When Polly Billington chaired a meeting in January between Labour’s shadow climate change chief Kerry McCarthy and representatives from the energy, manufacturing, and transport industries, she wore two hats: one as a lobbyist and another as a parliamentary candidate. In her capacity as a lobbyist, Billington attended the meeting as a senior adviser for Hanover Communications, where the meeting took place. Her role was to facilitate connections between Hanover’s influential clients and McCarthy in anticipation of an upcoming election, which Labour is expected to win. Simultaneously, in her role within the Labour Party, Billington is the candidate for East Thanet, a newly formed constituency primarily based on the bellwether Leave-supporting seat of South Thanet on the Kent coast.
Business Leaders Engaged in Discussions
McCarthy, Billington, and the business leaders engaged in discussions for about an hour, covering topics such as Labour’s policy program and priorities, including its highly regarded ‘Green Prosperity Plan’. These discussions took place over coffee and pastries, as mentioned in a LinkedIn post by a Hanover employee. Notably, on the table in front of them, there was a sticker on the back of a laptop that read: “There is no planet B.”
Three weeks later, on February 8th, Labour made a public announcement confirming the party’s decision to abandon the cornerstone of its economic and climate change policy, the “Green Pledge.” This pledge aimed to invest £28 billion annually into the ‘Green Prosperity Plan,’ intended to fund technology aimed at addressing climate change.
However, the party revealed that it would only allocate the equivalent of £5 billion per year to the plan during its first term in office. If Labour succeeds in the next election, this reversal will directly impact the very businesses whose representatives met with McCarthy and Billington back in January.
The right connections
Billington is just one of many lobbyists chosen to represent Labour as candidates in the upcoming general election, which is likely to take place this year. Among the approximately 215 prospective Labour candidates announced so far, at least 20 are current or former corporate lobbyists, with an additional 15 coming from the broader public affairs and consultancy sector. Some of these candidates work with firms that have represented clients such as Amazon, Uber, Raytheon, and British American Tobacco UK in the past year, as reported by the UK lobbying register.
Interestingly, most of these candidates, including Billington, do not mention their current line of work in their campaign literature. For instance, Billington’s LinkedIn profile makes no mention of her role as a senior adviser at Hanover. Instead, it simply describes her current occupation as a freelance “strategic adviser.”
Over the past year, there have been at least ten private meetings and events chaired by lobbyist-turned-candidates between business leaders and shadow ministers, as confirmed by social media posts reviewed by openDemocracy. At these gatherings, individuals with the right connections gain exclusive insight into Labour policy, receive guidance on how to effectively lobby the party, and offer suggestions for what Labour should prioritize once in office.
However, the merging of roles between candidates and lobbyists is causing concern among some of Labour’s traditional supporters. They worry that Big Business could influence the party’s agenda before it even assumes government, potentially sidelining the interests of ordinary citizens.
Transparency revolution
Billington’s situation is not unique. In May 2023, shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds spoke to clients of the lobbying firm PLMR at Church House Westminster, a prestigious venue in central London once favored by Winston Churchill. According to posts on LinkedIn, attendees at the venue’s Bishop Partridge Hall, which starts at £550 per half day to rent, received insights from Reynolds about “Labour’s plans for the next election” and “how best to engage with the party.”
Jack Abbott, Labour’s candidate for Ipswich and a senior account manager at PLMR, led the discussion. Abbott has also organized similar meetings with other shadow ministers, including James Murray, shadow treasury minister; Chi Onwurah, whose shadow portfolio covers life sciences and innovation; and Bill Esterson, shadow roads minister.
None of the shadow ministers involved in these meetings responded to requests for comment regarding the discussions that took place, and all but one declined to disclose which firms were represented. OpenDemocracy also reached out to Labour for clarification on the matter but received no response. However, a party spokesperson stated, “As part of their role, it’s legitimate for shadow ministers to speak to industry representatives across the areas they work in. It would be unusual if this wasn’t the case.”
