The good, the bad, the ugly – part two
My fellow new Public Affairs News columnist Luciana Berger MP wrote in this slot last month about ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’ lobbying communications that she had been sent in her first few weeks in as an MP. She was spot on – but there is at least another column’s worth to be said.
Let me say from the outset that I believe in the value of public affairs; not because I’ve made a living from it but because I think good public affairs can inform MPs of a cause or technicalities of an issue that, in turn, can ensure good legislation and regulation. But bad public affairs can deter any interest or enthusiasm and significantly limit a cause’s progression.
During my first four weeks as an MP, most of us newbies were sharing a common room that operated a ‘clear desk’ policy. Every night you would fight to close your tiny metal locker because of the amount of bumph that had been sent through the post, and so inevitably, after a few days, the culling began.
Now I am in an office, I have filing cabinets. What survived the cull include my mousemat from BT, which helpfully lists key telecom-related stats in my constituency; my helpful wallet-sized booklet from Lloyds Banking Group which compares my constituents’ incomes, house prices and savings with the rest of the country; the guide to dealing with energy-related casework from E.On; and my Moonpig card from Prudential’s public affairs team!
This is obviously not an exhaustive list but it gives an indication of what a new MP who has spent years campaigning in the constituency is most likely to be interested in at this early point in Parliament.
What ended up in the receptacle under my desk included anything that didn’t have a clear link to me, my constituency or any of my known interests; letters I had received already in an email – one or the other, please (preferably letters, but definitely not both); and glossy annual reports or brochures.
I don’t like putting things straight in the bin (especially as I know some poor consultant has spent hours working on the letter and stuffing the envelopes), but I can’t keep everything.
As my interests evolve during my time as an MP, what survives will change. But in the meantime public affairs professionals need to be more sensitive to the time pressures that MPs (especially us newbies) face.
1st July 2010 by Tracey Crouch MP
