Congratulations to Lord Feldman, the former Conservative Party chairman on becoming Managing Partner for lobbyists Tulchan Communications. The firm’s website boasts that:

“The line between boardroom and political issues is becoming ever more blurred as corporates consider the long-term repercussions of political and regulatory uncertainty. Navigating the world of government is vital if a company is to fully understand its stakeholder environment and manage external risks. Our policy advisory team has extensive government and public policy experience. We help companies identify political risks and counsel them on strategic engagement to best position them with regulatory and political audiences.”

Feldman knows his way round politics. He also knows his way round the rules of the game…

Yesterday the Public Affairs Board issued a new, unified Public Affairs Code for the industry, following a lobbying industry-wide consultation, it comes into effect at the end of this month.

The code and its independent complaints, determination, and disciplinary rules and procedures will apply to the Public Relations and Communications Association’s 30,000 members that conduct public affairs. The PRCA-established definition of public affairs is used in the Code, defined as “activities which are carried out in the course of a business for the purpose of (a) influencing government, (b) or advising others how to influence government.” Services Tulchan and their well connected managing partner self-evidently offer clients.

Under the code lobbyists can’t employ parliamentarians. All this means Lord Feldman and Tulchan Communications are in breach of the new Public Affairs Code. How does he square this problem? Tulchan and Lord Feldman simply haven’t signed up to the code…

• See also: Feldman Lobbying Job Avoids Oversight