Jonathan Oates

Jonathan Oates is a former lobbyist who is now Chief of Staff to Nick Clegg, Deputy UK Prime Minister. Oates was previously the Director of Policy and Communications at the Liberal Democrats and is a former director of PR and lobbying company Bell Pottinger Communications.

Background

According to a 2007 Liberal Democrats press release when he was appointed as their new policy and communications director, Oates is a former Deputy [Liberal Leader] Leader of Kingston Council and 'top public relations consultant'.

Oates has extensive experience in the fields of media and political campaigning. He has worked with Mark Bolland, former media adviser to the Prince of Wales, and spent two years working in the South Africa Parliament advising the then Home Affairs Minister, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi and other Cabinet Ministers in the South African government as part of a democracy development project sponsored by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.
A former Deputy Leader of Kingston Council, Oates was the Election Agent for Edward Davey MP (now Chief of Staff to Menzies Campbell) at the 1997 General Election, resulting in a stunning victory overturning a substantial Conservative majority. He was election adviser to Jeremy Browne MP who took the seat of Taunton from the Conservatives in the 2005 election.

Affiliations

• Bell Pottinger -former Director
• Liberal Democrats
• Luther Pendragon
• Westminster Foundation for Democracy