Liam Herbert joined Chelgate in the autumn as Director, Client Services. With over 25 years in the communications industry Liam initially started his career with the BBC in Manchester. He has significant experience of corporate and issue management working in several challenging sectors including tobacco, nuclear power, industrial chemicals and the Police Service. At Chelgate he will be applying this experience and skills to the corporate and political work across our acute issues and crisis practice. Liam also brings a wealth of planning communications knowledge and experience, and will be supporting the Chelgate Local team. Terence Fane-Saunders, Chairman and Chief […]

When the Coalition came to power in 2011 and a Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was created, David Cameron’s pledge was to lead “the Greenest Government ever”. But not only has that not happened, it could be argued that this Government is actually going backwards, especially with solar energy now that DECC has confirmed the subsidy changes to come into effect next April following a recent failed attempt to challenge the policy in the High Court.   Energy targets The overall target was that 15 per cent of total energy would come from renewables by 2020 (30 per […]

Recently, we have spent a great deal of time studying Ethiopia. Arguably, a country that was once a symbol of the failure of African governance has now become a beacon of the continent’s hopes for the future. Its economy has sustained high growth rates for over a decade. Its people are more prosperous than ever. And AddisAbaba is quickly overtaking Nairobi as East Africa’s business hub. Earlier this month, Ethiopia issued a $1 billion Eurobond, making it the poorest country ever to have done so. This is remarkable in itself – but what is even more remarkable is the way […]

‘Acute issues and crisis management’ is a phrase Chelgate has adopted to describe the advanced and complex public relations discipline that we have particular expertise in. Since its inception, Chelgate has specialised in crisis management, servicing some of the world’s best-known multinational companies, along with educational institutions, care providers, professional bodies, overseas governments and distinguished individuals and celebrities. This November, Chelgate Chairman and Chief Executive Terence Fane-Saunders addressed the National Approved Letting Scheme’s Annual Conference on the subject of crisis and acute issues management in the private rented sector. The theme of the NALS conference was ‘being on the line’, and […]

Chelgate Autumn Newsletter 2014 Unusually, we know when the General Election will be next year: 7 May 2015. The Coalition’s move to fixed term parliaments has in one sense added an element of certainty to political and thus commercial life. But in other respects the future for local authorities, planners and developers has never been more uncertain. It would be a foolish person who claimed to predict the outcome of the next general election, whether in terms of votes, seats or the government which emerges from the smoke and fury. Labour maintains a remarkably narrow lead over the Conservatives given […]

Chelgate Autumn Newsletter 2014 The UK stands on the launchpad of a shale revolution, but while this prospect is threatened by ill-informed and ill-intended opposition, it is not helped by the reluctance of the UK oil and gas industry to do more in terms of information dissemination, engagement and community contributions. Huge potential reserves of oil and gas have been identified in various areas of England and Scotland which, if exploited, could lead to an economic boom similar to that experienced in the US in recent years. But protest groups have been very effective in swaying public opinion against hydraulic […]

Chelgate Autumn Newsletter 2014     No one can quite agree on where British politics is headed at the next General Election. Some say that the Conservatives are sure to recover a poll lead as election day approaches – Ed Miliband cannot possibly become PM. Others think the Tories have set a course for failure – we should all get used to hearing about ‘Prime Minister Ed Miliband’. Ever since UKIP picked up scores of councillors and MEPs in May’s election, and came a comfortable second to the Tories in the Newark by-election a few weeks later, the question on […]