News - Reports

Message from the Chairman

This is my first report as Chairman of the CIPR Government Affairs Group after several very rewarding years as Secretary. My first act must be to thank, on behalf of the Group, our retiring Chairman Jonathan Bracken who’s hard work has been key to the Group’s success over the last two years. I am sure that Jonathan will remain a strong supporter and advocate for the Group and we wish him well.

I would also like to congratulate Lionel Zetter (who continues as one of the guiding lights of the Group as Vice Chairman) in his election as President-Elect of the CIPR, to serve as President in 2007. We are sure that the CIPR is safe in his hands and we look forward to further years of productive and close working between the Group and the CIPR as a whole.

Inevitably this year has been dominated by changes in the national political scene. Whatever your own political perspective it is hard to refute the fact that politics seems to be getting more interesting with the high probability of three entirely new party leaders facing the public at the next general election. In that context we were pleased to welcome David Cameron MP who spoke to the Group just before his ascent to the leadership of the Conservative party. We were also pleased to re-assert our strong cross-party credentials when we welcomed the Rt. Hon. Geoff Hoon MP, who spoke to our AGM in his then position as Leader of the House of Commons. We were also joined by rising star of the Lib Dems, Nick Clegg MP, now Home Affairs spokesperson for that party. The Group’s continuing interest in the connections between politics and the media was also fuelled by a very informative meeting we had with Michael Kallenbach, formerly of the Telegraph and Sun Newspapers.

We were also pleased that after the general election Andrew Hawkins, pollster from Communicate Research, led a meeting with us about the results followed by a ‘Question Time’ style format with representatives of the three main political parties. We have also been joined for meetings by Alan Williams MP, the Father of the House of Commons, and Howell James, the Permanent Secretary for Government Communications.

As in previous years, the summer reception and annual lunch – mainstays of the Group’s calendar – were both hugely successful. The annual lunch was held just before Christmas in the Members’ dining room at the House of Commons where we were given a satirical tour de force by nationally renowned writer and broadcaster Armando Iannucci. We will be returning to that venue again this year. The summer reception at One Whitehall place also proved, once again, to be enormously popular.

I am also very pleased that the Group continues to establish itself as one of the major bodies representing the public affairs industry. However, I also believe that it is time to take the Group to the next level. That is why I have asked the Executive Committee of the Group to undertake a root and branch review of all that we do. I hope that over the next year we can address the issues about who is best placed to lead and represent the growing public affairs and government relations industry. I am certain that the Group, within the professional structures of the CIPR, is well placed to be the unified voice of the profession on a range of issues. With its proper membership structure, a constitution and a Code of Practice that members must adhere too it is well on the way to being so, but we need to ensure that we now raise our performance to the next level. I hope that this review will give us ideas about new activities – and where our current activities can be improved.

For the Group it has been a very good year and I would like to thank the Executive Committee – Lionel Zetter, Daniel Murphy, Louisa Stevens, Deborah Powton, Elizabeth Brogan, George Crozier, Keith Johnston, Laura Webb, Simon Goldie, Jonathan French, Clive Booth and Frank Le Duc for all their hard work making it possible. I would also like to thank the helpful team of officers at the CIPR lead by Colin Farrington as Director General but also with invaluable help and advice from Francis Ingham, Jonathan Clark and Iain Brown. I would also like to thank our sponsors: Ellwood and Atfield, Bircham Dyson Bell, PMS Political Wizard and Electus for their welcome and continuing support in all that we do.

Robert Khan MCIPR is the Public Affairs Manager for the Association of London Government. He is currently on secondment to the LGA, as an adviser to the Labour party in local government.