Public First

Public First

Background

Public First is a Westminster-based research and PR firm founded in 2016 by political strategists and former Conservative advisers, Rachel Wolf and James Frayne.1Freddie Whitaker. “New policy role for former government education adviser Jonathan Simons,” Schools Week, November 28, 2018. Archived November 6, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/GlOVa

Public First helps its clients “understand and influence public opinion through research and targeted communications campaigns,” crafting “policy ideas that Governments can realistically apply to difficult issues,” according to its website.2Homepage,” Public First. Archived October 27, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/Uqd91

According to its entries in the UK’s lobbying register, its clients have included shale gas exploration company Cuadrilla Resources as well as the trade body, the Internet Association, which represents big tech firms including Uber, Google and Amazon.3Benjamin Kentish. “General election: Boris Johnson hires fracking lobbyist to help draft Tory manifesto,” The Independent, October 30, 2019. Archived November 6, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/mJMkS

The firm was until recently based on Tufton Street which is home to a network of free-market thinktanks and lobby groups with links to climate science denial. Several members of staff have previously worked for Tufton Street groups including the TaxPayers’ Alliance and official Vote Leave campaign.4Homepage,” Public First. Archived July 16, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/Im6Nh

Wolf and Frayne have both worked with Cabinet Office Minister, Michael Gove, and government Chief Adviser, Dominic Cummings while Wolf is a previous adviser to Boris Johnson.5Jess Staufenberg. “Rachel Wolf,” Schools Week, July 23, 2019. Archived November 5, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/Sbdme 6Freddie Whitaker. “New policy role for former government education adviser Jonathan Simons,” Schools Week, November 28, 2018. Archived November 6, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/GlOVa 7Katherine Sellgren. “Gove summoned before MPs over advisers’ ‘bullying’ case,” BBC News, February 27, 2020. Archived November 6, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/jO3CE

During the COVID-19 crisis, the firm received over £1 million in contracts from the government without going through a legally required tender process. While this was justified as part of the government’s emergency COVID-19 response, it later emerged that parts of the work related to Brexit.8Russell Scott, Peter Geohegan and Jenna Corderoy. “Cummings and Gove allies won fresh COVID for A-level crisis work,” OpenDemocracy, October 1, 2020. Archived November 6, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/pTJMw 9Peter Geohegan and David Conn. “Revealed: Key Cummings and Gove ally given COVID-19 contract without open tender,” OpenDemocracy, July 10, 2020. Archived October 28. 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/P4KH6

Stance on Climate Change

Public First has worked on behalf of shale gas exploration company Cuadrilla Resources and at least two current and former members of staff have worked on behalf of the shale gas developers.10Benjamin Kentish. “General election: Boris Johnson hires fracking lobbyist to help draft Tory manifesto,” The Independent, October 30, 2019. Archived November 6, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/mJMkS

Former Labour MP, INEOS consultant and Commissioner for Shale Gas, Natascha Engel, is a Public First Partner, while former head of Westbourne Communications’ Energy Unit, Jennifer Powers, recently worked for the firm as an Associate.11Our people,” Public First. Archived July 11, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/77QIz 12Marr Cartmell. “Westbourne Communications appoints Duncan Sedgwick to lead energy practice,” PR Week, November 12, 2012. Archived November 6, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/mHuYI 13Jennifer Powers,” LinkedIn. Archived October 28, 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

Although she has been criticised for Public First’s links with the fracking industry, co-founder Rachel Wolf, has said she is supportive of the UK’s net zero target and provides the Secretariat to the “Zero Carbon Commission.”14Benjamin Kentish. “General election: Boris Johnson hires fracking lobbyist to help draft Tory manifesto,” The Independent, October 30, 2019. Archived November 6, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/mJMkS 15Rachel Wolf, “Net Zero risks upending our lives and livelihoods. Here’s why carbon pricing gives it a better chance of working,” Conservative Home, October 2, 2020. Archived November 6, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/wg7gV 16The Team,” Zero Carbon Campaign. Archived November 13, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/hOkUQ

The Commission is part of the “Zero Carbon Campaign” which advocates a policy of carbon pricing to meet the UK’s climate targets, and which was founded by Stephen Fitzpatrick, founder and CEO of independent electricity provider, Ovo.17About Us,” Zero Carbon Campaign. Archived November 6, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/hOkUQ 18The Team,” Zero Carbon Campaign. Archived November 13, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/hOkUQ

Funding

Public First clients have included:19Benjamin Kentish. “General election: Boris Johnson hires fracking lobbyist to help draft Tory manifesto,” The Independent, October 30, 2019. Archived November 6, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/mJMkS 20Former Vote Leave campaigner and education specialist to join Public First,” PR Week, November 7, 2019. Archived October 28, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/yUQD4

  • Cuadrilla Resources
  • The Internet Association
  • Oxford University
  • The University of Nottingham
  • Universities UK
  • Pearson Publishing

Annual Reports

Public First reported net assets of £656,623 up from £226,874 in 2018, according to Companies House. 21Public First Limited – Company No: 10149826 – Filing History,” Companies House. Archived November 5, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/jL3le

Key People

Rachel Wolf is the Founding Partner of Public First. She began her career in politics in 2006 working for then Shadow Higher Education Minister, Boris Johnson before working for then Shadow Education Secretary Michael Gove alongside then civil servant Dominic Cummings.22Rachel Wolf,” Public First. Archived October 28, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/lpS8j 23Jess Staufenberg. “Rachel Wolf,” Schools Week, July 23, 2019. Archived November 5, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/Sbdme

Wolf went on to establish the New Schools Network, (NSN) in 2010, a registered charity which was assisted by Cummings, and which attracted controversy after it received £500,000 funding from Gove’s Department of Education without the competitive tender process usually required by law.24Jess Staufenberg. “Rachel Wolf,” Schools Week, July 23, 2019. Archived November 5, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/Sbdme 25Tom Clark. “New Schools Network lacks transparency,” The Guardian, July 6, 2010. Archived November 6, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/3Jz2p 26Maeve McClenaghan. “Gove aide given parliamentary pass while at New Schools Network,” The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, November 18, 2011. Archived November 6, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/UVjBM

In 2016, Wolf and Frayne established, “Parents and Teachers for Excellence,” (PTE) an educational reform group for which Vote Leave’s Jon Moynihan was a Board Member and which was accused of “astroturfing”, a strategy where professional lobbyists pose as a grassroots body in order to gain support. 27John Dickens. “Vote Leave campaigner and Tory donor behind Parents and Teachers for Excellence campaign,” Schools Week, September 22, 2016. Archived November 5, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/O9WEG

In 2019, Wolf was appointed by Boris Johnson to co-write the Conservative Party’s 2019 manifesto alongside head of Downing Street’s Policy Unit and former Spiked contributor, Munira Mirza. Wolf has described Public First as a “campaigning thinktank.”28Rachel Wolf. “I co-wrote this Conservative manifesto. And so can say that its focus was on neither the rich nor the poor,” Conservative Home, December 16, 2019. Archived October 28, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/4laMv 29Munira Mirza,” Spiked. Archived October 28, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/OFt80 30Matt Honeycombe-Foster. “POLITICO London Influence: Meet Public First – Lobbying Labour – BoJo bro’s new job,” Politico, October 22, 2020. Archived November 5, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/QUL8C

James Frayne is the husband of Rachel Wolf and the other Founding Partner of Public First.31James Frayne,” Public First. Archived October 28, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/aWJvk

Frayne has held roles at PR companies Westbourne Communications and Portland Communications, and as campaign director at the anti-tax group, the TaxPayers’ Alliance.32David Singleton. “Department for Education hires James Frayne as comms chief,” PR Week, February 24, 2011. Archived July 11, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/t1JW8 33James Frayne,” Harriman House. Archived July 11, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/daUvj

In 2011, he was appointed Director of Communications at the Department for Education by then Education Secretary Michael Gove where he worked alongside Gove’s then Special Adviser, Dominic Cummings.34Patrick Wintour. “Michael Gove opts for a better Frayne of mind in retelling message,” The Guardian, February 25, 2020. Archived November 13, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/eEMnZ 35Katherine Sellgren. “Gove summoned before MPs over advisers’ ‘bullying’ case,” BBC News, February 27, 2020. Archived November 6, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/jO3CE

In 2004, Frayne and Cummings worked on the successful campaign against the creation of a devolved regional assembly in the North East and which Cummings, who was later to become Director of Vote Leave, described as “a training exercise for an EU referendum.” 36Peter Geohegan and David Conn. “Revealed: Key Cummings and Gove ally given COVID-19 contract without open tender,” OpenDemocracy, July 10, 2020. Archived October 28. 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/P4KH6

Frayne and Cummings also worked together on the “Business for Sterling” campaign in 2000.37Peter Geohegan and David Conn. “Revealed: Key Cummings and Gove ally given COVID-19 contract without open tender,” OpenDemocracy, July 10, 2020. Archived October 28. 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/P4KH6

Natascha Engel is a Partner at Public First.38Our people,” Public First. Archived July 11, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/77QIz

Engel was Labour MP for North East Derbyshire from 2005 to 2017 and Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons from 2015 to 2017. Following her election defeat, Engel was employed as a consultant for the fracking and chemicals firm INEOS.39Natascha Engel,” Parliament.UK. Archived July 11, 2019. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. 40Liam Norcliffe. “Decision by former MP to link up with fracking firm criticised,” Derbyshire Times, December 6, 2017. Archived July 11, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/zJMOM

In October 2018, Engel was appointed by the Conservative government to the role of “Commissioner for Shale Gas,” a role from which she resigned six months later, criticising the government’s policy on seismic tremors as too sensitive.41Natascha Engel appointed as Commissioner for Shale Gas,” Gov.UK, October 5, 2018. Archived July 11, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/ktS71 42August Graham. “Fracking tsar launches broadside against government’s de facto ban in resignation letter,” City AM, April 28, 2019. Archived July 11, 2019. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

Engel was revealed to have deleted routine email correspondence with fracking companies during her time as Commissioner, following a Freedom of Information request from Greenpeace’s investigative journalism unit, Unearthed.43Russell Scott, Zach Boren. “UK fracking commissioner admits to deleting correspondence with industry,” Unearthed, April 29, 2019. Archived July 11, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/bYlLK 44Maja Pawinska Sims. “Cicero acquires Westbourne to create £7m public affairs agency,” PRovoke, June 19, 2018. Archived November 6, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/K6bnn

Actions

June 2020

Between March and June 2020, Public First received £840,000 worth of contracts from the Cabinet Office without going through a competitive tendering process.45Peter Geohegan and David Conn. “Revealed: Key Cummings and Gove ally given COVID-19 contract without open tender,” OpenDemocracy, July 10, 2020. Archived October 28. 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/P4KH6

The government justified the absence of such a process through policies put in place for the rapid delivery of an emergency COVID-19 response. However it later emerged that portions of the work contracted to Public First related to Brexit, with entries in the Cabinet Office’s register referring to “EU Exit Comms,” and “EU Exit prog.”46Peter Geohegan and David Conn. “Revealed: Key Cummings and Gove ally given COVID-19 contract without open tender,” OpenDemocracy, July 10, 2020. Archived October 28. 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/P4KH6

Wolf, Frayne and Public First Partner Gabriel Milland had all previously worked for Minister for Michael Gove and with his Government Chief Adviser, Dominic Cummings.47Peter Geohegan and David Conn. “Revealed: Key Cummings and Gove ally given COVID-19 contract without open tender,” OpenDemocracy, July 10, 2020. Archived October 28. 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/P4KH6

October 2019

In October 2019, Wolf was appointed to co-write the Conservative Party’s manifesto for the upcoming General Election in a move which received criticism over conflict of interest due to Wolf and Public First’s work for private clients including Cuadrilla Resources.48Benjamin Kentish. “General election: Boris Johnson hires fracking lobbyist to help draft Tory manifesto,” The Independent, October 30, 2019. Archived November 6, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/mJMkS

Contact & Address

Between July and August 2020, Public First updated its address to the following location in Nottingham.62Homepage,” Public First. Archived August 5, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/L6xX4

143 Tamworth Road

Nottingham

NG10 1BY

It had formerly been based at 11 Tufton Street.63Homepage,” Public First. Archived July 16, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/Im6Nh

Social Media

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Resources

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