Quiller Consultants

This article is part of the Lobbying Portal, a sunlight project from Spinwatch.

Back to Lobbying Portal

Quiller Consultants is a PR and lobbying firm. It is part of the Huntsworth Group, which is owned by Tory peer and David Cameron’s constituency chairman Lord Chadlington.

"Years of inside experience"

According to Quiller's website:

"The Quiller team is drawn from across the political spectrum and has many years of inside experience of Whitehall and Westminster at the most senior level, including Downing Street and the Treasury. This gives us a very broad range of contacts with politicians, civil servants and regulators. We also know how the system really works and how our clients can make their case most effectively. Sometimes this is best done behind the scenes. At other times, the situation will call for a high-profile campaign, where we help clients influence opinion through the media as well as in Parliament."

Quiller offers reputation management, financial and corporate communications, public affairs advice, campaigning expertise, litigation communications and crisis and issues management.

People

• George Bridges: In 2006 Bridges was Campaign Director for the Conservative Party, and was responsible for the Party’s media, political and campaign teams. Before that, he was Chairman of the Conservative Research Department, helping to shape and implement the Party’s political strategy.

• Stephen Parkinson - Ex-Conservative Party aide who was part of the small team that used to prepare David Cameron for Prime Minister’s Questions when he was leader of the Opposition. Before that was Director of Research at the Centre for Policy Studies, the free market think-thank. Was also a Conservative candidate for Newcastle upon Tyne North at the 2010 general election, and subsequently National Organiser of the cross-party NO to AV campaign for the referendum in May 2011.

• Malcolm Morton - ex-parliamentary aide to David Rutley MP, assisting on the Treasury Select Committee, and latterly in his capacity as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Damian Green MP, the Minister of State for Immigration in the Home Office. Before the 2010 General Election, Malcolm served as policy researcher to Mark Harper MP in his role as Shadow Work and Pensions Minister. Harper is now in charge of regulating lobbyists with the introduction of a statutory register of lobbyists.
• Michael Smyth - Senior adviser at Quiller. A former partner at legal firm Clifford Chance and the firm’s Global Head of Public Policy and Government Relations for a decade. His extensive legal experience has included running public inquiries in the UK (including the Hutton Inquiry (2004) and Deepcut Review (2006) and abroad (including in Gibraltar and the Cayman Islands)
• John Eisenhammer
• Alasdair Murray
• Edward Lord

Clients

Quiller lists its clients as including multinational companies, financial institutions, public sector bodies, foreign governments, membership and campaigning organisations, professional services firms, schools and universities, charities, family offices, and individuals.

Quiller joined the APPC in May 2010, listing its clients (June-August 2010) as: Bank of America, Brewin Dolphin Limited, Citadel Investment Group, Experian Limited, HG Capital, HSBC Bank Plc, Reaction Engines Limited, Telefónica O2 UK Limited, Tesco Plc, Business Service Association, Capita Group Plc, City of London Corporation, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, Sir Keith Park Memorial Campaign, Tullett Prebon Plc, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UAE

Prior to May 2010, Quiller failed to reveal its client list. However, other reports suggest that it advised these organisations:

• British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (May 2008)
• Bridges Ventures

2011

Lobbying clients according to the Association of Professional Political Consultants's register as of December 2011:Brewin Dolphin | Experian | Financial Reporting Council | HSBC | Iggesund Paperboard | LGC | Maximus UK | Migrationwatch UK | Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UAE | Mitie Group | Pinnacle Regeneration Group | PwC | Reaction Engines | Telefónica O2 UK | Tesco | The Actuarial Profession | British Land | Business Services Association | Capita | City of London Corporation | Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust | Transport Sense | Tullett Prebon

Lobbying clients in the quarter to May 2011.

Brewin Dolphin Limited, Experian Limited, Financial Reporting Council, HG Capital, HSBC Bank Plc, JustGiving, LGC,Migrationwatch UK, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UAE, Mitie Group Plc, PwC, Reaction Engines Limited, Telefónica O2 UK,The Actuarial Profession, The British Land Company PLC, Business Services Association, Capita Group Plc, City of London Corporation, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust,Transport Sense, Tullett Prebon Plc

United Kingdom-United Arab Emirates All-Party Parliamentary Group - 'Quiller Consultants provide secretariat services to the group on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates.

2011 APPC Register

George Bridges, Nick Dunne, John Eisenhammer, Malcolm Morton, Alasdair Murray, Bee Roycroft, John Slinger, Larry Smith, Peter Wilson-Smith

Former staff

• Peter Barnes: "helps clients to engage effectively with the UK Government, Parliament and competition authorities. He has a particular specialization in healthcare, financial services, energy and gambling policy." He spent almost a decade at senior levels in two government departments: at HM Treasury he was private secretary (chief of staff) to the Minister responsible for Government policy on tax and financial services. Then as Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for Social Security, he helped to legislate major reforms of welfare and pensions.

Contacts

Quiller Consultants 11-12 Buckingham Gate London SW1E 6LB

Tel: +44 (0)20 7233 9444 Fax: +44 (0)20 7233 657

http://www.quillerconsult.co.uk

References

Back to Lobbying Portal