About JBP

Elliot joins is JBP’s senior counsel in Scotland. For the last decade he has been working in political and government roles in Westminster and Holyrood. During this time, he worked as a political adviser to the Conservative Party and then the Scottish Conservatives. He was then a special adviser in the Scotland Office and in 10 Downing Street with responsibility for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. After his time in government, he returned to Scotland to work for the Scottish Conservatives as head of policy during the 2021 Scottish Parliament Election and then as political director. Elliot brings a wealth of experience and insight into Scottish and UK politics and policymaking. Throughout his career, he has worked with prime ministers, party leaders and other senior parliamentarians. He has also led research and communications teams in fast-paced environments and designed successful campaigns.

Helen served as a Bristol City Councillor for thirty three years, standing down in May ’24. During that time she held many different roles, including Cabinet Member for various portfolios, and Leader of the Council. In those leading roles, Helen always worked with a range of stakeholders, developing local and strategic partnerships across a range of sectors, from universities, health, regeneration and development and the community and voluntary sector. Most recently, as Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, she Chaired the Integrated Care Partnership for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, bringing together NHS, the three Local Authorities, care providers, people with lived experience, the not-for-profit sector, and the VCS. When Cabinet Member for Transport, she worked extensively in Europe, Chairing a political advisory group to the European Commission. Helen was a Board Member of the South West Regional Development Agency, and also sat on the Government’s Commission for Integrated Transport. Helen is a Local Government Association peer, and works with local authorities across England, mentoring new Council Leaders and Cabinet Members, and as part of peer review teams. In August 2023, Helen was made an Honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Bristol, and was made an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List 2025.

Jo has some 35 years’ experience in the healthcare sector, training as a nurse and progressing to become Macmillan Clinical Nurse specialist at the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre at Bristol Royal Infirmary. During her time as a Macmillan Nurse, Jo set up a counselling service for cancer patients and their families within the United Bristol Healthcare Trust. She was also appointed as Nurse Consultant and Advisory Board member by Dimbleby Cancer Care charity, set up by TV and radio current affairs presenters Jonathan and David Dimbleby to enhance palliative care. Jo was then appointed Director of Vine Counselling, which provides affordable mental health support to people in the West of England community. Today at Vine, she has been commissioned to lead the development of a major mental wellbeing community-led project focussed on 11-18 year olds. She also facilitates therapy consultations for cancer patients working on behalf of Breast Cancer Now. She is also a senior counsel at JBP Associates, a leading national strategic communications consultancy, where she advises clients’ managers and mental health leads on how to effectively communicate and engage with colleagues who are suffering from mental illness of some kind. Jo holds a degree in cancer care, a postgraduate diploma in counselling and is a qualified mental health first aid trainer. She is active in the local community, volunteering for field hospital services at the British Red Cross, supporting the local primary school as a parent helper and being a Brownie Leader.

John is an expert in stakeholder engagement, having over 25 years experience in senior positions within the energy sector. As the Head of Community and Regional Engagement for National Grid, he was responsible for building UK wide integrated engagement strategies across the Electricity Transmission, Gas Distribution and Property businesses. As well as creating a localised narrative to communicate with diverse stakeholder groups, including politicians, community representatives and the private sector. Previously, he was seconded to Business in the Community, one of HRH Prince of Wales charities, as part of a flagship programme to broker relationships between communities, charities and local businesses. Prior to this John has held a number of senior management positions within National Grid, most notably being responsible for delivering enhanced energy plans for the London 2012 Olympic Games. He also volunteers his time as a Non-Executive Director of a drugs and alcohol rehabilitation charity in Birmingham.

An experienced Director with proven experience in marketing into the defence and advanced engineering sector. Kathy has worked with local, national and foreign governments, as well as the EU Parliament. Kathy has a history of working with blue chip companies like Airbus, Rolls-Royce, MBDA, Honeywell and Ultra Electronics, as well as Canadian and US based businesses. A skilled and persuasive communicator used to working at all levels, with the ability to plan and implement strategy and stakeholder engagement An enthusiastic motivator and team leader in both public and private sectors.

During his professional career Lionel was an associate director of the Media Information Group, and company secretary of Political Research and Communications International. He went on to become managing director of Parliamentary Monitoring Services Ltd, Political Wizard Ltd, and Zetter’s Political Services Ltd, as well as non-executive deputy chairman of Dod’s Parliamentary Communications Ltd. He has been Senior Counsel at APCO Worldwide, and at Atticus Partners. Lionel also worked for Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP, and was a Policy Fellow at the Cabinet Office, and a Special Adviser at the Department for Health and Social Care. He has also been Chairman of the Government Affairs Group, President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, and Chairman of the PRCA Public Affairs Board. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Public Relations, and of the Public Relations Communications Association. Lionel is a former chairman of Enfield Southgate Conservative Association and fought Edmonton for the Conservatives in the 2005 general election. He was elected to Enfield Council in 2010. As well as being Vice Chairman of the Enterprise Forum, he is also Vice President of PublicAffairsAsia, and he sits on the Advisory Council of Scottish Business UK, and a Patron of Conservatives in Communications. He has written, spoken and taught widely on politics and public affairs, and is author of a books on political campaigning, political lobbying and the Conservative Party. He was awarded Public Affairs News Personality of the Year in 2008, Public Affairs News ‘Outstanding Contribution’ in 2012, CIPR Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016, and PRCA Outstanding Contribution award in 2019.

Mark is an experienced national business representative and former politician. He joined the British Retail Consortium where he held various senior roles, rising to Acting Director General responsible for leading the organisation and engagement with senior ministers, media and key stakeholders. Mark has recently retired from being a Labour Councillor at Bristol City Council. He served from 2006 to 2024 and held several high-profile Cabinet portfolios, including as Assistant Mayor for Place (including transport). This required engagement with ministers and officials at senior levels. Mark led Bristol’s bids to become European Green Capital and England’s first Cycling City. Working cross-party and multi-authority, he helped deliver the only two completed major transport schemes in Bristol for many years – the Greater Bristol Bus Network and Metrobus. Mark also worked on long-term rail projects providing extra track capacity, station improvements and rolling stock enhancements across the West of England. He developed strong links with the Port of Bristol, supporting energy diversification and access to deep water markets. Prior to stepping down, Mark was lead Council non-executive director on Bristol Holding Ltd and Bristol Heat Networks Ltd. Mark works across JBP as a senior counsel supporting clients and teams on strategic transport and planning matters given his experience of local government, national transport and planning policy and business representation. More recently, he has been advising clients about the Labour Government’s nationalisation of passenger railway services and consequential impact on development activity and supply chains.

Until recently, Mark was the Chief Executive of Gloucestershire County Council where he was at the helm for 14 years. Prior to this he was Leader of Gloucester City Council from 2004-7, following which he switched to the county council as cabinet member for the environment in 2009, closely followed by as Leader in 2010. During his tenure Mark helped to build the county’s reputation nationally as a founding member of the Western Gateway. As a member of the Local Enterprise Partnership Board, Mark was part of a team that helped secure a billion pound investment pipeline and delivered a number of high profile infrastructure projects – such as the Fastershire programme to roll out better rural broadband in the county. During Mark’s leadership at the county council, it has invested significantly in green infrastructure, from EV chargers to solar panels.

Neil has a long career in local government, combined with experience of running a company working in the construction industry. He has deep experience of bringing local communities together with developers to engage in discussion, identifying benefits for local people, recognising barriers to be overcome in order to bring a satisfactory mutual conclusion to projects. Neil has substantial political experience drawing upon 30 years as an elected Councillor including various chairmanships and cabinet posts culminating in twelve years as a Council Leader and six years as national chairman of District Councils’ Network, part of the Local Government Association. This allowed for substantial engagement with Ministers, Government and Westminster in general. This varied political career has allowed diverse engagement with a wide network of business contacts, especially developers in both the commercial and house-building industries.

Neil Stockley has more than twenty-five years’ experience of public affairs and politics in the UK. He has previously worked for some of this country’s leading communications consultancies, including Bell Pottinger, where was a Director for 10 years, and MHP. Neil has a specific expertise in energy, climate change, utilities and environment policy. He has provided public affairs and communications counsel to National Grid, a major European renewable generator, energy retailers, solar operators, a funder of renewables, distribution networks, water companies and trade and member organisations across the energy sector. He has also advised organisations in the transport and technology sectors. From 2011 to 2012 Neil worked for Arqiva, developing and implementing a political communications strategy to support the company’s smart meter activity. Neil is a former Policy Director for the Liberal Democrats and was executive assistant to former New Zealand Prime Minister, David Lange. He is an experienced speechwriter and editor of policy papers, submissions and publications.

Nick is an experienced employee engagement, internal communication and change professional. He has worked for over 25 years in this field and was, most recently, communications director at accountancy and business advisory firm, BDO. Here his responsibilities covered the full range of reputation management activity including internal communication and brand engagement, media relations and public affairs. As a member of both the deal team and the integration team, he managed all communications around the merger with PKF that completed in 2013. In addition he built an award winning in-house team. During his four-year tenure, full engagement scores rose from 39% to an all-time high of 57%. Prior to joining BDO Nick spent 13 years at corporate communications consultancy Fishburn Hedges where, as a board director, he set-up, led and built the employee engagement and change practice. During this time he worked on a range of high profile assignments in both the public, private and professional service sectors. In addition, he had stints in-house with Boots, as their first head of employee communications, and subsequently with Lloyds TSB performing a similar role during the merger of the two banks where cultural issues were to the fore. During 2014 and 2015 he was a member of two Cabinet Office review teams which assessed the effectiveness of government department communication, in this case the Food Standards Agency and the Rural Payments Agency (as a part of Defra). Nick is comfortable working across functions and is a member of both the CIPR and the CIM and is a fellow of the RSA. He is strong believer in the power of communications to effect change as well as the need to ensure both strategy and implementation are wholly aligned to business priorities.

Paul is a seasoned political and stakeholder engagement professional with deep-rooted experience in Welsh public affairs. As former Chief of Staff for the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd (Welsh Parliament), he played a pivotal role in shaping political strategies and managing high-level stakeholder relationships across Wales. With over a decade of experience, Paul has led public affairs campaigns for organisations such as RSPCA Cymru and held key campaign roles within the Conservative Party, covering South, West, and Mid Wales. His expertise spans political campaigns, public affairs, and project management, underpinned by a PRINCE2® Foundation Certification. Paul’s strategic insight into Welsh politics and policy-making enables him to navigate complex stakeholder landscapes effectively. His background in political consultancy, including a stint at JBP, reinforces his ability to drive impactful engagement strategies. Based in the Greater Cardiff area, Paul remains at the forefront of Welsh political and communications strategy.

Health and care communications specialist Richard Chew has steered both public and private sector clients through the most complex mazes of operational challenges and crises, as a core member of their decision-making team, Often played out under the fiercest public, political and public spotlight, these have ranged from high-profile right-to-die cases to a controversial campaign to lift the anonymity of doctors involved in end-of-life care. He has guided core participants, victims and lawyers at some of the UK’s public inquiries, including child sex abuse and infected blood – the latter dubbed “the biggest treatment disaster in NHS history”. In one of the UK’s most exhaustive public inquiries into maternity services, he advised the independent Morecambe Bay Investigation panel in publishing its findings, conclusions and 44 far-reaching recommendations following the deaths of 16 babies and three mothers at one hospital trust. During the first phase of COVID, he was the communications lead in the Gold Command team overseeing Bradford’s response to the pandemic – work that led Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty to tell a daily No 10 media briefing: “Bradford has shown superb leadership … it has done a large number of imaginative things”. After being hired as interim Director of Communications at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London during the pandemic’s second phase, he now works as communications lead for two acute provider collaboratives – one in South East London, the other spanning Humber and North Yorkshire. His 30-year career in health and care communications, and crisis and issues management, has routinely seen him deal with media ranging from Newsnight to The Sun; Panorama to BBC Radio 4. His long-standing private sector clients range from independent schools to a Middle Eastern Sheikh!

Simon was born in Norwich and educated at Norwich School and the University of Sussex. After a brief spell working in business, he trained as an actor at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and spent twenty years working in theatre, film and television. He has been a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Bristol Old Vic and appeared in many television dramas. In 1999, he was elected to Bristol City Council and served as Lord Mayor of Bristol, Deputy Leader, Leader of the Council in 2012 and subsequently Assistant Mayor to the first Elected Mayor. He also served on the Regional Council of Arts Council England. He stood down from the Council in 2016 and was awarded an MBE for services to culture.

Leaving Barton Willmore upon its acquisition by Stantec, Simon spent seventeen years with one of the largest employers of town planners in the UK, thirteen of which was as Equity Partner. He joined JBP to provide his insight into the planning system and apply to effective communications solutions for development clients across the country. Simon is a non-executive board member with Business West, the Bristol Chamber of Commerce and the Initiative. Over recent years, he has held many roles, including national Chair of the British Chambers of Commerce expert group on planning, Chair of the University of the West of England’s planning advisory board, Chair of the West of England Office’s Housing Market Reference Group, and Chair of the LEP’s construction and development business sector group.