# Lowick Hedry

> Insights to advise. Relationships to deliver


## Posts

- [Grasp the nettle](https://lowickhedry.com/news/grasp-the-nettle/): Good morning from Liverpool, where I’ve just come off GB News (here). This is Andy Burnham’s first conference as prime minister and he opened yesterday with the biggest domestic promise he has made since July. Labour will go into the next election offering a national care service for England, built on NHS principles: taxpayer-funded and free at the point of use. His words on the BBC were that he is going to “grasp the nettle” on social care. His father Roy, who had Alzheimer’s, died earlier this month, and Burnham didn’t hide that it is personal. Anyone who worked with him […]
- [Two Cities Lowdown: City Plan 2040 clears its biggest hurdle](https://lowickhedry.com/news/two-cities-lowdown-city-plan-2040-clears-its-biggest-hurdle/): The Two Cities Lowdown is Lowick Hedry’s weekly read on the City of Westminster and the City of London, written by the team that works both every day. A read for the commute or over a coffee, not a council report. The City wins the week outright, with City Plan 2040 through after the sharpest ministerial row of the year. In Westminster, last week’s Growth Statement is still setting the pace: a new position statement on Policy 43, and New West End Company has launched its Open for Growth manifesto ahead of Labour Conference this weekend. TOP OF THE INBOX: Housing […]
- [Are the Liberal Democrats being serious enough for business? | Burnham meets Trump](https://lowickhedry.com/news/are-the-liberal-democrats-being-serious-enough-for-business-burnham-meets-trump/): In this episode of Political Business, Lowick Hedry’s Associate Director, Stephen Gregory, speaks with Liberal Democrat London Mayoral Candidate, Sarah Olney, and Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, Bridget Smith, live from the party’s conference in Brighton. This episode also explores the recent international and domestic political events, including UK Prime Minister’s UN visit, UK party conferences, and the strategic insights from political leaders. It offers a detailed analysis of political diplomacy, party dynamics, and future campaign strategies.
- [Liberal Democrat Conference 2026: Local success vs national distress](https://lowickhedry.com/news/liberal-democrat-conference-2026-local-success-vs-national-distress/): Business Day at Lib Dem Conference 2026 was a cheery affair: surprisingly so, given the tension within the party over the direction of its national leadership. Locally, 2026 was a strong year for the Lib Dems. Across the country, they returned 844 councillors – 155 more than they held prior to the election. Notably, the party won every seat in their heartland of Richmond, and a resurgence in Southwark and Lambeth sees them in coalition with the Greens.   On the national stage, however, the struggles of Sir Keir Starmer to hold the centre ground have naturally begotten the troubles of Lib […]
- [The autumn trap for Burnham | Dispatch from New York](https://lowickhedry.com/news/the-autumn-trap-for-burnham-dispatch-from-new-york/): Good morning from Manhattan, where the rain has set in ahead of the UN General Assembly. If Downing Street gets its way over the next 48 hours, Andy Burnham’s bilateral with Donald Trump will be entirely forgettable. That is the deliberate strategy. By meeting on neutral UN ground for barely half an hour, Number 10 is aiming for a quiet diplomatic transaction—specifically around Ukraine and air defence—rather than a spectacle that provokes a late-night social media broadside. As I noted on Sky News yesterday, the real risk isn’t diplomatic protocol; it’s unpredictable territory if the conversation veers into trade, energy, or […]
- [Is political instability ruining UK foreign investment?](https://lowickhedry.com/news/is-political-instability-ruining-uk-foreign-investment/): In this episode of Political Business, Kevin joins Nathan from One World Trade Center in New York during UNGA week to share exclusive insights on how US investors view the UK’s shifting political landscape—and why a “delivery problem” is stalling transatlantic business. Back in London, Nathan breaks down the massive £72 million funding package for Reform UK from mega-donors Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne. Is this a game-changer for Nigel Farage, or will it create hidden pitfalls? Plus, an in-depth preview of the high-stakes Holborn and St Pancras by-election following Keir Starmer’s departure.
- [Cambridge Tech Week: Bringing optimism back to the tech debate](https://lowickhedry.com/news/cambridge-tech-week-bringing-optimism-back-to-the-tech-debate/): The timing couldn’t have been better for our team to attend Cambridge Tech Week. The week was set to the backdrop of Anthropic researcher Evan Hubinger’s stark warning that there’s a 10% chance of AI ‘kill[ing] all humans’ in the next ten years, and the Joint Select Committee on Human Rights’ call for a new law to address the threat to human rights posed by artificial intelligence. The focus at Cambridge Tech Week was not, in fact, on monolithic killing machines, but on people: from what we saw, it was about the stories of scores of entrepreneurs, often working alone but […]
- [The Two Cities lowdown | Friday, 18 September 2026](https://lowickhedry.com/news/the-two-cities-lowdown-friday-18-september-2026/): Welcome back. The Two Cities Lowdown is Lowick Hedry’s weekly read on the City of Westminster and the City of London, written by the team that works both every day. A read for the commute or over a coffee, not a council report. A heavy week, and a rare one where the two cities shared a stage. The London Real Estate Forum came to Guildhall on Wednesday, and Westminster chose the City’s platform to launch its first ever Growth Statement while its own chamber adopted the licensing policy that has been running as a national story since August. The City, meanwhile, […]
- [Game on](https://lowickhedry.com/news/game-on/): Labour’s advantage over Reform is down to 2.3 points. Election Maps UK’s poll-of-polls has Labour on 26.1%, Reform on 23.8%, the Conservatives a distant third on 19.9%, down 4.5 points on their 2024 result. Run that through our own seat projection model at Lowick Hedry and it spits out a hung parliament in 96% of simulations, Labour the largest party in most of them but short of the 326 seats they’d need, Reform up to a projected 136 seats from the five they hold now, the SNP more than quintupling to 43. Labour’s actual working majority is 166. On these numbers […]
- [Sunday Polling Update - Labour lead narrows](https://lowickhedry.com/news/sunday-polling-update-labour-lead-narrows/): Labour’s lead has narrowed to 2.3 points, and the seat model now points to a hung parliament. This week’s poll of polls, compiled by Election Maps UK from every voting intention survey published in the last 35 days, has Labour on 26.1% and Reform UK on 23.8%. That gap has closed sharply since the last general election, where Labour’s margin over its nearest rival ran into double figures. The Conservatives sit third on 19.9%, down four and a half points on 2024, and the Greens have picked up nearly four points to draw level with the Liberal Democrats on around 10.5% […]
- [The future of Oxford Street: Pedestrianisation, and the huge transformation](https://lowickhedry.com/news/the-future-of-oxford-street-pedestrianisation-and-the-huge-transformation/): In this episode, we take an exclusive look into the massive transformation planned for London’s iconic Oxford Street. With the Oxford Street Development Corporation (OSDC) stepping in as the local planning authority, major changes are coming to one of the world’s most famous retail and commercial hubs, with Nabeel Khan of the Oxford Street Development Corporation. From closing the street to vehicle traffic by the end of the year to creating a mixed-use, experiential destination, learn how local authorities, businesses, and global inspirations (from New York to Tokyo) are shaping the future of the West End. Key Topics Covered in This […]
- [The Two Cities lowdown](https://lowickhedry.com/news/the-two-cities-lowdown/): The Two Cities Lowdown is Lowick Hedry’s weekly read on the City of Westminster and the City of London, written by the team that works both every day. An insiders’ guide, not an observers’ one. A read for the commute or over a coffee, not a council report. The first full week of term delivered more than expected. Westminster lost one fight with government, part-conceded another to its critics, and picked two more with the Prime Minister. The City had its day in front of the planning inspectors, and is quietly rewriting a rule that has governed its skyline since before […]
- [Ealing Is Open for Investment](https://lowickhedry.com/news/ealing-is-open-for-investment/): Lowick Hedry and KMDC brought developers and investors together with Ealing’s cabinet members for growth this morning, for a breakfast briefing on the borough’s growth plans. Ealing’s administration returned in May with a renewed mandate. Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Safe and Genuinely Affordable Homes Cllr Louise Brett, Cabinet Member for Good Growth Cllr Monica Hamidi, Strategic Director Peter George and acting Assistant Director for Housing Regeneration Yemi Aladerun set out their ambition to unlock sites and meet it. Watch the highlights from the morning here. Ealing now holds London’s second highest housing target. While targeting adoption of its new Local Plan […]
- [Is Farage losing control of Reform UK? And the new tourist tax explained](https://lowickhedry.com/news/is-farage-losing-control-of-reform-uk-and-the-new-tourist-tax-explained/): In this week’s episode of Political Business, Nathan Parsad-Wyatt and Kevin McKeever dissect a chaotic week in UK politics following the Reform UK conference in Birmingham. From internal power struggles and donation scandals to the physical assault of a protester, is Nigel Farage’s leadership on fragile ground—and is Zia Yusuf quietly preparing a shadow leadership bid? Plus, the hosts break down the Chancellor’s latest growth speech on business regulation, Ed Miliband’s foreign policy maneuvers, and the newly announced England tourist tax (overnight levy) powers for regional mayors. Stay tuned until the end for an exclusive sneak peek of our upcoming interview […]
- [The six words that mattered in Healey's growth speech](https://lowickhedry.com/news/the-six-words-that-mattered-in-healeys-growth-speech/): John Healey’s first big growth speech as chancellor contained one sentence that will outlast the rest of it. The rest was competent. The sentence was a confession. “I recognise that the cost of business, that’s energy bills, regulation burdens, planning constraints, labour costs, have grown since Covid. And I want to draw the line.” Jimmy McLoughlin, who advised Theresa May on business in Downing Street and has been banging on about this ever since, spotted it straight away. His point is the right one. For most firms in this country, growth is not a strategy document. It is a single, quite […]
- [What Reform does next, with Laila Cunningham](https://lowickhedry.com/news/what-reform-does-next-with-laila-cunningham/): In this episode of Political Business, Nathan sits down with Reform UK’s candidate for the 2028 London Mayoral Election, Laila Cunningham, at the party’s annual conference in Birmingham. Laila reflects on her ambitions for mayoralty, outlines her pitch to the capital’s businesses and voters and addresses the recent controversy surrounding the party’s donations. Nathan and Kevin also discuss the political landscape surrounding the upcoming by-election in Holburn and St Pancras, how Reform’s leadership might navigate the donations controversy engulfing the party, and the damage it could inflict politically.
- ["Farage's very good back week"](https://lowickhedry.com/news/farages-very-good-back-week/): Conference season is under way, and it opened with a donations scandal. Reform gathered in Birmingham for the first outing of the season, three days at the NEC, bigger than last year, and with a well-attended business day on Friday. Nathan was there for us, and his read is worth your time in full: Reform UK’s First 100 Days, Lost in the Noise (here). Two things stood out to me. One, there some was real policy substance: Richard Tice launched a genuinely serious planning platform on day one (‘The Planning Teal Paper’) and Jenrick pledged £100bn in savings, with a full […]
- [Sunday Westminster polling update](https://lowickhedry.com/news/sunday-westminster-polling-update/): Labour hold a 4-point lead in the latest Opinium poll — up one to 28%, with Reform UK slipping back a point to 24%. The Conservatives are down again to 18%, while the Liberal Democrats tick up to 11%, level with the Greens. Four points is a lead worth watching rather than banking. With this margin of error, the real story is the direction of travel: Reform’s momentum has stalled for a second week, and the smaller parties are picking up the difference. Seat projections tell a sharper version of the same story — if the this poll translated by universal […]
- [Reform UK's First 100 Days, Lost in the Noise](https://lowickhedry.com/news/reform-uks-first-100-days-lost-in-the-noise/): Reflections from Reform Party Conference Birmingham hosted the first party conference of the season this year. Reform UK’s three days at the NEC (3 to 5 September) were bigger than last year’s: more delegates, more stalls, and the party’s first ever dedicated business day. I was there for all of it, and I came away with a clearer sense of where the party is heading, and a messier one of how it plans to get there. Reform wanted this conference to be about what a Reform government would actually do in office. Robert Jenrick’s plan to find £100 billion in savings […]
- [How has Reform's conference gone?](https://lowickhedry.com/news/how-has-reforms-conference-gone/): Can an insurgent party build a credible plan for government while relying on US-style disruption tactics?Our CEO, Kevin McKeever, joined Sky News to analyse Reform UK’s national party conference in Birmingham. While the party drew record crowds and big-ticket business engagement, significant institutional questions remain unanswered: When aiming to shift from populist campaigning to serious power, political strategy and scrutiny must go hand in hand.Watch Kevin’s full analysis in the clip below.
- [How did Andy Burnham do in his first PMQs?](https://lowickhedry.com/news/how-did-andy-burnham-do-in-his-first-pmqs/): Our CEO, Kevin McKeever, joined Kait Borsay on Wednesday evening live from King’s College, Cambridge to discuss the Prime Minister’s first PMQs and the economic picture ahead of next month’s Budget. How do you think Andy Burnham did at his first Commons joust with Kemi Badenoch?
- ["Bring back hope"](https://lowickhedry.com/news/bring-back-hope/): Six weeks in and Burnham has done what he said he would do. He’s moved fast, stayed popular and put the cost of everyday life at the centre of politics. Now parliament is back and the announcements have to become legislation. The message No 10 has settled on is “bring back hope”, and unusually for a new prime minister, the polling says it’s landing. Today’s story is early release, and it’s his win. Alex Norris, the justice secretary, announces plans to cut the number of prisoners eligible for early release and to keep PC Andrew Harper’s killers behind bars. Burnham demanded […]
- [Westminster Council leader on the Oxford Street Plan & spending challenges](https://lowickhedry.com/news/westminster-council-budget-crisis-council-tax-hikes-dockless-bikes-oxford-street-transformation/): In this episode of Political Business, Nathan sits down on the 17th floor of City Hall with Councillor Paul Swaddle, Leader of Westminster City Council. Paul reflects on his journey in Conservative Party politics—from joining during the 1997 general election defeat to serving on the party board and earning an OBE. Now over 100 days into his leadership, he addresses the massive challenges facing Westminster, including a £160M budget gap driven by government funding cuts, proposed council tax increases of 75% to 100%, and the crackdown on dockless bikes. He also sets the record straight on the recent “vertical drinking” media […]
- [The end of the summer recess: what's in store for the political parties?](https://lowickhedry.com/news/the-end-of-the-summer-recess-whats-in-store-for-the-political-parties/): Welcome back to Political Business! After a couple weeks off, Kevin McKeever and Nathan Parsad-Wyatt look at the changing UK political landscape following a high-stakes summer. From Andy Burnham’s first weeks in office and Labour’s strategy to Kemi Badenoch strengthening the Conservatives and the internal battles facing Reform UK, we break down where every major UK political party stands heading into party conference season. Plus, we preview what’s next for the budget, the government’s 10-year plan. Where do both the Left and the Right of British politics sit as the summer recess ends and parliament gets set to return?
- [What does Andy Burnham mean for the Greens?](https://lowickhedry.com/news/what-does-andy-burnham-mean-from-the-greens/): Lowick Hedry CEO, Kevin McKeever, was on Sky News on Sunday, discussing the first month of Andy Burnham’s premiership, the challenges ahead and what all this might mean for Zak Polanski and the Greens. Do you think it’s ‘all vibes’ or does Andy Burnham‘s first few weeks in Number 10 signal a real shift in Labour and the country’s prospects? To discuss what the new government means for you, your business, clients or cause, get in touch with our team on tomorrow@lowickhedry.com Are you ready for what’s next?
- [70,000 homes, one big test for Labour's housing plan](https://lowickhedry.com/news/70000-homes-one-big-test-for-labours-housing-plan/): The government has confirmed where the first 70,000 social and affordable homes under its £39bn programme will be built: Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North East England, Liverpool — and £6bn for London, the largest single allocation. It’s the opening instalment of a 10-year plan to deliver 300,000 social and affordable homes across England, with over £16bn still to be allocated outside the capital. 60% of the new homes will be for social rent. The scale of need is significant: 1.34 million households are on social housing waiting lists, and homelessness in temporary accommodation continues to rise. […]
- [“The mayors asked for more, not less”](https://lowickhedry.com/news/the-mayors-asked-for-more-not-less/): Good morning, I was back in Manchester last week, and it’s hard to miss what Burnham’s built there. No. 10 North sits in a modern office block that also holds a pub (the Slug & Lettuce, use the app if you don’t fancy queuing for a pint), a register office and a GCHQ outpost, an odd mix of uses that somehow makes sense once you’ve stood in the lobby. He works out of it one day a week, full-time team behind him, Larry the Downing Street cat present in cardboard cutout form. Last week the substance was tax. Burnham announced mayors […]
- [Grey Belt, Golden Rules & Growth: the new NPPF decoded](https://lowickhedry.com/news/grey-belt-golden-rules-growth-the-new-nppf-decoded/): The updated National Planning Policy Framework is the biggest shift in planning policy in a decade. Delivery is now mandatory, land supply is measured harder, and Grey Belt is open for business. If you’re developing, investing or sitting on a planning committee, here’s what changed. I think the firms that get ahead of this will be the ones treating the politics and the delivery numbers as one conversation, not two. Get in touch with the team at Lowick Hedry if you want to talk through what this means for your schemes. #Planning #NPPF #BuiltEnvironment #HousingDelivery #PublicAffairs #PropertyDevelopment #LowickHedry
- [Right-wing fractures and Badenoch gaffes](https://lowickhedry.com/news/right-wing-fractures-and-badenoch-gaffes/): Are Reform UK starting to fracture from within? In this week’s episode of Political Business, hosts Kevin McKeever and Nathan Parsad-Wyatt dive into the shifting dynamics of the British right wing, Kemi Badenoch’s recent leadership missteps, and whether prime ministers should actually take summer breaks. In this episode: • Reform UK & Rupert Lowe: Is Nigel Farage losing control as Restore Britain pushes the party further to the right? • The Clacton By-Election & Farage’s Future: Is Farage an electoral asset or an emerging liability? • Kemi Badenoch’s Controversial Week: Assessing the Conservative leader’s political judgment after a council candidate backlash […]
- [Understanding the Burnham Administration](https://lowickhedry.com/news/understanding-the-burnham-administration/): Andy Burnham’s first two weeks as Prime Minister have seen a surge in the polls, major policy announcements, and the launch of Number 10 North. In this week’s episode of Political Business, Nathan Parsad-Wyatt and Kevin McKeever break down Andy Burnham’s early premiership performance, the Greater Manchester mayoral by-election, and share their essential political summer reading recommendations.
- [Burnham's new cabinet and ending political violence](https://lowickhedry.com/news/burnhams-new-cabinet-and-ending-political-violence/): Prime Minister Andy Burnham has arrived in Downing Street, and has unveiled his top team. What does this massive political shift mean for UK business? Nathan Parsad-Wyatt and Kevin McKeever break down the figures at the forefront of Burnham’s cabinet, what kind of administration will they help shape? They also examine reaction from opposition parties and wonder where UK politics stands following such a change. Finally they discuss the importance of political security and safety, having experienced, how do we keep public servants safe?
- [From 2015 defeat to prime minister: Inside Burnham's rise](https://lowickhedry.com/news/from-2015-defeat-to-prime-minister-inside-burnhams-rise/): Andy Burnham is officially the new Labour leader and will be the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. In this special edition of Political Business, Nathan Parsad-Wyatt and Kevin McKeever consider the remarkable 10-year journey that brought Burnham to the Number 10. Kevin shares his personal backstory—from joining New Labour in 1997 to breaking away from the “Westminster bubble” tribe in 2015 to back Burnham’s anti-metropolitan vision. They break down what a Burnham administration will look like, address past controversies, handle the rampant media speculation surrounding Shabana Mahmood as Chancellor, and explain why communication is just as important as policy […]
- [Things can only get better](https://lowickhedry.com/news/things-can-only-get-better/): As Andy Burnham formally becomes Labour leader, I signed off on our Lowick Hedry transition Lowdown series (pasted below). If you’d like to sign up to our new weekly Lowdown email just click here. Things can only get better Good morning, The Labour leadership contest wrapped up last night, with the close of nominations for the party’s affiliates (trade unions and socialist societies). Andy Burnham ended up being nominated by 379 Labour MPs and most trade unions. So at midday today, at the TUC building near Tottenham Court Road, Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) will convene a ‘special conference’ to […]
- [Inside Southwark's planning revolution](https://lowickhedry.com/news/inside-southwarks-planning-revolution/): Can a Lib Dem-Green coalition fix London’s housing crisis, or will a £85 million budget black hole stand in their way? In this episode of Political Business, host Kevin McKeever sits down with Councillor Victor Chamberlain, the newly appointed Deputy Leader of Southwark Council and Executive Member for Strategic Planning. Following the historic May 2026 local elections, Southwark’s political landscape has completely shifted. For the first time in 16 years, Labour has lost its majority, giving rise to a joint Liberal Democrat and Green Party administration. Victor opens up about the reality of running a major London borough, how they plan […]
- [Andy Burnham’s route to Number 10 | Nigel Farage’s Clacton circus | Harvard AI masterclass](https://lowickhedry.com/news/andy-burnhams-route-to-number-10-nigel-farages-clacton-circus-harvard-ai-masterclass/): On today’s episode of Political Business, Kevin and Nathan are live from Cambridge, England and from Cambridge, Massachusetts. They discuss another big week in Westminster politics, with Labour Party leadership sit to close next week, what’s next for the soon to be Prime Minister? Has Farage played a blinder by triggering a by-election… or has he shot himself in the foot? … and a critical dispatch from Harvard Business School on why British firms are falling behind on AI.
- [The City Plan intervention: our conversation with Tom Sleigh](https://lowickhedry.com/news/the-city-plan-intervention-our-conversation-with-tom-sleigh/): The City of London’s flagship blueprint for growth, the City Plan 2040, was complete and ready to adopt, until a sudden intervention from Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook halted it in its tracks. In this special episode of Political Business, host Nathan Parsad-Wyatt sits down with Tom Sleigh, Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee. Sleigh suggests the government’s decision to force new hearings over the plan’s impact on the Tower of London is “unnecessary and anti-growth.” We consider what this delay means for international investor confidence, why stripping floors off future skyscrapers could permanently “sterilise” […]
- [Andy Burnham's Economic Vision | Devolution, Public Control & The New Southwark Coalition](https://lowickhedry.com/news/andy-burnhams-economic-vision-devolution-public-control-the-new-southwark-coalition/): Andy Burnham just laid out a radical new blueprint for the UK economy, shifting power away from Whitehall to a new “Number 10 North” in Greater Manchester. We discuss this means for business, devolution, and the markets. We also sit down with Councillor Victor Chamberlain, the new Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader of Southwark, to discuss the historic Lib Dem-Green joint administration and how it plans to tackle an £85 million budget black hole. Chamberlain also explains the multi-borough legal challenge against the Mayor of London’s emergency measures package, which reduced fast-track affordable housing requirements from 35% to 20%. Addressing the argument […]
- [A message from the CEO](https://lowickhedry.com/news/a-message-from-the-ceo/): Today marks a major moment in the evolution of both Lowick and Hedry. I started Lowick over 9 years ago in the depths of the Corbyn era and the post-Brexit Referendum chaos. It was clear that traditional public affairs agencies didn’t truly understand the currents underneath Labour at the time. They weren’t equipped to explain the key role the party in local government and at mayoral level still had in the lives of corporate Britain – and the role of the affiliated trade unions, which is still massively misunderstood in the public affairs industry. We changed that. Over the years we’ve […]
- [Built for This Moment](https://lowickhedry.com/news/built-for-this-moment/): Nine years ago, Kevin McKeever launched Lowick. A decade spent building relationships at the heart of government and advising some of the most impactful organisations in the country. A year ago, we launched Hedry. Cross-party from the start. The proposition was simple: help clients make sense of the chaos. We have. Today, we bring them together. Lowick Hedry is one consultancy. Multi-sector. Offices in London and Cambridge. An expanded, experienced team with relationships on the left and the right, working together, not as a claim but as the thing that makes the advice better. The question we get asked is why […]
- [What Next for Burnham? Join Us on Friday 3 July](https://lowickhedry.com/news/what-next-for-burnham-join-us-on-friday-3-july/): The question has stopped being whether. It is now what, and who. Nominations for the Labour leadership open on 9 July. If no one else clears the threshold, Burnham is elected unopposed. We do not expect a contest. Within weeks, Britain will have its seventh Prime Minister in a decade. James Purnell is already in place as chief of staff. Access talks with Cabinet Secretary Antonia Romeo are under way. The Manchester economic speech is being prepared. The gilt market is calm. Burnham is moving. The serious question now is what a Burnham government actually does. The people who shape it. The policy direction it takes. What the first hundred days look like, and what that means for your organisation, your […]
- [The City of Westminster is Open for Business](https://lowickhedry.com/news/the-city-of-westminster-is-open-for-business/): The new Conservative administration at Westminster City Council has a clear message for the development and investment community. They want to build. They want to deliver growth. And they want to work with business to do it. Earlier this month, Lowick Hedry — in partnership with Mount Anvil — hosted the first collective public outing of the new administration. Cllr Paul Swaddle OBE, Leader of Westminster City Council, set out his priorities alongside his full Cabinet. It was a significant moment: the whole administration in one room, setting out its stall to the people who develop, invest and operate across the […]
- [Planning in Westminster: Straight from the Decision-Makers](https://lowickhedry.com/news/planning-in-westminster-straight-from-the-decision-makers/): Our engagement programme with the new City of Westminster administration continued this week with a breakfast roundtable for some of Westminster’s leading property and investment names, hosted by our friends at Newmark. Cllr Tim Barnes, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Growth and Planning, and Cllr Jim Glen, Chair of Planning, joined us directly. It was a timely and substantive morning — a chance to hear the new administration’s priorities for planning and development across the city, and to put real questions to the people who will be making the decisions. The direction of travel is clear. Westminster wants to build. […]
- [London Boroughs Take Khan to Court](https://lowickhedry.com/news/london-boroughs-take-khan-to-court/): London’s affordable housing debate has moved from the council chamber to the High Court. Hackney, Lewisham and Tower Hamlets have filed a judicial review claim against the Mayor of London over plans to reduce the affordable housing requirement in planning applications from 35% to 20%. Four further boroughs — Lambeth, Southwark, Waltham Forest and Haringey — are formally backing the claim. The legal argument is procedural as much as political. The councils say Khan has attempted to cut the quota without using the proper statutory process for amending the London Plan, and without conducting a fair consultation before the change. There […]
- [Sign up to the Lowick Hedry Lowdown](https://lowickhedry.com/news/sign-up-to-the-lowick-hedry-lowdown/): In the run up the General Election, we launched the Lowdown to help clients make sense of political change as it happens. This week, it came back – and the timing could not be more appropriate. Keir Starmer has resigned. Andy Burnham is on his way to Number 10. The transition is moving quickly. James Purnell is already in place as chief of staff. Access talks with the Cabinet Office are under way. A set-piece economic speech is being prepared. The chancellor is the call that still has to come. Kevin’s first Lowdown of the transition series set out what matters and what does […]
- [How Andy Burnham Captured Westminster | Reform UK Splits & London Housing War](https://lowickhedry.com/news/how-andy-burnham-captured-westminster-reform-uk-splits-london-housing-war/): The political landscape has completely shifted. Following Keir Starmer’s dramatic resignation, Andy Burnham is on an unchallenged path to becoming the next Labour Leader and Prime Minister. In this episode of Political Business, Kevin and Nathan break down the monumental shift in Westminster, Burnham’s incoming transition team (including James Purnell), and what this means for the UK. We also dive into the sudden momentum halt for Reform UK after the Makerfield by-election, exploring the emerging internal power struggles between Nigel Farage, Zia Yusuf, and Robert Jenrick. Finally, we look at the growing civil war on the left, as London borough leaders […]
- [Political Business Live: The New Map of London Politics](https://lowickhedry.com/news/political-business-live-the-new-map-of-london-politics/): The week after the local elections, we wanted to make sense of what had just happened. So we brought the right people into the room. Kevin and I hosted a live recording of Political Business at our home in King’s Cross. Joining us: Dave Hill of OnLondon, Scarlett Maguire of Merlin Strategy, Baroness Shama Tatler, and the newly elected Leader of Westminster City Council, Cllr Paul Swaddle OBE. The conversation covered the results in full. A bad night for Labour in its traditional heartlands. A Green surge that delivered control in Hackney and Lewisham. A Conservative comeback in Westminster, where Paul […]

## Pages

- [Graduate Kick Start Programme](https://lowickhedry.com/graduatekickstart/): The insights to advise and the relationships to deliver are built from the moment you enter the workplace. That’s why Lowick Hedry is launching Graduate Kick Start. Graduate Kick Start takes a graduate and turns them into an adviser who can work across all four of our practices – built environment, infrastructure, litigation & crisis, and public affairs – in twelve months. This isn’t a shadowing scheme. From week one you’re doing real, billable work for real clients, with the support in place to make sure you’re never out of your depth and the stretch to make sure you’re never coasting. […]
- [Modern Slavery](https://lowickhedry.com/modern-slavery-policy/): MODERN SLAVERY STATEMENT FOR FINANCIAL YEAR 2023/24. This statement is made pursuant to s.54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and sets out the steps that Lowick has taken and is continuing to take to ensure that modern slavery or human trafficking is not taking place within our business or supply chain. Modern slavery encompasses slavery, servitude, human trafficking and forced labour. We are committed to acting ethically and with integrity and transparency in all business dealings and to putting effective systems and controls in place to safeguard against any form of modern slavery taking place within the business or our […]
- [Privacy Policy](https://lowickhedry.com/privacy-policy/): Lowick Group Ltd and Hedry Limited trading as Lowick Hedry, is committed to compliance with all relevant EU and UK laws in respect of personal data, and the protection of the personal data of individuals whose information Lowick Hedry collects and processes in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). About this policy This Privacy Policy has been prepared in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which came into force on 25 May 2018. The Information Commissioner’s Office states that a privacy policy needs to include the following information: About us Lowick Hedry is a communications consultancy advising on […]
- [Coming Soon](https://lowickhedry.com/coming-soon/)
- [Contact](https://lowickhedry.com/contact/)
- [News](https://lowickhedry.com/news/)
- [Home](https://lowickhedry.com/)

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