Prospective MP: Priti Patel
Party: Conservative
Constituency: Witham, Essex    
Links to lobbying: Lobbyist with PR and lobbying consultancy, Weber Shandwick
Recent clients: Microsoft; International Financial Services London; unknown

 
Priti Patel is the Conservative party candidate for the new seat of Witham in Essex, which has a notional Tory majority.

Priti hasn’t been completely transparent with voters about her links to lobbying.

Priti works for global PR and political lobbying firm, Weber Shandwick. But her campaign website only mentions that she is a director of a company providing “business and communication strategy” advice.

Priti says she doesn’t “do lobbying,” and yet admits to activities most people would consider lobbying: putting companies in touch with politicians and “giving my clients a particular insight into the [Conservative] party”.  Her employers describe Priti as “a great hire… powerfully connected within Cameron’s Conservatives”.

Although Priti declined to say which companies she has been helping, Weber Shandwick’s current lobbying clients include: Barclays bank, construction giant Balfour Beatty, and the arms company Finmeccanica.

Priti’s personal clients do include International Financial Services London (ISFL),  a banker’s lobby group. However, since enquiries were made, her name has mysteriously disappeared from the year-old Weber Shandwick press release that announces her role on the account.   

Repairing the City’s battered reputation runs contrary to the image Priti promotes to voters – of being an advocate for small business. According to Priti’s campaign website: “Her career outside of politics means she has an innate understanding about the issues faced by small businesses”.

Prior to working for Weber Shandwick, Priti was a lobbyist for Diageo, the world’s biggest alcohol multinational, where she worked on “international public policy issues”.