Devolved Administrations

Providing unrivalled insight into the processes, politics and personalities at all levels of government.

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Understanding at
all levels of government

Drawing on our team’s deep experience of government in the UK’s devolved administrations, we provide unrivalled insight into politics and policymakers across the nations and regions, ensuring our clients have the tools to engage confidently at all levels of government.

unrivalled insight

Led by our founder and Managing Director, the Rt Hon. Jim Murphy, Arden brings together a wealth of experience of former politicians, Special Advisors and senior parliamentary staffers with real-life knowledge, insight and understanding of the nations and regions of the UK. Jim was leader of the Scottish Labour Party and also served as the Secretary of State for Scotland.

Because of the Arden team’s extensive experience, we are able to provide a rare level of insight and understanding into devolved government across the UK.

We support UK based and global corporate clients with unrivalled insights into the processes, politics, and personalities at all levels of government. We also combine our proven expertise in corporate advisory work with our team’s combined understanding of how devolved administrations operate.

OUR SERVICES

Political monitoring paired with insightful analysis of the latest developments at devolved levels and how they may impact your business. 
Comprehensive mapping and analysis of political stakeholders that share your company’s interests.
Support in engaging positively with relevant trade unions. 
Reporting and analysis of politicians and advisors’ perceptions of your business and recommendations for improving perceptions.
Unrivalled expertise in the workings and dynamics of local and regional politics, to help you understand how to interact with politicians beyond Westminster, including in devolved administrations, local government and Metro Mayors.
Demystifying the major parties’ policy making processes and manifesto development.

Insights

Where next for Northern Ireland?

25/05/2023

Sinn Fein have won in the North and look set to do the same in the South. Sinn Fein aren’t going away and a continued refusal to engage with them is neither in the UK’s or Ireland’s interest.

The Tories lost the recent local elections. Did Labour win them well enough?

11/05/2023

With last week’s local elections now behind us, we examine what last week means for next year and Labour’s general election chances.

Why did progressives ever fall for the SNP?

20/04/2023

As the truth emerges about the Scottish nationalists, Arden’s Managing Director Jim Murphy reflects on how the delusions of their left-wing admirers are being exposed, in an article for the New Statesman.

Our devolved administration team

Rt Hon Ken Macintosh
Associate Director

Ken is the former Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament and has a wealth of experience in challenging and high-profile roles across media, communications, current affairs and politics. Ken spent 13 years at the BBC, both in London and Scotland, and spent the subsequent two decades as a Member of the Scottish Parliament. Ken now brings his proven judgement and creative, persuasive, and communicative skills to his work domestically and internationally on good governance programmes and his Non-Executive Director positions.

Anna Turley
Associate Director

Anna is an experienced senior executive with a distinguished record of achievement as a Member of Parliament, civil servant, government advisor and pioneering leader across local government, think tanks and Whitehall. Anna’s experience includes serving as the Member of Parliament for Redcar, a Shadow Minister as well as a member of two Select Committees including the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee.

Blair McDougall
Senior Strategist

Blair is one of Labour’s sharpest strategists and has served as a Senior Special Adviser in five UK government departments in the previous Labour governments. A former member of Labour’s National Executive Committee he was also an adviser to the Chair of the Labour Party. Blair was the Chief Executive of the winning anti-independence campaign in Scotland. He has worked for Tony Blair’s Africa Governance Institute.
Blair provides highly valued senior counsel to Arden’s clients on their strategy and communications.

George McGregor
Director of Projects

George was a Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for Scotland in the last Labour Government and is a former member of the Labour Party National Policy Forum. He worked for almost two decades in public affairs providing senior counsel to many of the country's leading companies, delivering government relations strategies and campaigns to help them achieve their objectives. George's work has won him an array of awards including Best Public Affairs Campaign of the Year.

John Arnold
Associate Director

John has over 20 years experience in public affairs and has provided support to over 80 international blue chip companies, trade bodies, interest groups and local authorities including UKPowerNetworks, EE, VM02, Betfred, VirginAtlantic, the Housebuilders Federation, IBM, INEOS, and the UK Fashion Industry. John was the political advisor to the Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, before joining the Local Government International Bureau where he was head of the international section. He is currently a Trustee of the Manchester United Foundation, the club's charity.

Kieran Simpson
Associate Director

Kieran worked for Labour’s economic team under Gordon Brown, and has served as a Special Adviser in three government departments. He has extensive knowledge of Whitehall’s interactions with business and trade bodies. Kieran has built a career as a leading communications and strategic adviser helping clients build their corporate reputations.
His knowledge extends across a range of sectors including the food & drink, agriculture, energy and health.

Alec James
Account Director

Alec has worked with and for some of the most senior figures in the Labour Party including the then Deputy Leader, Tom Watson. He also worked at the heart of Labour’s HQ in the General Secretary’s office giving him a ring-side seat on all major developments in Labour politics in recent years.
Alec has policy expertise in energy, finance and technology policy.

Shonagh Munro
Account Director

Shonagh is an experienced Labour adviser. Across the past six years she has worked with Labour politicians in the House of Commons and the Scottish Parliament as well as working at the Tony Blair Institute. Shonagh is networked across the Labour Party, particularly in Scotland where she led the office of Scottish Labour’s Deputy Leader. At Arden her policy specialisms include health, defence and technology.

Tom Badham
Account Executive

Tom was previously as an Organiser for the Liberal Democrats, working on the 2021 London GLA Elections, the 2022 Local Elections, and with target seat candidates in preparation for the next general election. He is experienced in single-issue campaigns on a range of policy areas, including on transport, environment and health.