Butler Kelly

Butler Kelly is a cross-Party public affairs consultancy set up in 1998 by directors Phil Kelly and Chris Butler.

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

Background

History

Butler and Kelley started their business association in 1995 with the formation of a public affairs unit in Grandfield Public Affairs (another Labour Party donor, having paid over £5,000 for tickets for dinners in 1998). Kelly and Butler also gave the Labour Party £5,000 for "tickets for dinners" and another £5,000 for sponsorship in 1999-2000.

Butler is a former Conservative MP and Secretary to the Backbench Trade and Industry Committee; before entering Parliament he was a political advisor to Number 10 and ministerial Special Advisor in the Office of Arts and Libraries and the Welsh Office.

Kelly is a former Leader of Islington Borough Council, former advisor to the Labour Shadow Cabinet and Editor of Tribune from 1987-1991.

Activities

Butler Kelly say they provide a variety of services for their clients: political monitoring of Parliament, advising on how to protect your interests and find out the real agenda behind the issues raised; strengthening submissions to Government or the Opposition policy-making machinery, acting as bridges between business, Westminster, Whitehall and Local Authorities; incorporating clients views into legislation, convincing the key officials in Whitehall before any Bill is even drafted; Select Committee preparation; Local Government liaison, helping private sector clients to minimise opposition on procurement, PPP, planning and regeneration.

People

Staff members include:

• Phil Royal, previously a key member of Labour's Campaign Team working for Milbank for the 1997 General Election (with special responsibility for briefing candidates);
• David Nicholson, a former Conservative MP who served on the Commons Public Accounts and Education and Employment Select Committees, was PPS to the Minister for Overseas Development and a former Deputy Director-General of the British Chambers of Commerce
• Terry Ashton, former General Secretary of the Greater London Labour Party (involved in the selection process for London MPs, MEPs and GLA members) and was political liaison with Labour's London Parliamentary Group and with Local Authorities

• [Hugo Summerson]], another former Conservative MP, who served on the Commons Environment Select Committee and on the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pensions, and is a former Treasurer of the British-Latin American Parliamentary Group and Treasurer of the Association of Conservative Parliamentary Candidates.

Clients

In 2010 the website listed:

Previous clients include: BAe Systems, Eli Lilly and Company, Enron Europe, the Environment Agency and Railtrack.

Publications, Contact, Resources and Notes

Contact

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Website: http://www.butlerkellyltd.co.uk/home/our-clients.asp