COMMENT
Need to get on the political agenda? Harriet Crosthwaite of Luther Pendragon explains how to lobby the Government.
T
he Conservative-LibDem coalition, in terms of numbers alone, created the strongest Parliamentary option following the General Election –
a combined majority of 363 seats in the House. As PROPERTYdrum readers will be aware, the arrival of a new Government inevitably creates opportunities for industry and no more so than now, with not only a new Government but also a radically different political landscape. The question is, how to capitalise on
these opportunities for change. What messages do we want to drive home? Who should we approach? When should we approach them? How and when will change happen? These are the key questions for the lobbyist. Lobbying isn’t for everyone, but for those who really want to have their say, it’s the only way to go.
The righT message For a political campaign to be successful, developing the right messages is absolutely crucial. One of the first steps we undertake for any of our clients is to arrange a messaging session teasing out all the key issues and working up messages that are going to resonate with the relevant audience. In coming up with appropriate messages, it is important to bear in mind, the political climate, timing (where we are in the political cycle), the aims and objectives of the campaign and the interests and focus of the target audience.
idenTifying your audience Clearly a good message is only going to deliver results if it is delivered to the right audience. It is easy to think that conveying the right message to the relevant Minister responsible for that issue is going to deliver results, but the relevant audience for any issue is always wider that just the
20 OCTOBER 2010 PROPERTYdrum
ministerial inbox. Which MPs and Peers have recently been vocal on the subject and could prove supportive allies in the Houses of Parliament? Who gives the Minister policy advice? Are there any groups of special interest MPs or Select Committees focusing on this area at the moment? All these questions must be borne in mind in identifying the target audience.
engagemenT – securing a meeTing With the message worked up and the target audience identified, it’s time to start the political push, securing meetings and sending out briefing papers. Persistence is key here, MPs and Ministers offices are inundated with meeting requests every day, once you’ve sent out that initial meeting request letter it’s vital to follow it up by phone with the diary secretary. The right message and the right audience are essential to securing meetings.
follow up If, as hoped for, actions begin to materialise from your meetings, it’s vital to follow up these actions with the MPs/Peers office. Time is precious for politicians, as it is for all of us, so if you assist them in making follow up actions as easy as possible, you’re more likely to see suggested actions turned into results.
Luther Pendragon has considerable
experience in the property sector from targeted political campaigning to supporting planning applications, from local stakeholder communications to national brand awareness. An example is an ongoing project for the E-Homebuying Forum, which represents companies across the homebuying and selling marketplace. Prior to the election the Forum built up good relationships with key Government Departments including CLG and the Ministry of Justice as well as Opposition Spokesmen and was beginning to be seen as a ‘go to’ body in the homebuying and selling space. Indeed, the Forum was praised by the CLG for offering a unique cross-industry perspective on home- buying reform. Now, work has begun to tailor messaging, identify key targets and look for partnerships with Government to achieve tangible results. We have seen time and time again that
developing a political voice can be absolutely crucial in shaping the working environment of a business and its bottom line and that continues to be true. Businesses operating at the coal face have ready access to the detailed, technical information that is essential for officials and Ministers to deliver effective policy. Companies who can benefit from
political engagement, but fail to make their voice heard, inevitably face the prospect of being stifled by those that shout the loudest. Now is the time to question whether you can afford to be left behind.
Harriet Crosthwaite, Associate Director, Luther Pendragon. E:
harrietcrosthwaite@luther.co.uk T: 0207 618 9100
Add your own opinions to the debate:
www.propertydrum.com/articles/commentoct
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68