Difference between revisions of "Indigo Public Affairs"
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In March 2013 Greg Stone confirmed to undercover ''Telegraph'' reporters that many fellow employees at Indigo also worked as councillors or or were involved in politics in some way. The paper filmed him as saying 'that even if certain councillors would not talk to them about a planning application, there were certain “tricks of the trade” which offered “a good way of, of getting round this”.' | In March 2013 Greg Stone confirmed to undercover ''Telegraph'' reporters that many fellow employees at Indigo also worked as councillors or or were involved in politics in some way. The paper filmed him as saying 'that even if certain councillors would not talk to them about a planning application, there were certain “tricks of the trade” which offered “a good way of, of getting round this”.' | ||
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:He described how Indigo Public Affairs could help a group of overseas investors win approval for developments around the country. | :He described how Indigo Public Affairs could help a group of overseas investors win approval for developments around the country. | ||
| − | :He said that the lobbying company works for companies including Tesco as well as large housing developments. “Anything that’s controversial basically”, he said. | + | :He said that the lobbying company works for companies including [[Tesco]] as well as large housing developments. “Anything that’s controversial basically”, he said. <ref> ref </ref> |
==Services== | ==Services== | ||
Revision as of 01:53, 12 March 2013
Indigo Public Affairs is niche lobbying firm specialising in major regeneration projects throughout the UK and planning issues. It employs 30 people and has a network of offices in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle.
Indigo offers "community consultation and political communications advice that helps our clients gain planning committee approval". "We are very good at what we do and we have an outstanding track record of gaining planning committee approval."[1]
(Note: Not to be confused with Indigo (PR) Ltd, Indigo PR Co Ltd or Indigo Strategic Communications).
Contents
A team of councillors
According to Indigo "Most of our team are politicians themselves and this enables us to help our clients talk with and engage the local community and stakeholders. We help them communicate and learn from local politicians and political decision makers. And we help them with any necessary media relations."[2]
Indigo doesn't list its staff but they include:
- Greg Stone. Stone is a long-serving Liberal Democrat Councillor in the North Heaton area of Newcastle and a former executive member for development and regeneration. He was a also Liberal Democrat prospective Parliamentary candidate for Newcastle East. Stone was embroiled in a row in December 2008, when documents emerged which appeared to show that Indigo was profiling likely voting patterns of the council’s planning committee, despite a promise by Stone that he would have nothing to do with Newcastle planning applications to avoid any conflict of interest.[3]
- Darren Sanders, account manager. Sanders is a Councillor in Lambeth.[4]
- David Boothroyd. Councillor in Westminster City Council.[5]
- Richard Patient, MD
Not quite "dark arts", but rather "tricks of the trade"
In March 2013 Greg Stone confirmed to undercover Telegraph reporters that many fellow employees at Indigo also worked as councillors or or were involved in politics in some way. The paper filmed him as saying 'that even if certain councillors would not talk to them about a planning application, there were certain “tricks of the trade” which offered “a good way of, of getting round this”.'
- “A bit of cunning is needed when you’re dealing with some of these ones”, [Stone] admitted. “I wouldn’t say dark arts but, but, there is, there is sort of tricks of the trade,"
- He described how Indigo Public Affairs could help a group of overseas investors win approval for developments around the country.
- He said that the lobbying company works for companies including Tesco as well as large housing developments. “Anything that’s controversial basically”, he said. [6]
Services
Indigo offers clients the following services:
- Winning planning consent
- Consulting the community
- Local political project management
- Effective media relations
- Design, exhibitions and websites [7]
It also boasts of
- Achieving planning policy in the green belt for a housebuilder.
- Working with the London Mayor and other senior political figures.
- Managing stakeholder communications to gain approval for a local PFI or PPP project.[8]
Clients
Indigo Public Affairs doesn't publish a client list.
It was reported in February 2007 that Indigo PA had been hired to help build political support for London Markaz, dubbed a 'super mosque', by Tablighi Jamaat. Tablighi Jamaat is described as "a conservative and ultra-orthodox group with close links with the Wahhabi form of Islam practised in Saudi Arabia." Indigo is described as "a lobbying firm with a track record of supporting controversial planning applications".[9]
External resources
Contacts
Second Floor, Berkeley Square House
London W1J 6BD
http://www.indigopublicaffairs.com
References
- ↑ Indigo website, accessed Feb 2009
- ↑ Indigo website, accessed Feb 2009
- ↑ Councillor Greg Stone investigated over voting patterns, The Journal, 19 Dec 2008
- ↑ Lambeth Register of interests, accessed Feb 2009
- ↑ Westminster City Council website, accessed Feb 2009
- ↑ ref
- ↑ Indigo website, accessed Jan 2008
- ↑ Indigo website, accessed Feb 2009
- ↑ Supermosque for 70,000 'will be blocked', Telegraph, 20 Feb 2007
