Public Affairs Blog - Latest comments

In response to: The Colour Purple

Adrian Byrne [Visitor] — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:19:48 +0000

I like purple ties too and it is absolutely the favorite colour of my nine year old daughter, Eve, so it must be good.

In response to: What effect will the downturn have on public affairs?

Chresten Heide-Anderson [Visitor] — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 06:54:44 +0000

I think that both schools are right. I think that companies that already has government relations programs and has seen the effect of these will continue to use them. However companies with small programs and/or relatively new programs will reduce and cutback on those.

I also think that companies will reduce their use of external consultants and instead keep a small in-house staff (perhaps just of one or two people).

But this is of course my Danish viewpoint. Things may be slightly different elsewhere - but somehow I doubt it.

So basically I guess I'm agreeing with you on the matter. Can whoever hires convince the rest of the bunch of the use of Government Relations.

In response to: Communications Data Bill: Now the Anti-Terrorism Reviewer as WELL as the Information Commissioner says it is dangerous

Matt Wardman [Visitor] — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 04:36:02 +0000

There's more on this over at my blog, including some debate

http://tinyurl.com/commsdatabill

Matt

In response to: Mandy is back

Charityplayer [Visitor] — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:37:31 +0000

The Epitome of Ineptitude

A Kamikaze Votewinner For The Hard Party

The Double Brown HandyMandelsons
Are Very Big In
Fife

M8*

In response to: Hard Labour for Brown?

Charityplayer [Visitor] — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:47:40 +0000

MANCHESTER
Tuesday 23rd September 008

Vulture Eye*

Quote of The Day

TO GOVERN IS TO CHOOSE

The Apathetic Voter Won Hands Down

YouHaveToLarfM8*

In response to: Crime Rising? Its all about solving.

juno [Visitor] — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:45:41 +0000

its about time we started electing cheif constabales and then if they thought their nice pension was going to be taken away,there would be more police on the streets.but as it is the weakminded that run this country we can just sit and moan.its about time mps stopped slagging each other and grew up

In response to: The Season to examine Ministerial Statements for Smuggled Proposals

Matt Wardman [Member] — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:46:36 +0000

A brief update to my previous posting.

On the last day of the Parliamentary Session, another 46 Ministerial Written Statements were released. That makes 98 since last Thursday.

To be fair, that is less than last-year's 117 in the last 3 days.

Some nuggets:

* Planning Inspectorate Annual Report and Accounts 2007-08.
* Equitable Life - again.
* Free Cash Machines (Low-income Areas). Provide 600 new free cash machines in poor areas. Is PO closure negating this programme?
* Food: Poultry Register
* EU: Financial Management and Fraud
* Revenue and Customs: The next stage in the reorganisation. Looks relatively innocuous.
* Review of Civil Aviation Authority
* Local Transport Bill: "measures to improve public transport and tackle road congestion.". Hmmm - one for Councillors.
* Annual Reports: Jobcentre Plus (HC 707), the Pension Service (HC 855), the Disability and Carers Service (HC 719), and the Rent Service (HC 729).
* The annual report and accounts of the Child Support Agency will be laid before the House shortly. (Does that mean during the break? - or is that shortly as in "next October".)

Doubtless some innocuous, but others .
...

In response to: Stabbing out knife crime

Darren Lilleker [Member] — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:14:26 +0000

The huge problem for a government is both the media and opposition nagging them: 'what are you going to do', thus driving the 'lets do this' response. What the current cabinet seem unable to do is think quickly. If they are not working from the 'getting on with the job' script they often seem to be drawn to agree with the journalist's take. Hence the visiting stab victims in hospital debacle. Jacqui Smith did not volunteer this idea, the interviewer did; this was then picked up by every media outlet, criticised, had to be denied and so was a huge communication fiasco. The correct answer should have been 'we are still working on the fine detail' as per Cameron who is happy to admit this on some big policy ideas. I know this is the communication more than the policy but it is interesting that good solutions can be undermined through poor build-up and presentation.