Blakeney has welcomed Oatly's former managing director Tim Knight andpro-Brexit MEP Lucy Harris in an effort to bolster their work, the public affairs and strategic consultancy announced on Thursday. The new appointments offer a wealth of distinctly different experience. Knight’s expertise isrooted in “commercial discipline paired with political fluency”, whereas Harris brings abackground in political campaigns and consultancy and “understands power from the insideand narrative from the outside.” Prior to his four years leading public affairs and communications at Oatly, Knight spent tenyears at PLMR, rising through the ranks from Account Executive to Managing Director. In2019, he completed a Leading Professional Services Firms course at Harvard BusinessSchool. Knight joins Blakeney as a Managing Director. “I’ve been hugely impressed by the calibre and energy of the team, and by their genuinelyintegrated approach, which is well suited to the challenges organisations face today,” Knightnoted in Blakeney’s Thursday press release. Harris, alternatively, held roles in digital and corporate communications, video production,and political consultancy before officially beginning her role as an associate adviser at thefirm in January 2026. The stark difference in her and Knight's experience showcase the firm's commitment to being a jack of all trades. Ahead of the UK’s departure from the EU, Harris was one of three MEPs elected for theconstituencies of Yorkshire and Humber, representing the Brexit Party. She later resigned andserved as an independent MEP, in alignment with the Conservative Party throughout the 2019December General Election. Harris also founded the pro-Brexit grassroots organisation, ‘Leavers of Britain.’ The limitedcompany was dissolved in September 2021. She also has words featured in Spiked, anonline British political magazine. As one of the firm’s recent additions, Harris says that “she’ll provide strategic guidance onpolitical framing, help assess the regulatory and policy direction of Reform UK, andcontribute to Blakeney’s campaigning function.’ She further adds that she will be advisingclients on “the impact of ‘populism.’” “I’m really looking forward to working with Lucy and Tim. They add yet more depth andbreath to our team following a strong 2025,” wrote Blakeney CEO and Founder, Gabe Winn. Following a “strong year for the firm” in 2025 – in which Blakeney gained ten new clientsand saw a 347 per cent increase in profitability and a 36 per cent rise in revenue – theconsultancy is set to see ongoing growth this year, recently welcoming Strider Technologiesand Forest e-bikes to their client roster. The firm’s promising 2026 trajectory will be spearheaded by the complementary expertisebrought by Knight and Harris, along with key 2025 hires, including StrategicCommunications Consultant Youki Crump and Senior Account Director Caitlin Down. Their diverse hiring track record has situated the consultancy well as the country prepares for apost-Starmer future, with polls indicating the high likelihood of Reform UK rising to power. Now in their tenth year of operations, Blakeney has consistently improved its reputation amongclientele and within industry rankings. The firm positions themselves as a consultancy ratherthan a traditional agency, which has successfully given them leverage over competitors. Amid a shifting political climate, Winn says that the firm’s most recent quarter has reflected a“growing demand for a different kind of public affairs and communications advice.”...