It used to be suggested that nothing happened in politics during the summer. With the rise of Parliament for the Summer Recess, some people still think that they have time to clear-up outstanding jobs. Wrong! The summer is now the time where it can be easy to miss important policy announcements.
Whilst Westminster may be quieter from the end of July until September as MPs spend time in their constituencies and along with Peers take the opportunity for a holiday, politics keeps going. While Brussels may choose to largely shut down during August, Westminster still bubbles away.
Even before the end of the Parliamentary session, a whole host of written answers are released. These often provide policy background, make announcements, launch consultations and/or provide indications of what Government intends to do. It can though be easy to miss important information if you get put off by the sheer weight of material that can be released.
Consultations take place over the summer months. That may not suit everyone’s timing, availability or sign-off processes but Government business does not shut down over the summer. Some deadlines are set for during August or others for shortly afterwards. The Government’s consultation principles say only that:
“Timeframes for consultation should be proportionate and realistic to allow stakeholders sufficient time to provide a considered response and where the consultation spans all or part of a holiday period policy makers should consider what if any impact there may be and take appropriate mitigating action.â€
So as long as the timing is considered, the consultation can take place. There is no excuse for not contributing just because it is the summer.
The more cynical amongst us may suggest that Government tries to bury issues in the summer, either with a late announcement or a swift consultation. Even if that is the case, it does not mean non-participation is an appropriate response. Government can still turn around and ask ‘did you take part in the consultation’? A positive response is always much stronger than the negative. Just because you ‘missed’ an announcement is not the fault of Government.
Politicians seek to maintain their profile and that their party all year around, especially with the General Election looming. Particularly this year, Labour is expected to maintain the pressure on the Coalition with leading Shadow Ministers making a series of speeches. After last year’s ‘Summer of Silence’ from Labour, much more is expected from the Shadow Team and the leader with policy announcements used to build momentum in the run-up to party’s Annual Conference where a lot of policy and direction is expected to be detailed and agreed.
There continues to be pressure on the media to provide content and coverage even if there is less news around. So whilst there will always be stories to raise the eyebrows, the media also need to search that little bit harder for a good story. It may be that they dust off stories that they didn’t previously have the space for or the time to look at in sufficient depth. These can all impact of a public affairs campaign and critically reputation as well. Reputations can’t take a holiday! Also, social media now continues to bring with it a rich vein of stories and content which could be utilised during the summer.
Teams can often be at their least resilient during the summer with holidays looming large. This makes team management a particular issue during the summer – knowing who is where, when and if they are contactable, if needed. This may depend on the strength in-depth but preparedness is crucial. Can you cope with the unexpected media interest or political speech impacting on your issues?
The summer is no longer the time when politics takes a break so public affairs cannot take a break either.