Monthly Archives: July 2021

We are recruiting!

Why GK

Politics matters. Our team helps the democratic process and the development of good policy by helping innovators and high growth businesses provide much needed feedback to government. Good policy and regulation create a better landscape for business, government and society overall.

Moreover, every leader and business is operating in a political, policy and regulatory context – understanding and shaping this world builds and secures investor value, and mitigates reputational and commercial risk.

We encourage employees to bring the best of themselves to work at GK Strategy, to recognise and celebrate differences and to be respectful and curious. We hire the best people with a passion for politics and an appetite for fun.

At GK we are committed to a culture of equality, diversity, and inclusion. We want to be a great place to work and want everyone to be seen, heard, valued, and empowered to succeed. We work together to build a more equal workplace and world for all, and we are proud to attract great people to share in our success.

If you are interested in joining our team, we’d love to hear from you.

Account Manager/Senior Account Manager

Date Added: 02 August 2021

Closing Date: 27 August 2021

Job Title: Account Manager/Senior Account Manager

Location: Westminster, London

We are recruiting an Account Manager or Senior Account Manager to join our award-winning strategic communications team. We are seeking someone with excellent research, writing, analytical and account management skills, capable of rapidly getting to grips with the key short to long term dynamics in a sector and in relation to a client’s products, services and strategic objectives. Candidates should be adept at building and delivering long-term relationships and external communications plans.

We are looking for someone with a strong track record in public affairs, government relations and media relations, ideally with a background in politics and consultancy.

Job purpose

Managing the delivery of public affairs and strategic communications programmes for clients across a range of sectors including health, education, financial services, and the built environment

Key skills / competencies

Excellent verbal communication skills
Excellent organisation and time management
Ability to build good political, media and commercial relationships and networks
Ability work autonomously and independently
Experience managing diverse team of consultants and multiple client accounts
Track record in driving new business
Skilled in senior account management and interface with senior in-house teams
Application of creativity and the use of initiative/problem solving

Main duties and responsibilities

Being a GK ambassador embodying the GK Values of Excellence, Initiative and Respect
Responsibility for creation and delivery of public affairs and communications strategies
Cultivation and maintenance of positive client relationships
Leading feedback meetings alongside senior colleagues on project delivery
Brought in to contribute to external new business pitches with potential clients
Managing client delivery teams and providing training support to the team
Providing support to client teams in developing a rigorous evidence base for change for communications clients
Providing a senior role in the delivery of GK research projects for corporate clients, including project management
Building relationships with relevant political, regulatory and media stakeholders
Building relationships with overseas affiliates
Line management of junior colleagues

Application details

Please send your CV and cover email to: scott@gkstrategy.com

Interviews will be arranged on application. Please note that we reserve the right to appoint an exceptional candidate before the closing date. You will only be contacted if you are selected to come in for an interview.

The Health and Care Bill – Understanding and influencing reform

Sajid Javid: Five priorities of the new Health Secretary

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After a dramatic week in politics that nobody would have predicted, Matt Hancock, who had served as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care for almost three years was ousted from the department at the weekend. Replaced by Sajid Javid who was parachuted back into Boris Johnson’s cabinet on Saturday 26 June. However, with the world of healthcare policy moving at pace, Javid will have little time to get his feet under the table and set his priorities. In many ways, these priorities will be determined for him not by him, due to the circumstances of the healthcare landscape that he inherits. Below, we’ve outlined five key priorities that Javid will have no choice but to grasp in the weeks and months that come, and in some cases, in the next few days.

The pandemic and success of the vaccination programme

While issues and decisions swirl at the upper echelons healthcare policy, one undisputed political success for this government is the COVID-19 vaccination programme. An astonishing number of people have been vaccinated in the UK, with one jab or two, and this has cut hospitalisations and deaths to far more manageable levels than during any other time in the pandemic. That said, the battle is not over. Booster jabs in the Autumn and management of the pandemic through the Winter and Spring will be paramount to keeping this government stable. Any derailing of this programme could have serious consequences for this government. And Javid is the new face of COVID-19 vaccinations, whether he likes it or not.

The Health and Social Care Bill

The Bill – first expected to be published this week, but now delayed (for how long is still unknown) – ushers in a major reshuffle of the planning and management of health and care in this country. This is no small task during a major pandemic and personnel changes at the top (in NHS England as well as in government) only serves to raise more questions about the process we all thought would be relatively straightforward. Any delay to the publication of the Bill may mean implementation will be tricky. ICSs are due to become statutory by April 2022, but will that be feasible if the legislation is continually delayed? If we look to April 2023, what impact could that have on an upcoming general election?

Javid will need time to get to grips with the Bill, and without any political or operational sponsors (with Hancock and Simon Stevens out of the equation, and reported concerns in No 10), there is now the possibility that the Bill changes in any number of ways.

The NHS backlog

One of the major – and very real – issues facing the health system is the huge backlog of diagnoses and treatments that continues to expand at an alarming rate, most acutely as a result of the pandemic. Some reports suggest waiting lists are increasing by 50,000 a week and it will not be long before this becomes a major political and public issue. The Bill, the pandemic, and the wider reforms and funding landscape will all have a dramatic impact on meeting this challenge and Javid will want to act fast to prevent it becoming uncontrollable.

Simon Stevens’ departure and appointing a new Chief Executive of NHS England

Change at the top – during some of the biggest health challenges facing our country in decades – always brings uncertainty and instability. That a Secretary of State can depart during the same period that a Chief Executive of NHS England departs will be an acute challenge. Some of the names touted for the top job – the likes of Dido Harding – could bring significant scrutiny to Javid and No 10. Undoubtedly. Javid and Boris Johnson will look to appoint someone operational, someone politically uncontroversial – indeed, mostly unknown – and someone who can be close to the centre as it looks to consolidate power. This appointment is no small decision and has the potential to affect all the other priorities on Javid’s list, so getting it right will be crucial for him.

Social care

Social care has been the perennial problem for governments for many years now. Nobody wants to tackle it because there is little political benefit in doing so. It’s complicated, expensive and the incentives are unfavourable. Sajid Javid may bring his knowledge of the Treasury and friendship with Rishi Sunak to this problem to find a real solution that delivers for the country. More likely, however, is a stopgap solution that kicks the can further down the road – such as a cap. It will not solve the problem, will not improve services, but could deliver (in a roundabout way) the Government’s commitment to act. Javid will have to act quickly if he is going to act at all, as the Spending Review will come around quickly, and the negotiations (with potential trade-offs) will be long.

These are just a handful of issues that the government faces. There are many more – from public health reform to workforce challenges – the in-tray in Javid’s office will be overflowing. If you would be interested in hearing more on any of these issues, or indeed believe other priorities should make their way onto this list, do get in touch with ian@gkstrategy.com and we can setup a call to discuss further.