# LLM Communications > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/LLM_Communications > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/LLM_Communications.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LLM_Communications > Source revision: 1353995602 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|Political lobbying firm}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox company | name = LLM Communications | former_name = Lawson Lucas Mendelsohn | logo = | type = [Private](/source/Privately_held_company) | industry = [Political lobbying](/source/Political_lobbying) | fate = Acquired by Financial Dynamics (2005);
dissolved (2013) | predecessor = | successor = | founded = {{Start date and age|df=y|1997|02|07}} | founders = [Neal Lawson](/source/Neal_Lawson)
Ben Lucas
[Jonathan Mendelsohn](/source/Jonathan_Mendelsohn_(lobbyist)) | defunct = {{End date|df=y|2013|12|10}} | hq_location_city = | hq_location_country = | area_served = | key_people = | products = | owner = [Robert Stephen Holdings](/source/Pentland_Group) (40%) | num_employees = 20 | num_employees_year = | parent = | website = }} '''LLM Communications''' (until 2000 '''Lawson Lucas Mendelsohn''') was a political [lobbying](/source/lobbying) firm founded after the [May 1997 general election](/source/1997_United_Kingdom_general_election) by [Neal Lawson](/source/Neal_Lawson), Ben Lucas, and [Jonathan Mendelsohn](/source/Jonathan_Mendelsohn_(lobbyist)).{{cite news |last=Brown |first=Colin |author-link=Colin Brown (political journalist) |title=Labour advisers show ethical face of political lobbyists |work=[The Independent](/source/The_Independent) |date=14 August 1997 |access-date=15 September 2025 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/labour-advisers-show-ethical-face-of-political-lobbyists-1245329.html }} LLM was prominently involved in the [Lobbygate](/source/Lobbygate) scandal of 1998. == History == === Establishment === [Neal Lawson](/source/Neal_Lawson), Ben Lucas and [Jonathan Mendelsohn](/source/Jonathan_Mendelsohn_(lobbyist)) were former advisers to [Labour Party](/source/Labour_Party_(UK))'s newly elected Prime Minister [Tony Blair](/source/Tony_Blair){{cite web |last=Palast |first=Greg |author-link=Greg Palast |title=Britain for Sale |website=Greg Palast |date=1 May 2004 |accessdate=15 September 2025 |url=http://www.gregpalast.com/tony-blair-and-the-sale-of-britain/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071202051302/https://www.gregpalast.com/tony-blair-and-the-sale-of-britain/ |archive-date=2 December 2007 |url-status=live}} and ex-employees of the [Lowe Bell](/source/Bell_Pottinger) public relations business of [Margaret Thatcher](/source/Margaret_Thatcher)'s three-time campaign adviser Sir [Tim Bell](/source/Timothy_Bell%2C_Baron_Bell). Lucas had also previously advised [Jack Straw](/source/Jack_Straw) from 1992 to 1996.{{citation |last=Hughes |first=Colin |title=Jack Straw: Jack of all tirades |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) |date=24 July 1999 |access-date=15 September 2025 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/1999/jul/24/labour.jackstraw |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221073528/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/1999/jul/24/labour.jackstraw |archive-date=21 December 2013 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |title=Prentice in bid to oust lobbyist |work=[Lancashire Telegraph](/source/Lancashire_Telegraph) |date=9 July 1998 |access-date=15 September 2025 |url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/6149072.prentice-in-bid-to-oust-lobbyist/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250915062800/https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/6149072.prentice-in-bid-to-oust-lobbyist/ |archive-date=15 September 2025 |url-status=live}} LLM was set up as Ibis (351) Ltd by the [law firm](/source/law_firm) [Titmuss Sainer Dechert](/source/Dechert) in February 1997, before being renamed to Lawson Lucas Mendelsohn and handed over to Mendelsohn in May 1997; Lucas and Lawson joined six weeks later.{{cite web |title=FD Public Affairs Limited (Company number 03314777) |website=[Companies House](/source/Companies_House) |access-date=15 September 2025 |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/03314777/}} The company was launched as a "breakaway agency" from Bell{{cite news |last=Garside |first=Juliette |title=Lobbying review at J Sainsbury |work=[PRWeek](/source/PRWeek) |access-date=15 September 2025 |url=https://www.prweek.co.uk/article/95476/lobbying-review-j-sainsbury}} against the background of Labour's [landslide electoral victory](/source/Landslide_victory) of [May 1997](/source/1997_United_Kingdom_general_election), exploiting peak demand for mediation between the [business sector](/source/business_sector) and the [regulatory](/source/Regulation) ambitions of the new government.{{cite news |last=Siddique |first=Haroon |title='Ethical lobbyist' caught up in donations row |work=The Guardian |date=28 November 2007 |access-date=15 September 2025 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2007/nov/28/labour.uk2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006025056/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2007/nov/28/labour.uk2 |archive-date=6 October 2014 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |last1=Gross |first1=Anna |last2=Uddin |first2=Rafe |last3=Pickard |first3=Jim |author-link3=Jim Pickard |title=Lobbyists pay 'premium' for Labour insiders in rush for access |work=[Financial Times](/source/Financial_Times) |date=10 March 2024 |access-date=15 September 2025 |url=https://www.ft.com/content/1e01e3b9-8c40-4c39-8a49-b4f814513f98 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240311091214/https://www.ft.com/content/1e01e3b9-8c40-4c39-8a49-b4f814513f98 |archive-date=11 March 2024 |url-status=live}} The firm's mission statement "The Passing World and The Emerging World" promised to bring an "ethical" dimension to lobbying, while replacing "ideology" with "pragmatism" and "what you do" with "how you do it".{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/Columnists/Column/0,5673,434619,00.html|title=Social justice – that's so old Labour|first=Francis|last=Wheen|author-link=Francis Wheen|date=7 February 2001|work=The Guardian|accessdate=2007-11-29}}{{cite news |last=Palast |first=Greg |title=Brown's Fixer Explains How It's Done: Jon Mendelsohn and the Secret Tape |website=Greg Palast |date=29 November 2007 |access-date=15 September 2025 |url=https://www.gregpalast.com/browns-fixer-explains-how-its-donejon-mendelsohn-and-the-secret-tape/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201172129/https://www.gregpalast.com/browns-fixer-explains-how-its-donejon-mendelsohn-and-the-secret-tape/ |archive-date=1 December 2007 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |last=Ivens |first=Martin |author-link=Martin Ivens |title=We're fools, not knaves, is a hollow defence, Mr Bean |work=[The Times](/source/The_Times) |date=2 December 2007 |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/were-fools-not-knaves-is-a-hollow-defence-mr-bean-klcrnp9mk9g |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250915025736/https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/were-fools-not-knaves-is-a-hollow-defence-mr-bean-klcrnp9mk9g |archive-date=15 September 2025 |url-status=dead}} Its business model involved "reshaping corporate culture" and [greenwashing](/source/greenwashing) practices as part of a bid for political favours. The founders, self-confessed [Blairites](/source/Blairism), declared the company would not lobby in "politically or morally indefensible" interests, among which they named the [tobacco industry](/source/tobacco_industry) and gun manufacturers seeking the [liberalisation](/source/liberalisation) of the British [firearms regulation](/source/Firearms_regulation_in_the_United_Kingdom). Shortly after its establishment, LLM took on the job of advising [RSPCA](/source/RSPCA)'s Campaign for the Protection of Hunted Animals{{cite news |last=Taylor |first=Ros |title=Whatever happened to the fox-hunting bill? |work=The Guardian |date=14 October 1999 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/oct/14/hunting.ruralaffairs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920011909/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/oct/14/hunting.ruralaffairs |archive-date=20 September 2015 |url-status=live}} in support of Labour MP [Michael Foster](/source/Michael_Foster_(Hastings_and_Rye_MP))'s unsuccessful [bill proposal](/source/Hunting_Act_2004) against [fox hunting](/source/fox_hunting). The firm received £2 million in earnings from its first year of operations. === Lobbygate === In July 1998, the company directors were embroiled in the [Lobbygate](/source/Lobbygate) scandal after [Greg Palast](/source/Greg_Palast), an undercover reporter for ''[The Observer](/source/The_Observer)'' posing as an overseas business client seeking to bypass UK state regulation, recorded them offering [leaks](/source/Data_breach) of government information, seats on government [task forces](/source/Task_force) and privileged ministerial access, with Lawson saying they could reach "anyone". Lucas was subsequently accused of attempting to sell the pre-publication text of [Chancellor](/source/Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer) [Gordon Brown](/source/Gordon_Brown)'s [Mansion House](/source/Mansion_House%2C_London) speech addressing the [financial sector](/source/Financial_services).{{cite news |last=Donnelly |first=Rachel |title=Lobbyist fired, Labour policy adviser defended and two accused of leaks |newspaper=[The Irish Times](/source/The_Irish_Times) |date=7 July 1998 |access-date=15 September 2025 |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/lobbyist-fired-labour-policy-adviser-defended-and-two-accused-of-leaks-1.170604 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250915012836/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/lobbyist-fired-labour-policy-adviser-defended-and-two-accused-of-leaks-1.170604 |archive-date=15 September 2025 |url-status=live}} During the same month, LLM was reported to have saved [Tesco](/source/Tesco) £20 million per annum by persuading ministers to abandon plans for a supermarket car park tax, proposed by the [Environment Select Committee](/source/Select_committee_(United_Kingdom)) in order to promote the use of public transport.{{citation |last=Poole |first=Fiona |author-link=Norman Fowler, Baron Fowler#Personal life |title=The Transport Bill: Part III Road Charging and Workplace Parking: Bill 8 of 1999–2000 |journal=[House of Commons Library Research Paper](/source/House_of_Commons_Library) |volume=104 |date=1999 |page=29 |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/RP99-104/RP99-104.pdf}} On LLM's advice, Tesco contributed £11 million to the construction of the [Millennium Dome](/source/Millennium_Dome), a project overseen by [Peter Mandelson](/source/Peter_Mandelson) and personally decided by Tony Blair.{{cite news |last=Marr |first=Andrew |author-link=Andrew Marr |title=Alastair Campbell – Blair's virtuous thug and now a key Tory target |journal=The Independent |volume=3573 |date=1 April 1998 |page=19 |url=https://archive.org/details/Independent1998IrelandEnglish/Apr%2001%201998%2C%20Independent%2C%20%233573%2C%20Ireland%20%28en%29/}} Around that time, LLM also helped [Rupert Murdoch](/source/Rupert_Murdoch)'s [News International](/source/News_UK) obtain protection from the eventual [Competition Act 1998](/source/Competition_Act_1998) and concessions weakening [trade union](/source/trade_union)s{{cite news |last=Gall |first=Gregor |author-link=Gregor Gall |title=Blair's Trade Union Reform at 20 |work=[Tribune](/source/Tribune_(magazine)) |date=6 June 2020 |access-date=15 September 2025 |url=https://tribunemag.co.uk/2020/06/blairs-trade-union-reform-at-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622131948/https://tribunemag.co.uk/2020/06/blairs-trade-union-reform-at-20 |archive-date=22 June 2020 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |last=Hughes |first=Solomon |author-link=Solomon Hughes (journalist) |title=How Blair conned the unions |work=[Morning Star](/source/Morning_Star_(British_newspaper)) |date=27 January 2022 |access-date=15 September 2025 |url=https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/f/how-blair-conned-unions |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128171852/https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/f/how-blair-conned-unions |archive-date=28 January 2022 |url-status=live}} in the eventual [Employment Relations Act 1999](/source/Employment_Relations_Act_1999), both in return for press coverage favourable to the Blair government.{{cite news |title='Prince of darkness' returns |work=BBC |date=12 October 1999 |access-date=15 September 2025 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/404194.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021002170828/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/404194.stm |archive-date=2 October 2002 |url-status=live}} LLM was revealed to have received a contract from the [Audit Commission](/source/Audit_Commission_(United_Kingdom)), a public body, to carry out "political monitoring".{{cite news |last=Abrams |first=Fran |author-link=Fran Abrams |title=Taxpayers' money is being spent on lobbying |journal=The Independent |volume=3662 |date=14 July 1998 |page=1 |url=https://archive.org/details/Independent1998IrelandEnglish/Jul%2014%201998%2C%20Independent%2C%20%233662%2C%20Ireland%20%28en%29/}} It was reported by the [Conservative](/source/Conservative_Party_(UK)) MP [John Redwood](/source/John_Redwood) to be 40%-owned by [Stephen Rubin](/source/Stephen_Rubin)'s company [Robert Stephen Holdings](/source/Pentland_Group).{{cite news |last=Sampson |first=Daisy |author-link=Daisy McAndrew |title=Redwood demands curb on lobbyists |journal=The Independent |volume=3662 |date=14 July 1998 |page=8 |url=https://archive.org/details/Independent1998IrelandEnglish/Jul%2014%201998%2C%20Independent%2C%20%233662%2C%20Ireland%20%28en%29/}}{{cite web |title=Pentland Capital Limited (Company number 00793577) |website=Companies House |access-date=15 September 2025 |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00793577}} === Later activities === LLM was listed among the companies supplying tickets for dinner to Labour Party members in 1999.{{cite news |title=Where the party got its money from |work=The Guardian |date=9 September 1999 |access-date=15 September 2025 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/1999/sep/09/uk.politicalnews1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508010655/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/1999/sep/09/uk.politicalnews1 |archive-date=8 May 2014 |url-status=live}} Lawson left the company in December 2004,{{citation |last1=Ball |first1=Stephen J. |author-link1=Stephen Ball (sociologist) |last2=Exley |first2=Sonia |title=Making Policy with 'Good Ideas': Policy Networks and the 'Intellectuals' of New Labour |journal=Journal of Education Policy |date=2010 |volume=25 |issue=2 |page=158 |doi=10.1080/02680930903486125}} having become "uneasy" with what [New Labour](/source/New_Labour) was doing within six months of its 1997 election, but remaining long enough to ensure that it would survive.{{citation needed|date=August 2025}} While working for LLM, Jonathan Mendelsohn was a lobbyist for the [gambling](/source/Gambling_in_the_United_Kingdom) companies [Ladbrokes](/source/Ladbrokes_Coral) (in the lead-up to the [Gambling Act 2005](/source/Gambling_Act_2005)) and [PartyGaming](/source/PartyGaming).{{cite web |url=http://www.betsage.com/gamblingnews/17082007/partygamingcommunicator.htm |title=Party Gaming communicator now Labour Party Fundraiser |website=BetSage |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071104153032/http://www.betsage.com/gamblingnews/17082007/partygamingcommunicator.htm |archive-date=4 November 2007 |url-status=dead}} Mendelsohn resigned in July 2005, as LLM – the "largest independent lobbying firm" in the UK at the time – was acquired by the [City of London](/source/City_of_London)-based [public relations](/source/public_relations) company Financial Dynamics to assist with the expansion of lobbying activities to [Washington, DC](/source/Washington%2C_DC).{{cite news |title=Media matters |work=[The Observer](/source/The_Observer) |date=31 July 2005 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/jul/31/business.theobserver1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140919051849/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/jul/31/business.theobserver1 |archive-date=19 September 2014 |url-status=live}} After Lucas quit in January 2008, the entity was legally renamed to FD Public Affairs Ltd in December 2008 and dissolved in December 2013. The firm had 20 employees and 40 clients.{{citation needed|date=September 2025}} Its other high-profile clients included [KPMG](/source/KPMG),{{cite news |last1=Barnett |first1=Antony |author-link1=Antony Barnett |last2=Ahmed |first2=Kamal |author-link2=Kamal Ahmed (British journalist) |last3=Morgan |first3=Oliver |title=You scratch our backs and we'll sink our claws in |work=The Guardian |date=3 February 2002 |access-date=15 September 2025 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2002/feb/03/enron.politics2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140613031551/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2002/feb/03/enron.politics2 |archive-date=13 June 2014 |url-status=live}} [Orange](/source/Orange_Group),{{cite news |last=Gray |first=Robert |title=The Top 150 UK PR Consultancies 1998: Ups and Downs |work=PRWeek |access-date=15 September 2025 |url=https://www.prweek.co.uk/article/98605/top-150-uk-pr-consultancies-1998-ups-downs-usual-front-runners-top-1998-league-table-hectic-year-mergers-acquisitions-seen-new-names-combinations}} the [Royal Pharmaceutical Society](/source/Royal_Pharmaceutical_Society) (along with its associates in the LLM-formed Community Pharmacy Action Group, including the [Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee](/source/Pharmaceutical_Services_Negotiating_Committee), the [Company Chemists' Association](/source/Company_Chemists'_Association), and the [Proprietary Association of Great Britain](/source/Consumer_Healthcare_Products_Association)),{{Cite Hansard |jurisdiction=Parliament of the United Kingdom |house=House of Commons |title=Orders of the Day |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1998-07-08/debates/485427cc-6e37-4e5c-aea7-eb444565bec9/OrdersOfTheDay |date=8 July 1998 |volume=315 |column_start=1106 |column_end=1107}} and the [Local Government Association](/source/Local_Government_Association).{{cite news |title=PM attacked over lobbyists |work=BBC |date=8 July 1998 |access-date=15 September 2025 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/128931.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715184222/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/128931.stm |archive-date=15 July 2014 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |last=Bailey |first=Jemimah |title=Lawson Lucas Mendelsohn to lobby for LGA |work=PRWeek |access-date=15 September 2025 |url=https://www.prweek.co.uk/article/92283/lawson-lucas-mendelsohn-lobby-lga}} ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * [https://archive.today/20090212185144/http://www.fd-llm.com/ LLM Communications webpage] {{DEFAULTSORT:Llm Communications}} Category:British companies established in 1997 Category:Mass media companies established in 1997 Category:Public relations companies of the United Kingdom Category:Lobbying firms Category:Defunct companies based in London --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [LLM Communications](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LLM_Communications) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LLM_Communications?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.