News More firms across the UK will be able to get strategic communications advice close to home as Blakeney expands into the regions.
The company has opened an office in the Midlands and is building up its team in Manchester and the northwest in response to the Government’s devolution agenda.
The aim is to help organisations work out who now makes the decisions that affect them, as more power moves from Whitehall to mayors and regional authorities.
The move comes as the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, pushes ahead with what he calls “devolution by default”. This has seen the introduction of No 10 North in Manchester, talks with the Scottish Government on deeper devolution and – at the Budget last week – a new fiscal devolution roadmap.
Decisions on planning, transport, housing and skills that used to sit with Whitehall are increasingly being taken by mayors and regional authorities, and firms that only know their way around Westminster risk being caught out.
Having people on the ground means Blakeney can help clients build relationships with the people now making those calls beyond SW1.
It builds on Blakeney’s office in Edinburgh, which has helped clients deal with issues that cut across Holyrood and Westminster, and follows the recent move of its headquarters to Westminster.
“The decision making process in the UK is fragmenting in real time. Whitehall is being forced to surrender power to the regions, which means the people who make the decisions that matter to our clients are no longer all within a mile of Parliament Square.
“Our clients need to understand how this works in practice and need to be given the chance to influence the decisions that impact them, whether they are taken in a mayor’s office, at Holyrood or in Downing Street.
“Our team has worked at the heart of government, in Parliament, on national campaigns and in newsrooms. We’re taking that experience into the regions so our clients have advisers who know those places and the people running them.”
Gabe Winn, CEO and founder of Blakeney
Aidan Burley and Simon Evans have been brought in to spearhead the Midlands effort. Aidan is a former Member of Parliament, entrepreneur and public affairs adviser with more than 20 years’ experience across government, politics and business. Simon has deep experience in journalism, corporate affairs and strategic counsel – having worked with major infrastructure organisations such as Network Rail and Birmingham Airport.
Blog