbury, more Fyre festival.”
Two tier Keir: But it wasn’t just the party faithful who came away with mixed feelings, because experiences across the campaign and corporate worlds varied greatly too.
For instance … Cohen said the Liverpool lock-in had been “really productive” for clients, granted good access to MPs and ministers “with productive discussions and reassuring messages.”
But but but: While well connected lobbying outfits were able to secure those crucial face-to-face meetings, there were plenty of corporates and campaigners who left Liverpool with little more than a sore head and an empty wallet. “Businesses who are seen as key for achieving the missions got good access through private roundtables … and were pleased to have gone. Others struggled because it was so, so busy,” says Grayling associate director Alex Dismore.
Coining it: Despite the valiant efforts of some Labour MPs to run the fringe gauntlet, Influence heard that multiple events were cancelled or amended at the last second due to a lack of speakers.
Even then … Elizabeth Ames, CEO at Atalanta, says some corporate attendees were left deflated by events that did go ahead. MPs — even eager ones — were in such demand that they’d show up to a fringe to give pre-prepared remarks before sneaking out ahead of the Q&A sessions.
Not struggling to attract speakers … Were Labour Together and Arden Strategies — both now firmly positioned as leading power players in the new regime. So much so that one cheeky lobbyist wished Influence an “enjoyable rest of Arden conference.”
Jokes aside: Arden — run by ex-Scottish Labour Leader Jim Murphy — built up a lot of goodwill with party figures given its extensive support running business events and fundraisers for candidates ahead of the election.
For instance … Several MPs benefitted from a joint Arden/Budweiser fundraiser during the campaign, according to the register of interests. Influence is aware of a significant number of other new MPs who were supported by Murphy’s outfit at a level below the threshold which would have required them to declare it.
But but but: Those who did manage to press the flesh away from the fringe circuit were left feeling genuinely optimistic that Labour are committed to their pre-election pledge to tap up outside expertise. “Despite the negative media headlines, on the ground at conference there was a real sense of energy and optimism from the Labour team and a strong willingness to engage with business,” says Katherine Morgan, partner and Europe head of public affairs at DGA Group.
Also happy … Are the business lobbying groups, who seemed relatively reassured the government’s growth agenda remains a top priority after weeks of confidence-sapping misery emanating from Downing Street.
Glimmer of hope: “Rachel Reeves was good on ambition for the budget and turning around the doom and gloom,” says Craig Beaumont, chief of external affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses. “It’s got to be about growth. They can’t do anything they want to do without growth.”
On the detail: Beaumont was also delighted by a major announcement on late payments — the FSB’s top campaigning priority — and said there were “increasing signs” from the conference chats that ministers are recognizing the need to address business concerns on the nitty gritty of Labour’s workers’ rights reforms. Unions, naturally, will be hoping Labour top brass hold firm.
And yet: Joy and positivity were in very short supply among the corporate bigwigs who shelled out £3,000 in the hope of getting the inside scoop at Labour’s dedicated Business Day.
Ticket touts: So what did all that wonga buy the great and good of UK Plc? A basement room with no natural light, a crap sandwich buffet (although the cakes were apparently decent) —and barely any phone signal or working WiFi. It’s a hard life.
Funnily enough: Putting 500 business leaders in a Faraday cage, is, as Grayling’s Dismore points out “not a good day for U.K. productivity.” But Labour’s tech team did manage to get a live stream of Rachel Reeves speech to work. Business leaders were forced to sit and watch in full until morale improved. Multiple attendees told Influence the event was heavy on “dull” panel discussions while opportunities to actually network were very limited.
Are you finished? Bored execs were even shushed multiple times by the event chair because they started nattering to each other while Angela Rayner was trying to make a speech. Given Influence ran into one attendee who had already given up by mid-afternoon it’s no surprise there are already demands for refunds. Maybe this is all part of Labour’s plan to stealthily tax the rich?
Part of the problem … Is that the imminent Budget was, according to WA Comms senior partner Tom Frackowiak, “the very obvious elephant in the room” for those hankering to get into meaty policy chats. “It meant there was no new detail from Liverpool to understand what the parameters and framework of the government’s desired ‘partnership’ with business actually looks like,” he sighs.
Sure: Experienced operators know conference is rarely a policy fest at the best of times, but it didn’t go unnoticed that even Rachel Reeves’ big announcement on Covid corruption was, er, the exact same thing she announced this time last year.
Cool kids: It’s why, according to Crestview vice president Christine Quigley, chatter in the bars was dominated by Budget speculation and whether Labour’s positive vision for business will be reflected in the actual policy. Cheery stuff.
Meanwhile: Charities, campaign groups and smaller corporates are already weighing up whether they’ll be splashing out again next year after feeling slightly burnt by the eye-watering fees Labour charged this time around.”We knew we’d have to swallow the cost this year,” said one public affairs manager at a large charity. “But we didn’t feel like we got a huge amount of engagement in return.”
QUIET BAT PEOPLE: Look away bosses, because a new study from Stonehaven finds so-called “Hero Voters” — those outside Labour’s core support who either backed them for the first time this year or had returned after Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership — are dead keen on Keir Starmer’s workers’ rights reforms.
Up the workers: The numbers show 86 percent backing for employees having the right to switch off outside of working hours, while 73 percent disagreed with the statement that Labour are putting trade union interests ahead of the country with the plan.
Keep em sweet: The group argued the stats give Starmer political cover to slap down business opposition to his plans, while cementing “Hero Voters” as Labour’s version of the “Red Wall” — a demographic whose satisfaction could be vital to a second term in Downing Street.
HAVE YOUR SAY: The PRCA launched their 2024 UK Census and want voices from across the industry to help them suss out trends and spot the problems on everything from diversity to mental health. Take part here.
A FOI-N MESS: Worth a read of this maddening yarn from Times reporter George Greenwood about the scandalous tactics being used in Whitehall to shut down transparency.
Whitehall waste: Greenwood reveals his attempt to get the Information Commissioner’s Office to review the Cabinet Office’s decision to block an FOI request he made regarding Rishi Sunak’s ministerial interests prompted the Whitehall department to … throw lawyers at the problem.
Seriously, lads: In an extraordinary move, the Cabinet Office appointed a KC — at a significant cost to the taxpayer — to take legal action against the watchdog in a bid to block even them from seeing the requested data. The Cabinet Office then even attempted to conceal their legal skullduggery from being made public until a judge disagreed. Cool.
FREE GEAR KEIR: Tickets, clothes, footie and now the use of flats. The list gets longer every week and yet Labour appears completely unable to fight the freebie fire which is starting to do real damage outside the SW1 bubble.
Talking shop: While Influence loves nothing more than talking about transparency issues, the fiasco was being brought up unprompted in nearly every conference conversation — including among MPs whose reactions spanned from quiet resignation to seething fury that this has been allowed to happen.
Uh oh: And some recent polling from Portland (which came before yesterday’s latest donation drama) found that 30 percent of voters reckon this government is less honest than the previous one, 34 percent felt they were around the same, while only 24 percent said they were more honest.
And yet … Ministers appear to have no coherent response to the growing scandal — only adding to the frustration of supporters who see bungled handling allowing the story to do real damage.
But but but: Part of the problem is that ministers seem genuinely convinced they have done no wrong. The rules are what they are, is the message, and Labour hasn’t broken them.
For instance … Speaking at a fringe event on Monday, Commons leader Lucy Powell attempted to hammer home the argument that because their freebies were not coming from “vested interests” this is a very different level of sleaze than that seen under the Conservatives … which could be partially correct, but was met with some firm shaking of heads from even Labour members in the crowd.
Not getting it: The growing sense among transparency pros is that Labour have decided that because they don’t believe they are corrupt or their donors are corrupt then what is the big problem of accepting a few treats now and again … meaning they aren’t taking this seriously enough.
On the plus side: The appointment of an Anti-Corruption Champion sounds like it could be imminent, with a Labour grandee seemingly destined for the role.
But but but: Despite multiple attempts at conference to get some details on when the more significant role of ethics and integrity commissioner might be filled there was nothing more beyond those fear inducing words — “in due course.”
Promotions at APCO London for Anthony Marchese to senior associate director and Sedef Akademir to associate director.
Tory peer Richard Harrington has been appointed chair of UKREiiF’s advisory group.
Former No. 10 SpAd Jack Airey is joining Public First to lead on housing and infrastructure.
Giles Bethule joined Ares Management as vice president of corporate comms after a stint at FGS Global.
Former Deputy Cabinet Secretary Helen MacNamara will chair the Future Governance Forum think tank from October.
Tanisha Aggarwal has been promoted to senior policy and public affairs manager at Nationwide Building Society.
Robert Ede joined Eli Lilly as senior director, government affairs and communications for Northern Europe after a stint as a health SpAd.
Alice Edwards started a new position as policy advisor at the Department for Transport.
Rud Pedersen snapped up Andrew Clark as a director from The Go-Ahead Group. Alex Reeves is joining as an account director after a stint at the Betting and Gaming Council … Sophia Paphitis is starting as operations manager … Isobel Moseley is joining as an account manager after helping top hacks Gabriel Pogrund and Patrick Maguire with research for their new book.
Jobs jobs jobs: Better Society Capital is looking for a PR and communications manager … Canada Life has an opening for a public relations manager … WA Communications wants to hire an account executive, health … The British Heart Foundation need a head of government and external affairs … The Home Office is looking for a communications officer … And The Athena Foundation needs a campaign and programme manager.
Thanks: To editor Matt Honeycombe-Foster for washing typos away. And to the production team for bringing some sunshine to Influence.
**A message from Intuit: We asked Kofi Ohene-Djan, Owner, Founder, and CMO at OSUNO Marketing in Liverpool: What do you wish policymakers could do to help stamp out late payments? ‘Late payments can cause issues and ruin cash flow. Timely payments are critical for a business to function properly. Policymakers should incentivise companies to pay on time or early.’ Intuit is proud to partner with Good Business Pays to raise awareness about the challenges that late payments create for small businesses. Creating a fair payment culture could boost economic growth and unlock financial confidence for the UK’s 5M small businesses. See what additional advice small business owners are sharing with policymakers.**
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