“You’re the only lobbyist I trust”
Member of House of Lords
“We’re bloody glad you’re on our side”
Hedge fund owner
"Your client must be proud of you"
The Economist
Abzed delivers
Abzed is unique. We take on complex, critical issues. And win. Dozens of newspaper stories record how we have stopped the destruction of industries, reputations and the environment. We also work behind the scenes to shift perceptions in Parliament and stop bad legislation - including two measures in the 2023 session.
Our success comes from being ingenious and relentless in the pursuit of just outcomes. In an era in which emotion dominates, we bring politicians and journalists the facts missing from the debate.
At Abzed we hold the powerful to account – cabinet ministers, big companies and campaigning charities. We cannot expect moral behaviour from them without demanding the same from ourselves. To be effective, we also have to be trusted. That is we why commit ourselves to these values:
Our Values
Truth: we never knowingly say something we believe to be untrue
Humility: we expect that our current understanding is in some way wrong
Curiosity: we will keep asking questions
Uncertainty: we regard most issues as too complex for certainty about the solution
Courage: we are never intimidated by powerful people who lack good arguments
Respect: our starting view is that our opponents have good intentions
Benefit: we will only work for outcomes which aid the common good.
So no gambling clients.
These values tie in with our purpose which is to improve the quality of policymaking.
Our role is to seek fairness in how our clients are treated by the media and governments. This is needed because our society has slipped into the lazy comforts of ideological posturing. Decisions are made under the influence of slogans not science. That is why Abzed puts so much effort into understanding the academic evidence and encouraging further research. Abzed also opposes the trivialisation of politics. There are serious consequences when policy goes wrong: for people and our environment.
Yet too much of the conversation is dominated by empty demands for “more” to be done, without spelling out the “how”. Real solutions need to be precise. They invariably involve unpalatable trade-offs. The failure of our politics is not just seen in bad policies. The bigger problem is that when leaders lack the courage to do right, public confidence in our governing institutions slides. And that confidence is the glue of our society.
About Abzed
Much of our work is contentious. Our clients do not seek the controversy. It comes to them. We then help them fend off unwarranted criticism and make their case.
Defending our clients can be as adversarial as any courtroom. Vested interests receiving billions of subsidies do not let go lightly. Nor do Government departments. Abzed holds them to account before Parliament and the media. We refocus the debate on science. No free hits against our clients We are gifted at spotting our opponent’s mistakes and putting them on the defensive. In our counter-campaigning we do not just out-logic them. We also out-emote them - pointing out the harm their proposals would bring.
Abzed’s agility means that they have no free hits against our clients. Where the other side obfuscates, we clarify. Where they have no evidence, we expose this ignorance. No other UK lobbying firm comes close in the range and effectiveness of its tactics.
Our team gets thoughtless policies reversed because we are smart and work hard. We also bring decades of experience in high level politics - ranging from working for Margaret Thatcher to BBC News.
We turn the tide by getting newspapers to switch positions. And we are just as good at keeping things out of the media as getting them in. We even get top media outlets to apologise when they make mistakes.
Clients value our calm insight. But they prize our impact.
