Reform UK’s rise: Will City law firms shift their support? Legal Businesses, including law firms, snuggled up to Labour in 2024 but with Reform UK on the agenda, will firms shift their focus before the next election? Unlike in the US, business lobbying of British political parties and the UK government is kept somewhat behind closed doors, but it remains a powerful tool. For professional services, [...]
Mandelson scandal proves it’s time to rewrite lobbying rules Opinion Peter Mandelson, the Prince of Darkness, operated in the shadows. Only improved transparency around lobbying can prevent the next scandal, says Alastair McCarpra Pete Brown’s book Clubland, on the history of Britain’s working men’s clubs, includes an account of early lobbying in Westminster. Faced with the potentially damaging 1902 Licensing Act, the Club & Institute Union [...]
Mandelson’s Global Counsel has been rocked by its links to Epstein. Will it survive? Business Global Counsel – the lobbying shop co-founded by Peter Mandelson – was once a swashbuckling force in London’s world-leading public affairs sector. But after the extent of its links to Jeffrey Epstein were revealed by the US Department of Justice email release, clients have been severing ties and its chief executive has quit. Ali Lyon [...]
Lobbying chief urges firms not to work with unregistered agencies February 10, 2026 The boss of the lobbying sector’s industry body has urged public affairs chiefs to stop working with agencies that have not signed up to its code of conduct, after several blue-chip companies were forced to sever ties with Peter Mandelson’s lobby firm, Global Counsel. In a draft letter seen by City AM, PRCA chief Sarah [...]
Boss of Mandelson’s Global Counsel quits amid Epstein file fallout February 6, 2026 The chief executive and co-founder of Peter Mandelson’s lobbying firm Global Counsel has quit with immediate effect after revelations about his and his company’s connection with Jeffrey Epstein caused clients to sever or reconsider ties to the firm. Benjamin Wegg-Prosser has stepped down with immediate effect, the group’s board said in a statement, which also [...]
‘Look out for rich individuals’: The deep ties between Mandelson lobbying firm and Epstein February 5, 2026 As one of London’s many eminent lobbying and advisory outfits, Peter Mandelson’s Global Counsel is well versed in what it takes to manage a reputation. Set up by the former deputy Prime Minister and Labour spin doctor Benjamin Wegg-Prosser from the embers of Labour’s 2010 general election loss, it has worked on some of the [...]
Former Margaret Thatcher adviser and top lobbyist Kevin Bell dies September 11, 2025 One of Margaret Thatcher’s advisers and a well-known City figure, Kevin Bell, has died. Bell, who died aged 68, was an influential lobbyist and respected among conservative thinkers across Westminster. He led campaign groups and public affairs giants throughout his career, heading up the likes of Fleishman-Hillard and Maitland Political. Bell was also worldwide president [...]
Calls to reform ‘beyond repair’ lobbying rules after freebie-gate December 5, 2024 The government should reform the UK’s “beyond repair” lobbying rules in a bid to rebuild public trust in politics in the wake of the freebie-gate scandal, ministers have been urged. Professional body the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is campaigning for the government to replace the 2014 Lobbying Act with fresh legislation to close [...]
Alastair Campbell’s PR agency holds back bonuses after Qatar’s late payment May 13, 2024 A top London PR agency that counts Alastair Campbell as a senior consultant was forced to delay its staff bonuses after the Qatari government was late paying millions of pounds of fees.
Tighter Whatsapp lobbying rules would have revealed Greensill scandal, MPs say May 2, 2024 Stricter transparency rules on lobbying over Whatsapp would have resulted in the Greensill scandal being uncovered, a group of MPs has said.