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Battle lines are being drawn as the public head to the polls for both UK local elections and a general election in 2024.
Tensions always run high at election time, and most organisations will be anxious to avoid getting caught in the campaigning crossfire.
However, unlike the past three general elections, Brexit won’t be the chief focus of UK political campaigning in 2024. Instead, more traditional domestic issues will loom large: the economy, public services, education. So far, a stronger focus on the domestic agenda from opposition parties has been met with an equally strong focus on socio-cultural issues from the governing party.
As candidates square up to each other, parties and media outlets will be looking for ways to bring campaigns to life. Often this means using real-life examples and case studies to showcase or justify party pledges.
Smaller organisations are vulnerable to becoming a story unnecessarily. Approaches from media outlets can be intimidating, and it’s easy to be bounced into offering statements against your interests if you haven’t prepared in advance. Many organisations are also subject to internal pressure to take public stances on political issues, which can easily thrust an organisation into the limelight.
‘Culture war’ themes – from EDI policies, to freedom of expression disputes, to ‘the war on woke’ – have risen in importance on national news desks, which now scrutinise even the smallest organisations. It is no longer unusual for small charities, individual schools, or SMEs to be doorstepped on these issues.
Some of these issues include:
Our political risk management services have been developed to minimise reputational risk for schools, universities, charities and businesses in the face of what promises to be a turbulent and testing year.
Our specialist team is available 24/7, including bank holidays and weekends, to provide urgent crisis PR and issues management support. We can provide retained services, including communications strategies and stakeholder management plans, including template communications, as needed; external-facing communications support; stakeholder Q&As – i.e. difficult questions and recommended responses; information leaks management advice; scenario plans; media-handling advice; outsourced press office facilities; social media strategic support; crisis media training; and crisis protocol reviews.
If you have any questions or concerns ahead of this election year, get in touch with our specialist team. For a free, no obligation conversation please phone us on 020 7692 5675 or fill the form and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
