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• APPC AGM on 14 May

APPC AGM on 14 May

17 May 2007

APPC AGM

The Chair of the Association of Professional Political Consultants (APPC), Gill Morris, Managing Director of Connect Public Affairs, was re-elected for a third term at the Association’s AGM on 14 May.

In addition, eight members of the management committee were also re-elected:

Mark Adams, Managing Director, Foresight Communications
Lucy Burns, Director of Public Affairs, Fishburn Hedges
Michael Burrell, Vice-Chairman, Europe, Edelman
Gavin Devine, Deputy Managing Director, AS Biss & Co
Helen Johnson, Director, Helen Johnson Consulting Ltd
Robbie MacDuff, Director of Public Affairs, Precise Public Affairs
John Mills, Director, PPS (Local & Regional) Ltd
Warwick Smith, Managing Partner, College Public Policy

Jo Nove. Director of Greenhaus Communications, remains Chair of APPC in Scotland, with Ross Laird of Citigate as secretary.

The meeting reviewed the APPC’s Annual Report, noting a record year for growth, with 15 new members joining, bringing the total to 47 members. The Chair emphasised that the growth of APPC was vitally important for the whole sector as the UK self-regulatory regime depended on it being accepted by all PA consultancies.

The year’s activities included:
• Increasing the frequency of the Register to quarterly to improve transparency
• Amending the Code of Conduct by including a new clause designed to prevent firms outside APPC claiming adherence to the Code of Conduct without disclosing the names of clients and consultants.
• Campaigning to raise the standards of ethics practiced by others in the sector by producing generic principles of ethical lobbying
• Offering two training seminars on the APPC Code of Conduct
• Re-designing the APPC website and publishing on it the minutes of members’ meetings
• Inviting speakers after the members’ meetings, including Sir Philip Mawer, Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, and Malcolm George of EDS, PA News In-House Consultant of the Year
• Meeting with European Commission officials and Commissioner Kallas to advise on how the self-regulatory regime operates in the UK to inform the proposals on lobbying in the European Transparency Initiative

Following the meeting, members and guests were pleased to hear a talk by John Grogan MP, supporting APPC’s principles of transparency and lack of financial involvement with legislators. Mr Grogan singled out for praise the fact that the APPC Register is published on the website.

Commenting on the AGM, APPC Chair Gill Morris said:

“I am delighted that, in my third term, I can continue to work with the support of the management committee who have contributed so much to the APPC in the last year.

In the year ahead we will actively encourage more consultancies to join the APPC and further raise the standard of the industry. We believe that all those who practice in public affairs should support the APPC’s core principles of transparency and a complete financial ban on members paying legislators. The APPC will campaign to promote the APPC values amongst legislators, in-house practitioners and those who engage our services.

Our members continually demonstrate their commitment to providing ethical services. Clients of APPC members are guaranteed honesty, integrity, and transparency as well as the assurance that all consultants working for an APPC member are trained and practiced in delivering a professional service. It is important for new and existing public affairs clients to recognise and promote the importance of the APPC standard.”