Salary: Real Living Wage (Trainee) / Competitive (Account Executive)
Location: London (Hybrid)
Contract: Trainee 3 months with a view to extending to Account Executive (permanent)

Do you want to shape policy, influence debate, and see the real-world impact of your work? Tendo Consulting is looking for a motivated and politically curious individual to join our team as a Trainee or Account Executive, an ideal entry point into a career in public affairs.

Tendo Consulting is an award-winning public affairs, PR, and campaigns agency with a track record of delivering real-world impact for clients across transport, finance, health, environment, tech and more.

Why Tendo?

We deliver campaigns that change laws, shift policy, and make headlines. Our work includes:

• Winning the campaign to legalise medical cannabis in the UK
• Securing the removal of VAT on e-books
• Protecting marine mammals by changing how unexploded ordnance is cleared from the seabed
• Championing access to lifesaving radiotherapy treatments through Parliament and the media
• Helping the tourism, hospitality and aviation industries survive COVID-19

Our clients trust us because we combine political knowledge with a creative, integrated public affairs and communications strategy.

The Role

You’ll be working as part of a close-knit team and embedded across client accounts from the start, developing skills across the full spectrum of government relations, PR, and campaigning.

Your day-to-day will include:

• Monitoring the political, parliamentary and media landscapes to identify developments relevant to clients
• Conducting research, policy analysis, and preparing briefings to support campaigns
• Supporting account teams with stakeholder mapping, drafting press releases and preparing briefing materials
• Helping to organise parliamentary events and meetings
• Supporting the development and delivery of campaigns and communications plans
• Creating digital and social media content, including blog posts for the Tendo website
• Supporting day-to-day client account management

We take professional development seriously. From day one, you’ll have access to senior team members with deep public affairs experience and a culture where no question is too small.

Who We’re Looking For

You don’t need years of experience, but you should bring:

• A solid grasp of UK politics and the current media landscape
• The ability to distil complex information into clear, compelling content
• Strong research, analytical, and organisational skills
• Confidence managing multiple priorities in a fast-moving environment with tight deadlines
• Strong teamwork and written communication skills
• Proficient in the use of digital tools and social media platforms

Previous experience in politics, campaigning, policy, communications, or media is an advantage, but not a requirement.

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

How to Apply

Join our team by emailing your CV and a covering letter to hello@tendoconsulting.co.uk

Tell us why you’re passionate about this role, what attracts you to Tendo, your relevant experience, and how you can contribute to our team and clients’ work.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, and interviews may be conducted online.

Closing date: 17 April 2026

By Tendo Director Paul Gaffney 

The 2024 General Election seems an awfully long while ago. At times it seems easy to forget that Labour has a majority of 77 and that the two parties riding high in the polls have a combined total of 13 MPs.

What is undeniable, is that we are living in new political environment and one that as a country, and as public affairs professionals we are in unchartered territory.  With devolved and local elections looming on the horizon, this territory is likely to become more fractured not less.

But what does this new environment mean for public affairs and how should organisations adapt to it?

Don’t get too distracted, a big majority is still a big majority

Labour faces several challenges, with commentary resting on how they respond to the rise of Reform and the Green Party and balance the loss of support to the left and the right.  The clearest impact of this will be that the coalitions within the Parliamentary Labour Party will be harder to read, and the balance of power will likely pivot from issue to issue.

But what will not change and what is the driving focus of the Government and what they hope will negate the electoral quagmire is the growth and the cost of living.  The debate will range on how they achieve this, but engagement must be shaped in how to tackle this central challenge.

Three Nations, Three Governments

Remarkably, Labour losing power in Wales is now universally accepted, which combined with a likely continuing SNP Government will give Great Britain three Governments, all ran by different parties – potentially with three differing approaches, ideologies and aims.  Simply put, taking a UK wide approach will not cut it.

This will also be sharply felt by those for whom engaging at a local level is business critical, with an understanding of Reform, the Greens and the Lib Dems no longer a luxury, but a necessity.

Backbenchers matter more than most give credit for

The fracturing of our politics places a greater emphasis on individual MPs and the power of Parliament – as we have seen clearly in the rise of U-turns.  Successful engagement should always focus on the role that parliament can play in driving, shaping and changing policy.  But in the current climate, ignoring parliament and failing to understand its power will leave many behind.

Understanding the new reality

One of my earliest memories in public affairs is the 2010 Party Conference season, and particularly the Liberal Democrat Conference in Liverpool.  The first of the coalition years, it was in exercise for many in confusion.  For years, many had understandably focused on engaging with the incumbent Government and the Conservatives, the regular leaders in opinion polls.

Suddenly, many businesses had to understand the (then) third party of British politics.

In 2026, it is vital, that whilst engagement must be shaped in the now, that organisations do not ignore the trio of Reform, the Green Party and the Liberal Democrats.

What would a Reform Government mean for you?  Are you ensuring that your future planning is based on reality and engagement and not pre-conceptions?

How would the Greens and/or the Lib Dems holding the balance of power impact you?

And, whilst many organisations have written off the most successful party of British political history the Conservatives, they do so far too easily. At present, they look unlikely to march into power, but that does not mean that they may not have power.

 All in all, our fractured politics make public affairs more complex, but also more integral to organisations, from current challenges, risk management and future plans.

January and February at Tendo

Media in Focus

We have been working closely with our clients to secure impactful coverage across national, regional, trade and broadcast media, helping them cut through the noise.

From strategic campaigns to targeted media engagement, we’re proud to support our clients across a range of sectors in elevating their profile and strengthening their voice.

If you are interested in learning more about our PR work and how Tendo can enhance your media presence through focused, strategic media communications.

The Investing and Saving Alliance (TISA)

We provide external communication services for TISA to support their efforts to shape the financial services industry and drive meaningful conversations on improving UK consumers’ financial well-being.

In January and February, this included:

• Landing a quote for TISA’s Chief Executive between the current Chancellor and two former chancellors supporting the launch of The Times’s financial education campaign.
• Facilitating interviews with Sky News and The Times on AI and pensions respectively, which resulted in two national press articles featuring TISA.
• Issuing reactive comments to consequential parliamentary reports on AI in financial services and Inheritance Tax changes, receiving coverage in trade press.
• Securing significant trade press coverage of each of TISA’s responses to three FCA consultations and the certification of TISA’s Select ID product.
• Ensuring TISA’s first ever AI Conference was well attended by journalists and covered by trade press.
• Supporting TISA with press enquiries from The Financial Times, The Telegraph, Politico, the iPaper and Pensions Age.

EVA England

Part of our work involves providing public affairs and PR support for EVA England, the members association dedicated to promoting the interests of electric vehicle drivers.

In February, this included:

• A mixture of trade and national press coverage, such as GB News and The Daily Mail, for a reaction quote to the SMMT January EV sales figures.
• A mixture of trade and national press coverage, such as GB News, for a reaction quote to the announcement for FairCharge’s new campaign lead.
• Trade coverage for the launch of EVA England’s new survey and new board member announcement.
• Trade coverage for the reactive quote to the new Government home and workplace EV charge grant.

Radiotherapy UK

Professor Pat Price on BBC Breakfast and Good Morning Britain on World Cancer Day, reacting to the National Cancer Plan.

As part of our work supporting cancer charity Radiotherapy UK we were delighted to have charity Chair, Professor Pat Price, feature in national media for the launch of the National Cancer Plan on World Cancer Day 2026.

In February, this included:

• Professor Pat Price was also a guest on The Times Radio on World Cancer Day hosted by Carol Walker, in addition to LBC and BBC Radio 4 on separate occasions.
• An exclusive for The Guardian in which Radiotherapy UK and Professor Pat Price provided comment regarding radiotherapy cancer treatment and the need for it to be more widely available in the National Cancer Plan for patients across England.

End Frozen Pensions Campaign

Tendo supports the End Frozen Pensions Campaign and its mission to raise awareness of the ‘frozen pensions policy’ that impacts around 400,000 UK state pensioners currently residing in certain countries abroad.

In February, this included:

• An exclusive in GB News featuring a campaign case study, which provided comment and shared their experiences being a veteran living with a ‘frozen’ UK state pension after their service in the Falklands.

If you would like to learn more about our PR work and how best we can support you through strategic media communications, feel free to reach out to us at hello@tendoconsulting.co.uk. Alternatively, you can visit our website www.tendoconsulting.co.uk to view some of our outstanding media and PR campaigns.

Tendo Director Paul Gaffney comments on the Gorton and Denton By-Election.

It is time for by-election defeat bingo: “Governing parties often lose by-elections”, “It is a protest vote”, “they won’t hold in a General Election,” “We need to listen.”

By-elections are often protest votes, yes, but they should never be dismissed. This stunning victory for the Greens will be much more than a footnote in the history of Keir Starmer’s Premiership.

For the Greens, this result probably exceeds their expectations at the start of the campaign. To win this seat from a distant third proves that their surge is not a blip,  they can win outside their areas of strength, they can run efficient and effective campaigns and, crucially, that their get-out-the-vote operation is significantly stronger than given credit for.

On the Reform side, this is very much a mixed bag. Coming second, the results reinforce the narrative that the challenge in the country is very much ‘Reform vs [Insert Party]’. However, it also shows that their appeal has limitations, and they will have concerns about how effective the ‘anyone but Reform ’ message can be. On the latter, they will hope that this is a squeeze message that works well in by-elections but struggles in more regular contests.  Overall, Reform will be disappointed. But a strong second place and a collapsing Labour vote mean May’s elections still look promising.

As for Labour, this was not close. As in Caerphilly, they lost badly. It will bring back questions about blocking Burnham and the leadership merry-go-round, with many likely to question decision-making and the lack of a retail offer to voters.

Just as a narrow defeat in Runcorn saw moves to counter Reform, many on the backbenches will be pushing for a change in direction to counter an insurgent left-wing party.  It makes another ‘reset’ and potential reshuffle much more likely, and focus will surely be given to the odd decision to send the Prime Minister to the by-election, giving a clear image and ownership of the defeat.

For the broader political debate, it reinforces the collapse of the traditional order, with the two main parties third and fourth, and the by-election ‘experts’, the Lib Dems, a distant fifth.  Whilst the Tories and Lib Dems were never in this contest, it points to another weak set of local elections for the Tories and will leave the Lib Dems concerned about what impact a green surge will have on their future prospects.

The biggest implications of this are in the looming Green vs Labour debate and battle. It reinforces that the Greens look set to do exceptionally well in the local elections, with Labour Councils, including bastions like Hackney, looking in serious peril.

But, as the by-election bingo fades, the biggest question for the Government is how they should respond to the fracturing of our political system? How do Labour pivot to appeal to voters they have lost to wildly differing parties in the Green and Reform?

We can expect the Government’s response to borrow from James Carville’s “it’s the economy, stupid” and will focus on measures that tackle the cost of living and boost the economy.  Within the party, many will demand a greater focus on delivery and cutting out unenforced errors ahead of a bruising set of elections across England, Scotland and Wales.

The reality is that everything has changed and nothing has changed.  As we have become all too used to over recent years, our politics remains chaotic, dramatic, yet predictable. For those with policy asks, a Government losing votes in two directions will be harder to read and more unpredictable to engage with. But it will also create an opportunity as the Government seeks new narratives and Ministers come under pressure to find ‘good news’ policies which impact the everyday lives of people across the UK. Organisations that arrive with clear asks, credible evidence and an understanding of the current external and internal political climate will have an easier time making their case.

Sadly, I don’t think anyone is going to use the phrase ‘strong and stable’ on election posters for a while yet.

It’s been a busy few weeks for the team supporting the Urban Mobility Partnership (UMP)!

 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞

The team kicked things off in Bristol, bringing together local leaders and transport stakeholders to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the West of England. As one of the most private-car-dependent metro areas in the UK, there is huge potential to shift more journeys onto shared and multimodal transport. What was clear from the discussion is that there is both a strong vision and a genuine appetite from local leaders to make that shift a reality.

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐔𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐭

Next, the team travelled to Utrecht for this year’s Polis Conference. Polis remains one of the most important forums for cities and regions to share innovative transport solutions with mobility experts, practitioners, and policymakers from across Europe. A fantastic opportunity for UMP to exhibit its work and learn from others, shaping the future of urban mobility.

 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Finally, the team wrapped up with the annual reception in Parliament – a chance to reflect on a packed year of activity and engagement, and to look ahead to an even more ambitious programme for 2026.

If you want to discuss our work with UMP or Tendo’s work in the wider transport sector, get in touch at hello@tendoconsulting.co.uk

Tendo helps to launch a new anti drink driving campaign 

Tendo are proud to work alongside the RAC and Smart Start in a new campaign to Lock Out Drink Driving.

Who are we and what is our mission?

Our campaign is calling for alcohol interlocks, also known as ‘alcolocks’, to be a core part of the UK’s response to drink-driving and to ensure that drink-drivers cannot continue to endanger others.

Some stats that you may find shocking…

• An estimated 260 people were killed in drink-driving crashes on UK roads in 2023 – this represents about 16% of all road deaths.
• New polling found by the RAC shows that 82% of drivers back the introduction of alcolocks.
• International programmes show that alcolocks can reduce reoffending by up to 70% and are as effective as airbags in reducing road deaths.

These are just a few reasons why we need a mandatory, evidence-based alcohol interlock programme in the UK.

Last week, we launched the campaign in Parliament to raise awareness of alcohol interlock technology (‘alcolocks’) and to encourage its inclusion as part of the UK’s preventative measures to tackle drink-driving.

The event was an opportunity for parliamentarians to receive constituency-level data about drink-driving casualties in their constituency through an interactive heatmap, and also the opportunity to try the breathalyser themselves! We were delighted that the Local Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood was able to join the campaign at their event to hear firsthand how this technology can save lives on UK roads.

To learn how we can support you with your campaign or parliamentary engagement, feel free to contact the team at hello@tendoconsulting.co.uk