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Beyond the Locals
From local election results to the King’s Speech, the UK’s political landscape is shifting rapidly in an increasingly fragmented, multi-party environment.
Joining us for this timely breakfast panel is Kitty Donaldson, Chief Political Commentator at The i Paper, Louisa Dollimore, Director of Strategy at the Good Growth Foundation, alongside James Crouch, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Opinium and Lansons’ Ben Stetson.
Hosted just days after the local and devolved elections and immediately following the King’s Speech, the discussion will combine expert political analysis with exclusive new polling from Opinium, cutting through the headlines to explore what’s really changing, and what it means for organisations navigating policy, regulation and reputation.
- What the 2026 local and devolved election results reveal about the UK political landscape
- How the King’s Speech is likely to shape the legislative and regulatory agenda
- What a more fragmented, multi-party environment means for organisations and public affairs strategies
This in-person event is hosted in partnership with Opinium, chaired by Lansons' Head of Public Affairs, Ben Stetson.
Date
Thursday 14 May 2026
Timings
08:30 – Arrival and breakfast
09:00 – Panel discussion and Q&A
10:00 – Networking
10:30 – Close
Location
Lansons Team Farner
24a St John Street
London EC1M 4AY
Meet the panel:
Kitty Donaldson is Chief Political Commentator at The i Paper and previously served as Political Editor at Bloomberg News. Reporting from Westminster since 2003, she has broken numerous major stories and is one of the most experienced commentators in the lobby, as well as one of its longest-serving female members.
Louisa works at the intersection of politics and policy. She has spent her career working on the gap between good ideas and making things happen - in politics, for Dame Siobhain McDonagh, in the charity sector for women's health, and in social impact enterprise. Louisa joined the Good Growth Foundation at its founding, where she leads strategy across policy, public attitudes, media, and building the organisation.
Ben is Head of Public Affairs at Lansons, leading political advisory and policy-led communications. He advises UK and international businesses on government relations, regulatory change and stakeholder engagement. His career began in Parliament and includes multiple General Election campaigns, bringing practical political insight to client strategy.
James leads policy and public affairs at Opinium, overseeing the firm’s political polling. He specialises in translating public opinion into insight on elections, politics and policy. His experience spans four general elections, two national referendums, and a wide range of leadership and subnational contests.
This event is now at capacity with a waiting list, if you'd like to be added to the mailing list, please email events@lansons.com
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