Central Lobby Consultants

This article is part of the Foodspin project of Spinwatch.

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

London-based lobbying firm working in Westminster, Whitehall, the EU and the devolved assemblies. Central Lobby Consultants run the Associate Parliamentary Food and Health Forum

CLC, Church House, Great Smith Street, SW1P - also houses fellow lobbyists PLMR and is 1 minute from Department for Education and think tank Adam Smith Institute

Clients

CLC notes that it 'offers a high level of discretion to its clients and is therefore not in a position to provide a full client list. However, our clients include':

• Business in the Community
• Associate Parliamentary Food and Health Forum - Secretariat
• SITPRO (Simplifying International Trade)
• Shanks Group plc

Registrar of consultant lobbyists

Central Lobby Consultants has been registered since April 2015. The register documents clients on behalf of whom CLC have lobbied ministers of government, and the firms 2015/2016 listings are as follows:

April - June 2016

Charity Tax Group

October - December 2015

Charity Tax Group

July - September 2015

Charity Tax Group | Churches' Legislation Advisory Service

April - June 2015

Charity Tax Group

People

• Helen Donoghue (Managing Director) Helen founded CLC in 1984. She is responsible for the overall management of the company and oversees all client accounts, both UK and European. She has over twenty years' experience of advising clients on the development and implementation of political strategies and managing pan-European lobbying campaigns. Helen is member of several committees and trade bodies. She is also Director of the Charities' Tax Reform Group.
• Frank Cranmer (Director) Frank joined CLC in 2006 after a career in the House of Commons where, for his last five years, he was Clerk of Bills. He specialises in legislation, parliamentary procedure and charity law.
• Caroline Antoine. Caroline joined CLC in September 2012, having previously worked in Brussels, including a five-month traineeship at the European Parliament. She specialises in EU legislation and decision-making and focuses on EU policy aspects affecting our clients.
• Patricia Constant Before joining CLC in June 2005, Patricia worked for 21 years in the House of Commons on both the Conservative and Labour sides of the House, eleven years of which were spent working for a Minister. Since joining CLC, Patricia has been responsible for running two cross-party Parliamentary groups and developing lobbying strategies for a range of charities and private sector clients.
• Mike Hale Mike specialises in providing analysis of environmental and technical legislative developments and developing lobbying strategies on these issues for a range of clients. He is an industry representative on a number of environmental and waste management bodies including the European Commission's Advisory Group on the IPPC Directive and the UN's Environment Programme.
• Chris Lane (Director) Chris is responsible for policy and campaigning work for a range of clients, with a particular focus on the charity sector. He attends a number of relevant stakeholder meetings and is often asked to give policy updates to a range of external audiences. Chris read Law at Durham University and has also completed the MSc in Government, Policy and Politics at Birkbeck College, University of London.
• David Walburn (Associate) Before joining the CLC Board, David was Chief Executive of Greater London Enterprise (GLE) for ten years until 2002. GLE is a major economic development business specialising in the delivery of accommodation and financial services to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). David is now a Visiting Professor at London South Bank University where he is Director of the Local Economy Policy Unit.
• Helen Nicholson Head of Research and Information. Helen is responsible for CLC's monitoring and research services. Prior to joining the company in 1992, Helen established and ran an information and research service for a major London firm of surveyors and planning consultants. Helen is also a member of the National Union of Journalists.

Former people

• Aina Atkociunaite Aina is CLC's office manager, and also provides administrative and research services for all of our clients. Prior to joining CLC, she worked for an official watchdog organisation in London having completed her BA in Business Administration in Lithuania.
• Ben Petter Ben's work is predominantly focused on the EU, but he also specialises in charities' taxation issues in the UK. Ben was senior researcher for Dr Evan Harris MP, then Campaigns Officer for a major arts organisation, where he worked closely with CLC on VAT and other taxation issues. Left CLC in 2007, has since worked at Hill & Knowlton and Grayling.

Revolving door

• Ruth Hopkinson Ruth joined CLC in August 2006, after graduating from University College London with a BA in History. She provides research and monitoring services for all our clients, with a focus on the EU and Wales. Left CLC in 2008, has since worked as a policy adviser to The Cabinet and HM Treasury and assistant private secretary to the Exchequer Secretary. Is now head of insurance sector policy at HM Treasury.
• Mathieu Mori Mathieu specialises in waste and charities' taxation across the EU. Prior to joining CLC, he was a consultant for Eureval, a public policy evaluation and strategic planning firm based in Paris. He also gained experience of the parliamentary system by working for the foreign office in the French Senate. Left CLC in 2010, has since worked as senior policy coordinator, director of the general secretariat and acting secretary general at Assembly of European Regions (AER).

Contacts

Central Lobby Consultants, Church House, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3AZ, Website: http://www.centrallobby.com/home