Political and Media Relations

Abzed seeks to encourage rational policymaking that serves the common good. To this end we hold poor arguments to account through our science-led approach. We also robustly challenge dishonest behaviour through the media, regulators and the police. Opponents are put on the back foot. Bad legislation is blocked. Abzed is now turning this success into further growth. This will be delivered on an expanding canvas of issues. The growing demand for our services is driven by the increasing dysfunction of western politics. Today’s abrasive populists and arrogant elitists are making too many mistakes.Our broken political culture sees increasing distrust in our institutions. Humanity’s lurching progress is in retreat. Two steps forward, one step back.

Many of our clients feel besieged by campaigners offering false certainty and fake virtue. These groups trivialise complex issues with simplistic slogans that play well in social media echo chambers. For their followers a click on a petition or a donation provides instant self-righteousness along with the pleasure of hating new-found opponents. These campaigners are impervious to rational counterarguments. They refuse to discuss data let alone the messy business of compromise. There is money and power at stake.Their other cognitive trick is catastrophising. They inflate the scale of a problem as a lever to scare people into backing their solution. The world does face serious threats: AI, climate change, Covid 2.0 and nuclear war are calamities in waiting. Our low growth, high immigration societies are also being poisoned by toxic political cultures. Yet the best responses will not be found through hysterical posturing.

To compound these difficulties, there is a lack of courage and talent in the public square. Why leave a successful career to place yourself in the media’s crosshairs by becoming a politician? Why express nuance when it will be gratuitously misinterpreted? The result is less capable politicians. Those we have are swayed into unnecessary legislation, simply to appear decisive. In this messy climate, Abzed raises the price of stupidity. We create consequences for campaigners and ministers pushing for ill-thought out policies. Our clients’ opponents no longer have free hits.An ideal system would be full of calm, collaborative conversations. Science not screaming. Pragmatism not ideology. Such perfection is a long way off. Meanwhile, we are helping politicians and the media locate the least bad solutions to knotty problems.

Shall we talk?

Yours sincerely,