POLITICO’s weekly newsletter on campaigning, lobbying and political influence in the U.K.

By JOHN JOHNSTON

SNEAK PEEK

— Think you’re ready for the artificial intelligence tsunami? Think again.

— The new CIPR president-elect talks shop — and wants an army of volunteers beyond the “same old faces.”

— Could Keir Starmer reverse his party’s flagging poll ratings by turning to pod?

SHIFTING SANDS

**THE AI-POCALYPSE COMETH: **If you think using ChatGPT and CoPilot to write your emails and pitches puts you ahead of the looming artificial intelligence revolution then I’m afraid Influence is going to be the bearer of some *very *bad news.

That’s because… While some of the more feverish warnings about the tech may have subsided, a host of senior comms leaders reckon a big shake-up is still just around the bend, and it’s going to have major implications for the long-established in-house/agency dynamic too.

**For instance: **A recent study by agency SEC Newgate about the biggest drivers of industry change likened overlooking the impact of AI to ignoring the internet.

**In the lab: **Speaking to Influence, Maurizio Maione, chief of staff to the group’s CEO, said the AI project at SEC started even before Covid hit, and that the firm’s thinking has only grown as they’ve experimented with the tech across the business. “In our sector as a whole, I would say all the bigger players are investing,” he says. “They might still need to make some mistakes. But from a theoretical perspective, the sooner the error comes the better, because then you can focus on where you want to go.”

Spotting a gap: That experimental mindset may still be relatively rare in the industry, but it’s growing. It’s why two former Downing Street heads of digital communications have joined forces to create their own AI consultancy firm.

Bona fides: Launched earlier this week, Albie is the brainchild of Peter Heneghan and Chris Hamilton, whose digital experience beyond No.10 spans roles with corporate giants from the BBC to BP. The new outfit already has Diageo, Oxford University and Amazon on the books, and the pair tells Influence their pitch is a mix of strategic advisory, applied training and even an upcoming AI platform to assist comms pros.

Storm chasers: The digi duo made the leap because they believe an “unprecedented” change is coming, with tasks that used to take days eventually being completed within seconds.

**Luddite leaders: **Heneghan warns that comms veterans who’ve spent 20 or even 30 years becoming experts in their field are now seemingly blindsided by the potential benefits and risks that AI poses. “One of the areas we’ve had to focus on — because of the demand — is leaders privately telling us they don’t get it,” Heneghan says. “They need to be advised in a safe space and told to ask stupid questions. And that’s okay because as soon as they understand how to use AI properly, they’re flying.”

The other angle: Having spent his time since leaving Downing Street in big comms roles at BP and AstraZeneca, Hamilton has a good grasp of how large firms are responding to the change. He feels much of the genuinely valuable AI adoption has been in the product delivery parts of businesses… but that comms leaders still aren’t paying enough attention.

Trailblazers: “They could be leaders when it comes to AI implementation, setting guard rails, and setting up as that leading unit in a business,” he argues.

**Uhoh: **The pair reckon there’s going to be a complete re-alignment of the in-house/agency dynamic as AI allows corporates to significantly up their internal capabilities. “They go to agencies because they don’t have the skill set, the resources, or the technical ability,” Heneghan says. “Getting AI right will allow them to do that, and that’s why I think it will have a disproportionate impact on the agencies that support Whitehall work at a tactical level.”

Get serious: While Hamilton doesn’t think this will precipitate the “death of the agency,” he insists standalone firms need to be taking a “long and serious look” at what their role is going to be in the future. “They’ll survive, but it’s likely to be at the higher strategic end, or maybe in niche areas like one-off support around a particular campaign or piece of work,” he predicts.

**The view from agency land? **Surprisingly similar. Maione says a shift towards more work being done by AI is “inevitable” — but “not necessarily a bad thing” for those able to adapt. “If we want to remain relevant and offer something of value to clients then it’s going to be a strange combination of fast, technological things, and the not-so-fast, complex factors.”

**Glimmer of hope: **The comms pro is optimistic those agencies and consultancies able to make sense of the “economy of uncertainty” will thrive. “What you should be able to produce is that inside knowledge and the ability to read around the corner.”

**The problem… **Many agencies have gone a bit sour after early experiments with AI didn’t live up to the hype. Others feel implementing ChatGPT and other household name AI tools is enough to tick a box. Maione warns against engaging at a “playground level” on this stuff.

**Mortal danger: **Having spent the last several months speaking to comms pros from across the industry, Heneghan suggests many leaders also remain stubbornly wedded to their black books, or view the tech as anathema to what is meant to be a human-centric sector. “The tech is accelerating. Your peers, competitors and stakeholders are trying it, using it, and looking to embed it,” Hamilton adds. “And people really need to get with the program and try to understand the strategic shifts that need to be made.”

**But but but: **The cadre of comms pros warn that simply kicking back and letting tech run the show is a fool’s errand, with many corporates already facing a backlash for producing “AI slop.” One Big Four consultancy was left red-faced after being forced to withdraw a report it had produced for the Australian government … after incorrect data and citations were found to be down to AI hallucinations.

Magic number: It why Heneghan says those introducing AI to their projects must keep to the 20/60/20 rule — with humans setting the initial framework, and, crucially, applying critical thinking and analysis at the end of the process.

**New world: **Heneghan argues it’s “inevitable” the tech revolution is going to have an impact on the jobs market. The comms pro has already seen that starting to play out, with fewer young folk being hired while mid-level talent gets a “new lease of life” if they’ve managed to pick up some AI skills.

**But but but: **Maione is less pessimistic, saying his agency continues to hire at the junior levels, and can’t see that stopping anytime soon. While there’s going to be an eventual need for new industry entrants to be able to demonstrate a blend of “data geek and humanistic thinking,” he’s confident that no matter how many tasks are gobbled up by AI, there’s always going to be a need for new blood at the entry level. Let’s hope he’s right.

QUICK HITS

SOCIAL MEDIA STAR-MER: Ex-Keir Starmer and Tony Blair adviser Peter Hyman has a must-read Substack piece where he argues the PM could turn around his flagging poll ratings and earn the title of “explainer in chief” by becoming a social media star.

**Seriously? **That probably sounds rather un-Keir, but Hyman reckons there’s a few “doable, workable ideas” that could be picked up immediately which could help the PM appear properly authentic without straying into gimmick territory.

Those include: Starmer launching a weekly podcast to sit down for an in-depth chat with “interesting” people who might have ideas on how to better deliver his agenda, or challenge his views — an idea Hyman said had already been floated while in opposition.

**Also: **The comms pro reckons Starmer could also make waves by losing his tie and cracking open a beer for a 2-3 minute “My Day” social media clip where he gives a bit of a behind-the-scenes look at what he’s been up to.

**Tried and tested: **He’d also like to see Starmer put himself forward for a U.K. version of the popular YouTube series “Surrounded,” which see politicians and public figures in the U.S. debating topics with 25 ordinary voters. It’s a bold approach, but one which Hyman suggests could be deftly managed by a digital team in No. 10 who are “ready to be let off the leash.”

**SPEAKING OF WHICH… **It’s the kind of authentic comms approach that — despite being at either ends of the spectrum — has brought success to both Nigel Farage and Green leader Zack Polanski. My colleague Noah Keate has an excellent tale on exactly just that dynamic.

**HERE WE GO AGAIN: **The Future Governance Forum have a new report that once again argues that Starmer — like a raft of previous PMs — is being hamstrung by the badly-designed, sluggish, and out-dated Whitehall machine around him.

**The key message: **“The prime minister and his team need to shift from a set-up that actively makes it harder for them to effect his will through the system, to one that is purposefully designed to deliver on his behalf.”

**GO FOR (NOT) BROKE: **Another week, another bevy of pre-Budget doomsday warnings from, er, pretty much everyone. But should the Treasury just ignore them all? That’s the argument from the Guardian’s Polly Toynbee, who points out that neither big business nor the public are ever going to be happy with the kind of tax-raising measures needed to sort out the current financial fiasco.

**As she points out… **No pro-tax message can never beat out the anti-tax argument, and with Labour’s flagging poll ratings, what have they got to lose? “Note that breaking election pledges matters less than delivering visible improvement in people’s lives.”

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

PRESSING THE PREZ: PR pro Dan Gerrella has been picked as the 2026 president-elect of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). It turns out the one-year transition period ain’t just there to plan a huge inauguration party at the PR industry trade group. Boo.

**Transition period: **Gerrella’s stint as president will begin properly in 2027, but the CIPR system means his 12 months as prez-elect will see him handed a seat on the board. It’s a period he argues will be properly vital to much of the “foundational” work he wants to get done before taking up the top job.

**Manifesto: **His big priorities include strengthening the trade body for the future by attracting new members, and ensuring it’s properly delivering for those already signed up. Having been elected on a turnout of just 5.4 percent, Influence questioned whether that suggests he’s got a tough job ahead of him.

**To be fair… **This year’s election was the first in almost a decade that had more than two candidates, and Gerrella hopes the higher profile campaign will kick-start some participation — especially given there’s been plenty of years where members have simply received an email stating the post had been filled unopposed.

**Green shoots: **Gerrella’s been involved in a recent governance review that’s boosted applications to CIPR roles, and reckons there have already been steps in the right direction. He does want “way more people” involved in the direction of the CIPR moving forward, and insists that part of his ambition is to explain the importance of getting stuck in and being part of the debate.

**But but but: **He knows that’s a “real challenge” not only for the CIPR, but for swathes of trade groups and membership bodies across the U.K. as they battle to get the “proposition right” for members amid economic pressures and tech-related upheavals.

Key question: “How do you make it that people aren’t just paying a fee because maybe they’re just seeing it as a badge to put on LinkedIn or their business card or whatever, but they’re actually active members?” he asks.

One solution… Is to boost the PR group’s professional development offering by “removing some of the randomness” and providing guidance to allow members to be more “intentional” about their learning, he reckons. A more structured system would not only benefit those entering the industry with a “blank page” following a career change, but help those already working in the sector understand the kind of training they might need to bag that promotion.

But but but: Gerrella envisions a system that makes also makes the overall industry more professional too. Drawing on his background in the built environment space, the PR pro says post-Grenfell tragedy inquiries expose why a structured approach is better than ticking off boxes. “People were doing CPD, they were submitting a number of points every year, but it didn’t mean they were competent professionals,” he says. “So, it’s a very different mindset.”

Greater good: Gerrella is already planning to use his transition period to review the CIPR’s program and ensure that not only is it able to boost to members’ careers, but also keep those who already have chartered status at the top of their game. “I think if you’ve got a professional body in an industry, then that body should be a bit more assertive in saying that these are the things we expect you to know as a professional,” he argues.

Speaking of assertive: Gerrella — whose day job is as an associate director at PR firm Liz Male Consulting — reckons the trade body’s campaign to tighten the lobbying rules is a prime example of how it can use its expertise and authority to not only improve the industry, but have a voice on issues of public interest.

**But but but: **He wants to make sure the big campaign on reforming lobbying rules doesn’t become the “single issue” focus. Branching out to look at how artificial intelligence is going to shift not only the industry, but the British economy and public services too, is a major target.

Machine learning: “Everything is going to have that AI flavor,” he predicts, adding: “It’s why that communication, and that trust and transparency piece becomes really important.”

**And: **He seems equally keen to ensure the CIPR is doing the work to ensure a sector with a largely white, middle-class demographic avoid cementing bias into its work.

**Helping hands: **Gerrella worries too many CIPR volunteers are left “feeling disillusioned or disconnected” from the industry group they give up time to help run. He reckons part of the funk among volunteers is down to good ideas or projects never coming to fruition. And he asks: “Was there something missing in the way they were recognized by the CIPR? Should we have done something differently around their membership, or how they got CPD points for contributing or some other thing?”

The big concern… Is that with volunteers running so many of the networking and other events put on by the group, a reduction in interest could leaving it less able to attract fresh blood. “My concern is that without that new pipeline, you’re just going to see the same old faces again and again, and I don’t think that’s healthy,” he says. “We do need that diversity, and those new voices, because you don’t know what you’re missing if you’re not getting those new people through the door.”

ON THE MOVE

Damion Potter has been appointed as executive chairman of public affairs in London for H/Advisors Cicero after a stint at Burson. And interim CEO John Rowland has been confirmed as taking up the top job permanently.

Former PRCA managing director Renna Markson launched her own strategy consultancy, Markson Partners.

**Hugo Briggs **has Danone as a public affairs manager after two years at Lexington.

**Ben Stetson **is taking over as head of public affairs at Lansons in January after a five year stint at Weber Shandwick. He’s taking over from Mitchell Cohen who is relocating to Israel in the new year.

Gabriel Milland joined the Police Federation of England and Wales as director of external affairs after four years at Portland.

Zara Farrar joined Sorted Food as director of strategic development after stints as head of digital comms in Number 10 and the Treasury.

Comms consultancy Headland acquired digital and brand firm Bladonmore in a bid to expand its global footprint and add “firepower” to its reputation offering, it said.

Jobs jobs jobs: Reform UK are after a research analyst… There’s a policy & public affairs manager role going at the Epilepsy Society… Aldersgate Group are on the hunt for a head of policy… The Runnymede Trust needs a researcher… and the British Heart Foundation want to hire a public affairs officer.

Thanks: To editor Matt Honeycombe-Foster for treating typos to the human touch. And to the production team for giving Influence an autumn glow.