Interel Consulting UK

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

Part of the Powerbase Brexit Portal.

Established in 1991, Interel Consulting UK (formerly Politics International) is a lobbying firm with offices in Manchester and London.

It was founded by Andrew Dunlop, or Lord Dunlop, who was until June 2017 Northern Ireland minister.

The firm is part of the wider Interel Group, with offices in Belgium, China, France, Germany, India, German and the USA.

Interel, Greencoat House, Francis Street, SW1P

Brexit lobbying

In its Brexit pitch to clients, Interel offers to ‘connect’ its lobbying clients with ‘critical Brexit decision makers’ so they can ‘shape the post-Brexit regulatory and business environment’. ‘We can identify those opportunities for you and work with you to secure positive outcomes for your business,’ it says.^[1]

In particular, it is offering ‘engagement strategies’, which include: ‘Putting you in touch with the top influencers in the Brexit process’; ‘helping you understand the context, their agenda, their room for manoeuvre’; ‘shedding light on their personal and political objectives and motivations’; and ‘shaping strategy and messaging for impact’.^[2]

Defence sector specialists

Interel has handled public affairs work for some of the biggest names in the arms and security business, most notably Boeing, Lockheed Martin and QinetiQ. Until recently its head of defence and security practice was Oliver Waghorn,^[3] a former special adviser to Liam Fox until scandal ended Fox's stint as a Conservative defence minister back in 2011.

At Interel, Waghorn led on 'advising a range of defence, technology and aerospace clients on business critical issues...support[ing] major UK, US and European primes including Boeing, Finmeccanica Lockheed Martin, QinetiQ and Babcock.^[4]

Concern over Waghorn's access to Whitehall and Westminster whilst working for such clients at Interel saw Thomas Docherty MP ask the then Conservative defence secretary Philip Hammond in 2013 'on how many occasions Mr Oliver Waghorn has been registered as a visitor to his Department’s main building ' since Waghorn had stopped working as Fox's adviser. Hammond replied that:

Since November 2011, there is no record of Mr Waghorn having been registered as a visitor to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) main building [...] In addition, my private office records show both Mr Waghorn and Mr Coffey attended a meeting with me in my MOD office on 3 November 2011. ^[5]

Waghorn left Interel in November 2016 to head BAE Systems's government relations unit.

People

Staff

George McGregor, managing partner. Former special adviser to the former Secretary of State for Scotland Rt Hon Helen Liddell and a researcher for a U.S. Congressman in Washington DC^[6]
Stephen Edwards, deputy managing partner. Former researcher at the Foreign Policy Centre
Lee Whitehill, director
Katherine Morgan, director. Has worked in HM Treasury and the European Commission, specialising in taxation and expenditure policy.
Steve Bramall, director
Lindsay Paterson, group practice director
Toby Kay, group head of digital
Bob Lewis, group head of association management
Mary McCue, director
Hannah Carmichael, associate director
Brian Wadsworth, associate director. Former director for strategic roads, planning and national networks at the Department for Transport and is currently chairman of the board of European Maritime Safety Agency
Amanda Gdula, consultant
Anna Jobling, consultant. Former researcher for Glenda Jackson MP
Becca Wright, consultant
Mike Blakeney, consultant. Has also worked at public affairs companies Bell Pottinger and Good Relations
Alice Hodgson, designer
Craig Stanley-Adamson, head of research and intelligence. Former parliamentary assistant to Conservative MPs Anne Milton and Paul Maynard and research assistant at the Henry Jackson Society^[7]
Lucy Mears, monitoring assistant^[8]
Nick Gash, associate director. Is also a non-executive director and deputy chairman of West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust and policy and public affairs advisor at Associate of Accounting Technicians^[9]

Former

Oli Waghorn, director and group head of defence. former special adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence in 2010 and senior researcher to the Shadow Defence Minister in 2008.^[10]
Graham Hook, former Interel director was special adviser to chancellor Philip Hammond till May 2017.

APPC lobbying register

Consultants registered as having conducted public affairs.

June 2017-Aug 2017

March 2016-May 2016

December 2015-February 2016

September 2015-November 2015

Clients

UK Registrar of consultant lobbyists

The Register of Consultant Lobbyists documents those clients on behalf of whom Interel has lobbied government ministers and the firm's filings since 2015 are as follows:

April - June 2016

British Amusement Catering Trade Association (working in support of the Fixed odds betting terminals APPG) | British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions | Campaign for Fairer Gambling (working in support of the Fixed odds betting terminals APPG) | Expedia | Hippodrome Casino | LM Consultants | Nissan | Novomatic (working in support of the Fixed odds betting terminals APPG)^[14]

January - March 2016

October - December 2015

July - September 2015

April - June 2015

January - March 2015

APPC lobbying register

Interel Consulting UK is a member of the Association of Professional Political Consultants (APPC) and signs up to its voluntary register.

Sept - Nov 2017

June-Aug 2017

Dec 2016 - Feb 2017

March 2016-May 2016

December 2015-February 2016

September 2015-November 2015

June 2015-August 2015

December 2014-February 2015

September 2014-November 2014

Former staff

Graham Hook Senior Consultant - appointed by Justine Greening as a special adviser in October 2011 in her new role as Transport Secretary ^[21]
Andrew Dunlop, founder and former chairman^[22]
David Massingham, former director
Amanda Cunningham, former finance director
Ben Ruffels, senior consultant
Tanya Bloom, consultant
Sophie Waight, consultant. Is now an English teacher at British School of Language^[23]
Ben Jones, senior consultant. Former stagiaire at the European Commission, political assistant to Diana Wallis MEP, head of media for the British Liberal Democrat MEPs, chief of press officer for the Britain in Europe campaign, foreign affairs and defence adviser to the [[Liberal Democrats] in the build up to the 2010 General Election. Was hired by Interel after the Lib Dems formed a coalition in Parliament following the 2010 General Election to boost Lib Dem links. Is now chair of the Liberal Democrat policy working group on Europe.^[24]^[25]
Keith Butterick, associate consultant
Clare Fraser, former consultant and head of research and intelligence. Is now a senior account executive at Cavendish Place Communications and on the young consultant' committee at the Association of Professional Political Consultants^[26]

Clients

December 2014-February 2015

September 2014-November 2014

Former clients

Contact, Resources, Notes

Contact

Address: Interel Consulting UK
Greencoat House
Francis street
London
SW1P 1DH
Website: http://www.interelconsulting.co.uk/

Resources

Notes

↑ Brexit Services, Interel website, accessed October 2017
↑ Brexit Services, Interel website, accessed October 2017
↑ Oliver Waghorn Linkedin, Accessed 18 September 2014
↑ Waghorn, LinkedIn, last accessed 6 September 2017
↑ PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Monday 14 October 2013 House of Commons Official Report, No 568
↑ George McGregor Linkedin, accessed 21 January 2015
↑ Craig Stanley-Adamson Linkedin, accessed 21 January 2015
↑ UK team Interel Group, accessed 21 January 2015
↑ Nick Gash Linkedin, accessed 21 January 2015
↑ Oliver Waghorn Linkedin, accessed 21 January 2015
↑ ^11.0 ^11.1 Interel staff Mar-May16, APPC, accessed 16 June 2016
↑ ^12.0 ^12.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Dec15
↑ Interel Consulting staff list Sep-Nov15, APPC.org, accessed 24 February 2016
↑ 'Interel profile 2016', Register of consultant lobbyists, accessed 21 July 2016
↑ Interel Consulting profile 2016, Registrar of consultant lobbyists, accessed 3 May 2016
↑ Interel Consulting profile 2015, Registrar of consultant lobbyists, accessed 8 February 2016
↑ Interel Consulting client list Sep-Nov15, APPC.org, accessed 24 February 2016
↑ Interel Consulting client list Jun-Aug15, APPC.org, accessed 24 February 2016
↑ ^19.0 ^19.1 Register 1st December 2014 - 28th February 2015 APPC, accessed 31 March 2015
↑ ^20.0 ^20.1 Register 1st September 2014 - 30th November 2014 APPC, accessed 21 January 2015
↑ David Singleton Transport Secretary Justine Greening hires Interel consultant as special adviser, prweek.com, 24 October 2011
↑ David Singleton Margaret Thatcher's ex-political secretary Sir Stephen Sherbourne joins Interel PR Week, 30 November 2011, accessed 21 January 2015
↑ Sophie Waight Linkedin, accessed 21 January 2015
↑ Ben Jones biography Kings College London, accessed 21 January 2015
↑ David Singleton Public Affairs: Lib Dems take up lobby roles PR Week, 2 July 2010, accessed 21 January 2015
↑ Clare Fraser Linkedin, accessed 21 January 2015

Back to Lobbying Portal

[1] Brexit Services, Interel website, accessed October 2017

[2] Brexit Services, Interel website, accessed October 2017

[3] Oliver Waghorn Linkedin, Accessed 18 September 2014

[4] Waghorn, LinkedIn, last accessed 6 September 2017

[5] PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Monday 14 October 2013 House of Commons Official Report, No 568

[6] George McGregor Linkedin, accessed 21 January 2015

[7] Craig Stanley-Adamson Linkedin, accessed 21 January 2015

[8] UK team Interel Group, accessed 21 January 2015

[9] Nick Gash Linkedin, accessed 21 January 2015

[10] Oliver Waghorn Linkedin, accessed 21 January 2015

[Mar16-11] 11.0 ^11.1 Interel staff Mar-May16, APPC, accessed 16 June 2016

[Dec15-12] 12.0 ^12.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Dec15

[13] Interel Consulting staff list Sep-Nov15, APPC.org, accessed 24 February 2016

[14] 'Interel profile 2016', Register of consultant lobbyists, accessed 21 July 2016

[15] Interel Consulting profile 2016, Registrar of consultant lobbyists, accessed 3 May 2016

[16] Interel Consulting profile 2015, Registrar of consultant lobbyists, accessed 8 February 2016

[17] Interel Consulting client list Sep-Nov15, APPC.org, accessed 24 February 2016

[18] Interel Consulting client list Jun-Aug15, APPC.org, accessed 24 February 2016

[Dec14-19] 19.0 ^19.1 Register 1st December 2014 - 28th February 2015 APPC, accessed 31 March 2015

[Sept14-20] 20.0 ^20.1 Register 1st September 2014 - 30th November 2014 APPC, accessed 21 January 2015

[21] David Singleton Transport Secretary Justine Greening hires Interel consultant as special adviser, prweek.com, 24 October 2011

[PRW-22] David Singleton Margaret Thatcher's ex-political secretary Sir Stephen Sherbourne joins Interel PR Week, 30 November 2011, accessed 21 January 2015

[23] Sophie Waight Linkedin, accessed 21 January 2015

[24] Ben Jones biography Kings College London, accessed 21 January 2015

[25] David Singleton Public Affairs: Lib Dems take up lobby roles PR Week, 2 July 2010, accessed 21 January 2015

[26] Clare Fraser Linkedin, accessed 21 January 2015

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Interel Consulting UK

Contents

Brexit lobbying

Defence sector specialists

People

Staff

Former

APPC lobbying register

June 2017-Aug 2017

March 2016-May 2016

December 2015-February 2016

September 2015-November 2015

Clients

UK Registrar of consultant lobbyists

April - June 2016

January - March 2016

October - December 2015

July - September 2015

April - June 2015

January - March 2015

APPC lobbying register

Sept - Nov 2017

June-Aug 2017

Dec 2016 - Feb 2017

March 2016-May 2016

December 2015-February 2016

September 2015-November 2015

June 2015-August 2015

December 2014-February 2015

September 2014-November 2014

Former staff

Clients

December 2014-February 2015

September 2014-November 2014

Former clients

Contact, Resources, Notes

Contact

Resources

Notes

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