Unspun: Private Equity and Public Affairs
Private equity investing in public affairs firms only makes sense if both sides know what they want
Category Archives: Magazine
The Mace Questionnaire: Bob Blackman MP: “It is time to rebuild our party”
The ‘pragmatic’ new chair of the 1922 Committee could shape the direction of the Conservative Party
The Pope vs Trump: Is the Vatican becoming a new super-power ?
With a new American pope, William Cash investigates the global power dynamics behind the throne of St Peter.
Sarah Vine: Scenes from a Brexit Marriage
In her bestselling book, Sarah Vine reinvented the political wife memoir. Soon out in paperback, Melanie McDonagh sat down with the ex-wife of Michael Gove to discuss the dramatis personae of a Westminster era.
Special Relationships: Westminster power couples of 2026
Which special relationships are really running the country? Emily Hill surveys the top political romances in Westminster.
The Mace Questionnaire: Andrew Griffith MP, Shadow Secretary for Business and Trade
After running Sky, Andrew Griffiths become a high flying MP who rose through the Johnson and Sunak governments. In his Mace profile, the Shadow Secretary for Business and Trade reveals his love of dark skies and walking his dogs in Sussex.
Toby Young’s House of Lords Diary
With invitations coming in to speak at the 2026 autumn party conference season, freedom of speech campaigner Toby Young reflects on his political status ‘upgrade’ from hack to in-demand peer on the fringe circuit.
Digital Confidential: Politics and technology column by Damian Collins
As AI turbocharges social media, tech giants must be held accountable says the former chair of the DCMS select committee who now leads law firm Geradin Partners’ public policy department in London.
The Westminster art of selection: How to become an MP
With Reform receiving 600 new candidate applications in 48 hours, it’s clear some people still want to become an MP. Our Westminster insider reveals how to get selected – for all parties.
The Mace Questionnaire: Preet Gill MP
Westminster Index 2026: Edgbaston Labour MP Preet Gill reveals she’s no fan of the Assisted Dying Bill but loves Jack Kerouac’s On the Road. Her musical tastes range from Indian to jazz to hip hop.
Scott Colvin on a life in public affairs
Scott Colvin, Group Director of Public Affairs at Aviva, on why business is taking public affairs seriously and why he turned down a top job at No 10
The end of an era: The decline and fall of the Tory Party
Former MP Mark Field – author of tell-all memoir The End
of an Era – reflects on where it all went wrong for his party
Scathing criticism
From self-lacerating memoir to by-election madness and a Labour Together takedown, The Mace’s literary editor Christopher Silvester rounds up the latest political books.
Telling a human tale
From self-lacerating memoir to by-election madness and a Labour Together takedown,
The Mace’s literary editor Christopher Silvester rounds up the latest political books.
Frankly: Nicola Sturgeon
From self-lacerating memoir to by-election madness and a Labour Together takedown, The Mace’s literary editor Christopher Silvester rounds up the latest political books
Zack to the future
What will the Greens’ new eco-populist leader Zack Polanski – who now heads Britain’s third-largest political party – do for his next trick?
From the Floor: Beverley Nielsen’s Labour Conference Diary
Optimism, strategy and late-night gossip: Beverley Nielsen shares her experience of Labour’s four-day conference in Liverpool.
The Dark Arts
‘There’s no crystal ball – it’s best to be honest’: the lobbyists rethinking how to campaign amid Trump’s chaos.
Birmingham Dance Card
With the party’s two-day conference starting in a week, Reform Board member Gawain Towler asks: is British business ready for Reform and will they show up to the party?
Will the EU agree to extend its favourable trade terms for Ukraine?
The EU must decide by 5 June whether to extend tariff-free trade with Ukraine. MEPs warn reintroducing duties could undermine support for Kyiv. Internal opposition, especially from farmers, complicates the issue. Brussels is also under fire for using trade policy to impose its regulations on global partners.
All the Ambassador’s Men
Trump’s Catholic allies are exerting growing influence in Rome as a new conclave approaches. Backed by wealthy donors and political operatives, they are campaigning for a more traditional pope. Central figures include Brian Burch and Steve Cortes, who see Trump’s return as key to reshaping US–Vatican relations and global Catholic leadership.
“Everythingism”: the policy disease paralysing Britain
Britain’s policymakers are trying to make every policy achieve every goal — and ending up achieving none. From spiders halting housing to carbon targets blocking diplomacy, “everythingism” is paralysing decision-making.
Embracing Flexible Solutions to Ease the Energy Crisis
The energy disruption can be eased if the EU opts for a common-sense approach
The EU Should Avoid Following the US Approach on Forced Labour
Forced labour and child labour not only is a moral outrage but also an illegitimate economic activity that undercuts products produced fairly in Europe.
Unspun: How and why to write a speech
Many of us have no time for long-form oration, but there are good reasons why political speeches are still important
EU Enlargement: Montenegro’s accession is a milestone for the future of Europe
After a decade of negotiations, citizens must now secure Montenegro’s path to EU membership
Sports is a Mental Recovery Mechanism for Ukrainian Children Fleeing War
Exercise has long been understood by psychologists as one of the most powerful tools for mental health improvement.
Relations with Post-War Russia; a Mirror for Europe?
Foreign policy planning has never been the strong asset of the European Union
Long Table: Lord Hannay
The veteran peer on why reforming long-established institutions can be a daunting and thankless task
Pepys: How to make a mayor
The government should think carefully before introducing more regional mayors
Erskine: Systems failure
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine proves that the West has been asleep at the switch while he set out his plans in plain sight. How did our systems fail us?
Dolitics: protecting our armed forces
There is new and widespread evidence of sexual offences committed against both men and women within the armed forces
The Austrian World Summit
How Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Climate Initiative is opening the doors of environmental conferences to normal people
Podcast dos and don’ts
Politicians are grabbing the microphone by the bucket load in order to “pod”. But it’s not always a wise move
Creating a digital forum for voters in Germany
How CamBuildr works to give campaigners new tools for engaging with voters
Why neutrality is no longer an option for island states
Vulnerable nations face uncertain futures and complex allegiances in the face of a changing world order
Seven shades of Brown
It might have been written in good faith, but in his new book who is the former PM talking to?
Eastern promise: visiting Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan and its capital Baku have become must-visit tourist destinations
With or without EU
Did post-imperial syndrome cause Britain to join and then leave the EU?
The Spike: Natasha Sindeyeva
The remarkable story of the exuberant socialite who founded Russia’s only independent television channel
Keeping Big Tech in check online
This is our chance to end the internet wild west and have safety standards based on our laws
The corruption of Britain
The five ways in which the UK has become a more dishonest country
Why green deals create green bubbles
Europe’s approach to the climate crisis has some fatal – and proven – flaws
The Diary: Andrew Griffith MP
The director of Number 10’s Policy Unit tells us about his return to Downing Street
United we stand
Russia’s war against Ukraine has provoked a strategic reawakening throughout Europe
The next elections of 2022
Important elections are happening around the globe and whilst ideological politics may be dying, polarisation is not
Nostalgia and pragmatism
We have to balance a nostalgic desire to hold on to the past with the realities of the future
Ukraine and Eurovision: an interwoven history
How Ukraine’s post-Soviet history has played out on the set of the Eurovision Song Contest
Decorating the metaverse
The world of NFT art isn’t just about individual artists selling work to crypto nerds. As big brands get involved, there’s money to be made and kudos to gain
Hostages to history
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has forced Germany to reconsider the penance it has paid to its past – and, unwittingly, to Putin
The shape of things to come
Naweed Khan hears from Future Shape’s tech guru Tony Fadell how skills honed in Silicon Valley can solve the climate crisis
A nation divided
Complex circumstances mean the 2022 local elections are unlikely to deliver the definitive coup de grace some are hoping for
What actually matters to voters?
It’s the economy, stupid!
The communications dilemma of PartyGate
David Cameron’s former Head of Press at No 10 recalls the vital and prescient lessons of 2011’s phone hacking scandal
P&O ‘crisis’ requires a steady hand on the tiller
The restructuring at P&O ferries is an unfortunate but inevitable consequence of a wider storm in the sector
How to preserve European unity
There may be dissent within the EU – but key changes and a new mindset can yet win the day
The Met & The Mayor
The political and cultural crisis surrounding London’s police force has shone a light on an intolerable governance system
The new pandemic of child anxiety
Children need tools to cope with the anxiety pandemic that Covid left in its wake
Who’s ready to regulate social media?
Social media is an obstacle to free speech
A missing piece in education
Chess can develop valuable qualities such as resilience, focus and how to recover from defeat – at low cost
Why start ups are the flavour of the month
The future’s bright for startups – especially if the UK and EU can work together and rise to global challenges
Pets on parade
There’s nothing quite like the description “animal lover” to engender good will towards politicians
The Helm Review: Flop26
Mace hears from economist and climate expert Professor Dieter Helm on his assessment of Cop26
Long Table: Sue Hayman
The former Labour MP for Workington on her new life in the Lords
Meet the contrarians
As an increasing number of people are being silenced for challenging the status quo, the Contrarian Prize recognises individuals who dare to be different
Envisioning the end time
A new collection by Bruno Maçães foresees China’s dominance over the West
Dolitics: breaking the prison cycle
Criminal – or victim of poverty? It’s never a simple story
Erskine
The Scottish draft Bill on gender recognition throws up uncertainties and would weaken women’s sex-based rights in the UK. Political dialogue is urgently needed
As the pandemic slows, Britain will continue to succeed
Boris Johnson may be in trouble, but the Britain he leads is not, argues Azeem Ibrahim
Magic mountain
Why reports of the death of Davos Man are exaggerated
The Diary: Chris Bryant
MPs apparently rank somewhere between pigeons and rats. Recent polling suggests that things are getting worse
Is the art marketplace misunderstood?
Propaganda against the market continues to grow, and with it increasing pressure to restrict its activities
Getting meta all the time
An extended reality world where people are more cut off from human interaction is a real cause for concern
A strategy for nations’ best interests
True strategic autonomy will do much to strengthen the global economy for the EU and its allies
Sustainable technologies in agriculture will be key to EU Africa partnership
Agricultural inputs and technology can and should be a core part of delivering sustainable development in African agriculture
Is GovTech the new FinTech?
Daniel Korski, CEO and co-founder of PUBLIC, is closing the gap between technology and government
An MEP on… Why Europe must find itself
Democracy is under attack in Europe
Pepys: sorry not sorry
Saying the word itself is easy – unless you’re Elton John. But a well pitched apology is an art that eludes most politicians
The Spike: Andrew Marr
After 21 years at the BBC, Andrew Marr is breaking free – and the corporation will undoubtedly hope he’s not kickstarting a trend
In defence of lobbying
There’s more to engaging with government than short-term lobbying for single issues
Consider Nigeria
To fight the immigration crisis, the EU must take a firm stance on human rights in Nigeria
Scholz, Putin & Boris – what does it all mean?
The United Kingdom will soon feel a chillier wind blowing from the new Scholz-led government in Berlin
Is the Eurocracy ‘Woke’?
Many thought the EU was too technocratic to embrace the wave of wokeness washing over the West. They may have been proved wrong
Special report: Crypto’s golden promise
The crypto world can feel murky and mysterious. But what used to be an underground movement is now manifestly mainstream
Losing precedence
The ECJ is losing out in Poland and beyond. Is the primacy of EU law ebbing away?
Ian Dale’s Top 100 in Politics
The veteran broadcaster, political commentator and prolific list-maker counts down the movers and shakers in his annual Political 100
Bottling up the emotions
Richard Coles’s moving account of his partner’s death would benefit by exploring the havoc alcohol can wreak on families
An appetite for diplomacy
With the right ingredients, gastrodiplomacy in Brussels is proving to be the ideal conversation starter for ministers within and beyond the EU
Power dressing
Nicola Martorana is the discreet Sicilian tailor whose bespoke attire is worn by everyone from Michel Barnier and Pope Francis to the lobbyists and lawyers of Brussels
Zuckerberg’s about-faces
Damian Collins enjoys an expert examination of Facebook’s murky relationship with free speech
The Courtier: On jubilees
The best gift to the Queen is one given in her name for the benefit of the local community
The Corridor
Our Westminster spy on the freeloading footie fan, Labour’s hard-left harrumphing and Johnson’s swinger consigliere
Digital Confidential: Why toxic big tech must be held to account
Now we know that the likes of Facebook and Instagram know their harmful content damages its young users, these tech giants should have nowhere to hide
The Spike: Jess Brammar’s deleted tweets
The BBC’s new head of news has found herself at the centre of a rupture over the impartiality of Britain’s public broadcasting
Diary: Government as Performance Art
Anand Menon is back in Portcullis House – but ‘politics as normal’ is distinctly absent
Housing First can end rough sleeping once and for all
Homelessness remains a stain on society. One policy can end it, argues Brooks Newmark.
Let’s link climate, girls’ education and nature as we build back better
How can Britain be a global leader whilst cutting billions in overseas aid, asks Harriett Baldwin MP
Protected: The Oldie Regime
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The death throes of the Trump presidency
The last days of Trump have seen the US descend into chaos amid riots and the invasion of the Capitol building in Washington, but it’s not the last of the Donald, says Brooks Newmark
Lies, damned lies and a break-in
Marie Le Conte‘s take on the Capitol Riots