Douglas Smith Prize entry from Stefanie Lehmann

How will Brexit affect the UK’s public affairs industry?

In the topsy-turvy era that began on June 24th, conventional certainties have been toppled, much like the Cameron government. But in many ways, we have not seen as great a seismic change as the Remain campaign suggested, as Brexit has so far only meant Brexit.

It will be the task of the public affairs industry to navigate change and continuity, and three consequences of Brexit are already emerging. The industry will have to show it can provide distinctive solutions which increase the UK’s competitive advantage and global profile, and which show results quickly.

Offering a distinctive voice in the Brexit negotiations

If the purpose of public affairs is to make an organisation relevant and important to government so that it achieves its objectives, then the distinctiveness of proposals to government will be crucial in the coming years – as Brexit will be invoked for any and every purpose by a panoply of organisations seeking to secure their future in an uncertain time.

Any major change is both a challenge and an opportunity — and the public affairs industry operates precisely by identifying a challenge and then presenting it as an opportunity for government, if it seizes the solution proffered by an organisation.

But in a marketplace where everyone is praising their goods in the same terms, distinctiveness is critical. Public affairs campaigns will have to take this into account and dig beyond the surface reference to Brexit, to show government why an issue needs immediate attention.

Emphasising global competitiveness

Demonstrating how businesses or policies can improve the UK’s global competitiveness will be paramount to gain traction within government, which will have to justify every policy announcement against its plan for a successful Brexit. To achieve this, the public affairs industry will have to spend significant resource monitoring the state of negotiations – and at times, perhaps, on guesswork – and bring every proposed change back to the bottom line of advancing Britain’s interests internationally.

The sector is already seeing a proliferation of ‘Brexit units’ launched within agencies to mirror the Whitehall original; and public affairs professionals within businesses will have to stay on top of legislative changes in the UK and EU more widely, as changes in previously distinct regulation will have knock-on effects. Any organisation which does not dedicate resource to Brexit will suffer; and conversely, offering advisory services on Brexit has the potential to boost the sector’s growth enormously.

Being able to show impact in the short term

Finally, the sector will likely face an increased focus on the short term, and on immediate, visible return on investment. While there has been a movement towards evidence-based policy-making recently, evidence takes a long time to collate and evaluate; and in an environment of increased economic risk, a strict timetable for negotiations, and limited resource after the withdrawal of EU funding, evidence may well be jettisoned in favour of immediate economic benefit.

This trend opens up an opportunity for organisations whose viewpoints have been dismissed in the past to re-state their case, as different priorities are now setting the political agenda – the decision in favour of Heathrow, for example, was undoubtedly intended to show Britain is open for business.

As opposed to public relations and marketing, which may be facing difficult times with decreasing client budgets, the public affairs industry can make itself invaluable if it remains aware of the need to be distinctive, focus on the global picture, and show potential for immediate impact. If we play it right, our sector has the chance to become a key shaper of post-Brexit Britain.