Thread by @BDavisBriz

Looking forward to what should be an interesting refresher/primer course on how to engage with government #DeHavDiscusses

https://twitter.com/DeHavilland/status/1531898206585602048

The webinar begins looking at how political parties form manifestos. @lilahhowson notes that many parties will begin to form manifestos "at least a year" before a GE, so there would be big opportunities to engage #DeHavDiscusses

Howson-Smith advises people to be mindful of policies announced in Queen's Speeches to see where parties' thinking is. Also suggests working with think tanks & conducting polling to develop evidence around ideas into policy proposals #DeHavDiscusses

Nearer to the time, Howson-Smith says that opportunities to engage on policy ideas as, the closer to publication, the more likely it is that parties will be looking internally to see how ideas would land with members & fit in to wider campaign #DeHavDiscusses

.@cgwOMT agrees. Looking at current govt & polling, he reminds attendees that polling suggests next election will be tight. Says this shows why it is important to engage with Opposition Parties, not just the incumbent government #DeHavDiscusses

For proposed policies, White advises attendees to ensure their proposals are costed, and have an awareness of how it may play out in the media #DeHavDiscusses

White also says people should be mindful of the decision-making culture within different parties. Says Conservatives tend to have a more "monarchical" structure, whereas Lib Dems & Labour "more consultative" #DeHavDiscusses

Turning to a new administration, White says that most new administrations are keen to assert their independence from previous ones - especially if they are of a different political colour. As a result, there is an opportunity for new thinking #DeHavDiscusses

White also notes that changes in regime often mean that Minister's advisory teams will change, which shows why it is important to engage with Shadow Teams in between elections #DeHavDiscusses

This, White says, is also why it is important to maintain good relationships with the civil service, as they are often the continuity in between administrations, and will advise the incoming political teams #DeHavDiscusses

On snap elections, Howson-Smith says that the window for engagement is "very limited" due to surprise of announcement means it is not an ideal time to engage with MPs/PPCs. This shows why continuous socialising & engagement with Ministers & Shadows is vital #DeHavDiscusses

On the other hand, White says that this can also allow for site visit opportunities, as parties are desperate for last-minute publicity opportunities. However, White says due to timing, it is unlikely someone will get "equal time" with all parties #DeHavDiscusses

Turning to engagement on Consultations, Howson-Smith says this is an opportunity "to engage on policy detail" as those reading the responses will be the ones who will be implementing the policies #DeHavDiscusses

Howson-Smith says the most successful consultation responses are those which have drawn out key facts which have either been overlooked or misunderstood by government - and have been backed up by evidence #DeHavDiscusses

Other successful submissions are also responses that are part of wider coalition building exercises, or are part of continuous engagement with Ministers and/or relevant civil servants ahead of submission to see how proposals could land #DeHavDiscusses

Howson-Smith also suggests submitting case studies to trade associations/umbrella groups as ways of showing best practise, without needing to submit a full response. She also warns against "falling into the trap" of feeling to need to answer every question #DeHavDiscusses

White says that evidence is vital for any successful submission response. He also says that consultation responses "are not enough" for policy change, and should be used in concert with wider engagement with Ministers and MPs #DeHavDiscusses

Turning to pre-legislative scrutiny, Howson-Smith only some Bills go through this position usually due to complexity of legislation (sense-checking). Says influence can be achieved through engagement with Committee sessions & member engagement #DeHavDiscusses

Howson-Smith also repeats the need for coalition building. Gives the example of Financial Crimes being added into the Online Safety Bill being a coalition between the financial services, technology and consumer sectors #DeHavDiscusses

Howson-Smith also says that organisations should be mindful on minimising the burden on government for inserting proposals into a Bill. Argues that proposals that massively expand scope of a Bill are less likely to be achieved #DeHavDiscusses

Turning to the Committee process, White says that organisations need to have a clear idea of what it is they are trying to achieve when Bill arrives in Parliament. Says ideally engagement will be done before this, but recognises this is not always possible #DeHavDiscusses

In House of Commons, White says it is vital that you need to engage with Govt Parties as well as Opposition MPs. Says that while good relationships with Peers are important, any amendments made in HoL also needs support of HoC #DeHavDiscusses

On engaging with Bill Teams, White says that it is important to remember when engaging with them that they will be looking for strong evidence bases & more open to "surgical amendments" to facilitate passage of Bill rather than attempts to make wholesale changes #DeHavDiscusses

Howson-Smith agrees - says that Bill Team will be the one looking for solutions. In particular, any evidence organisations can give Bill Teams to provide Ministers with alternative options on thornier issues could be welcome #DeHavDiscusses

White also reminds attendees that culture in Lords is very different to Commons. Says Lords can add "probing amendments" which would get commitment from Ministerial Teams to investigate issues. This can be followed up with engagement with Ministerial Team #DeHavDiscusses

On Secondary Legislation, both White & Howson-Smith say these are often "overlooked opportunities". Howson-Smith recommends regularly engaging with Civil Service team & regulators #DeHavDiscusses

White says waiting for affirmative votes on secondary legislation is too late as it is highly unlikely Govt will be defeated on a vote. Recommends engaging with civil servants immediately after Royal Ascent to understand legislative timetable #DeHavDiscusses

On building effective relationships with Ministers, Howson-Smith says engagement with Ministers should always be around a new evidence/talking point on something of interest to their Agenda. Must be explicit in pointing this out to them #DeHavDiscusses

Howson-Smith also advises being tactical - building relationships with SPADs, allowing you to gather intelligence & sense-checking proposals before meeting a Minister or Secretary of State #DeHavDiscusses

Similarly, Howson-Smith says one should be tactical with what is brought to a Minister/SoS's attention. Many issues could be solved by engagement with Civil Servants, whereas Ministers should only be contacted for new policy proposals #DeHavDiscusses

Finally, Howson-Smith advises against contacting Ministers repeatedly for different issues. This makes it more likely you will look "desperate for Facetime" rather than an informed voice on multiple issues #DeHavDiscusses

White reminds attendees that there is a convention that MPs will always get meetings with Ministers if they ask for it. Says this is a way of getting advocates for your cause from Backbench MPs #DeHavDiscusses

However, White also says this is why it is vital you should be well-evidenced & succinct with your engagement, as a poor performance would "burn the bridges" not just with the Minister but also the facilitating MP #DeHavDiscusses

On how critical NGOs can be, Howson-Smith says that high-profile public criticism is useful for driving change (eg free school meals), but also says this Govt is "particularly sensitive" to public criticism so could potentially lead to exclusion from future events #DeHavDiscusses

On Party Conferences, Howson-Smith says this is often a busy time for Ministers, however it can be useful for organisations to engage with individual MPs to float ideas with them that they can take back to Parliament in the Autumn #DeHavDiscusses

This year in particular, Howson-Smith says that Cost of Living Crisis would create useful opportunities for engagement with Tory MPs, and looming election a useful opportunity for Opposition Parties #DeHavDiscusses

Howson-Smith also says that Conferences are also useful for quick engagement with Ministers and Senior MPs, and can allow for "political chats", not being hindered by Civil Servants #DeHavDiscusses

When asked specifically on manifesto process for Labour, White says that there are already roundtable events around policy development, but this is still very much in its early stages #DeHavDiscusses

On reshuffles, White believes that we will probably see one before the next election, but this is why it is also important to maintain relationships with Ministerial Teams within political parties #DeHavDiscusses

On minor parties (Lib Dems & SNP), White says Lib Dems will probably be targeting seats where Labour not likely to win in their goal to double their number of seats, so "should not be overlooked" as part of the engagement process #DeHavDiscusses

On how to engage with Civil Service, Howson-Smith says that it is best to begin at the Deputy Director level, as they have over-arching topics in their remit who can point you to the most appropriate person within their Departments #DeHavDiscusses

Howson-Smith also says that Deputy Directors will also be more likely to have an overview on how policies are developing both within and between their departments #DeHavDiscusses

Howson-Smith also advises asking to be put in touch with relevant Civil Servants if you are engaging with Ministers - this not only shows you're serious about engagement & would allow continuity of relationship when Govt team changes #DeHavDiscusses

When asked how to identify Bill Teams, White says that MP engagement is a good way of getting in touch with Bill Teams but says it is also surprising how simply calling the Dept & asking to speak to the BT will often work #DeHavDiscusses

Final Q is on whether there would be a Snap Election if Johnson resigns. Howson-Smith says 2017 election shows problem of calling an election without having successes to point to, so a new leader would be wary, esp around Cost of Living crisis #DeHavDiscusses

White says polling shows that any election would deliver less than an 80-seat majority for the Conservatives, and Boundary Reform not happening yet means Tory Leadership would be "loathe" to call an election any time soon #DeHavDiscusses

Really interesting presentation & handy tips on how best to engage with Govt at all stages of policy process. Thanks to @cgwOMT & @lilahhowson for your insights, to @arran_russell for chairing & @DeHavilland for hosting! #DeHavDiscusses

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