Red Rose Associates

Who we are

Political judgement.
Applied where it counts.

Our central competitive advantage is political judgement - more than access or activity. The ability to distinguish noise from direction, understand the motivation behind policy, and tell clients what they should actually do.

Red Rose is a strategic political advisory firm. We help organisations understand where politics is going, what it means for them, and how to shape the outcome. We anticipate political direction, interpret its implications, and help clients act while outcomes are still open.

British politics has changed fundamentally. Under the Burnham government, power is moving - from Whitehall to regions, cities and combined authorities. The decisions that shape sectors are increasingly being made in Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield, not just Westminster. Most advisory firms are not built for that world. Red Rose is.

Between them, Pete Bowyer and Paul Nicholson bring over fifty years of political experience spanning Westminster, national government and the regions. All work is led by partners, supported by a network of senior specialists across every domain of public policy.

Anticipate

We identify emerging political change before it becomes conventional wisdom, so clients can act while outcomes are still open.

Interpret

We explain what political developments mean for the client's strategy, reputation, operations and commercial interests.

Shape

We help clients influence policy and government decisions - across Westminster, Whitehall and the new regional centres of power.

Our reach

Westminster to
the regions.

Our network of senior associates spans every major political and economic centre in the UK. From Edinburgh and Belfast to Bristol, our team gives clients on-the-ground intelligence and relationships wherever decisions are being made.

Under the Burnham government, the centres of power have multiplied. Red Rose is the only advisory firm built to work across all of them.

Red Rose Associates - national reach across the UK

What we do

A comprehensive suite
of advisory services

We present our services as an integrated advisory offer, not a menu of disconnected products. Every engagement begins with the client's objective and the political judgement required to achieve it.

Strategic Political Advisory

Senior advice to leaders facing political risk, policy change or significant strategic decisions. Political risk assessment, scenario planning, corporate positioning and confidential counsel - across both national and regional political environments.

Political Intelligence

Interpretation of political developments, government priorities and stakeholder behaviour. Our intelligence goes beyond reporting what has happened - it explains why it matters, what is likely to happen next, and what the client should do, including analysis of the devolution agenda and its sectoral consequences.

Policy Positioning

Helping organisations develop credible positions on public policy questions. We connect organisational objectives with government priorities at both national and regional level, strengthen the evidence base and build arguments that can command wider political support.

Campaign Strategy

Designing and directing campaigns to influence legislation, regulation or government decisions. We define the objective, identify the decision-maker, build the coalition, develop the argument and set the timetable - with clear measures of success at every stage.

Government Engagement

Purposeful engagement with ministers, officials, parliamentarians, mayors, regional leaders and regulators. Engagement is always part of a wider strategy - meetings are not outcomes in themselves. We know when to engage, and when not to.

National & Regional Political Strategy

Our defining capability. Under the Burnham government, power is moving from Whitehall to regions and combined authorities. We advise organisations on how to navigate both - mapping where decisions are made, building the right relationships across Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and beyond, and developing strategies that work across the full geography of British political power.

Sectors

Where politics and
commerce intersect

We work with organisations for which politics and public policy materially affect commercial or operational success - particularly those with exposure to the devolution agenda.

Energy & Utilities

Infrastructure & Transport

Housing & Built Environment

Financial Services & Payments

Digital Assets & Fintech

Technology & AI

Health & Life Sciences

Education & Skills

Sport & Sports Regulation

Legal & Group Litigation

Defence & Space

Gaming & Media

Recent work

Delivering outcomes
for clients

A selection of recent mandates - all work is confidential, examples are illustrative.

Advised a global payments organisation on ministerial engagement around UK regulatory reform, helping to shape senior-level policy discussions and secure meaningful access at the highest levels of government.

Westminster Bridge and Houses of Parliament

Supported a major infrastructure client in navigating parliamentary scrutiny and stakeholder opposition, developing a coordinated engagement strategy that protected the client's position and maintained political momentum.

Worked with an international digital assets firm on UK policy positioning and regulatory engagement, establishing credibility with ministers and officials during a critical period of legislative development.

Supported legal stakeholders on a high-profile group litigation issue - including parliamentary and media engagement - helping to increase political scrutiny of the issue and maintain public pressure for accountability.

Our team

Senior experience.
Every engagement.

Our team combines senior experience across government, policy, law and communications. All client work is led by partners.

Pete Bowyer

Partner

Pete is one of the UK's leading public affairs consultants with over 30 years' experience in public policy influencing, strategic communications and political campaigning. Previous roles include senior director at Weber Shandwick, co-founder at Apex Communications, managing partner at Maitland Political, and partner at DRD Partnership. He has been an active Labour member for forty years, serving as a councillor for eleven years and advising on multiple leadership campaigns.

Paul Nicholson

Partner

Paul brings over 20 years of experience in political management, campaign leadership and strategic communications. He spent fourteen years as Labour's Regional Director for Yorkshire and the Humber, working daily with Metro Mayors, MPs, councillors and combined authority teams - giving Red Rose a depth of understanding of how regional power actually works that is rare in the advisory market. His national experience spans five general elections and senior roles at the General Secretary's Office.

Core Team

Cindy Han

Consultant

Tess Keeley

Junior Consultant

Associates & Specialists

Murray Stewart

Financial servicesSportTransport

Andy Reed OBE

SportBusiness supportVoluntary sector

Tim Payton

SportGamingMedia

Michael Clarke

HealthcareSustainabilityCriminal justice

Dr Natalie Byrom

JusticeAIData

Stephanie Ayres

DefenceSpaceProcurement

ARM

Andrew Russell-Moyet

EducationTechnologyLife Sciences

Eleanor Stringer

EducationNot-for-profitLocal gov

Gavin Callaghan

Local govEconomic devInternational

Mick Swales

EnergyPlanningDevolution

Greg Power OBE

GeopoliticsInstitutional devReform

Louis Carserides

Built environmentSustainability

Matt Ball

EmploymentIndustrial strategy

Sal Copley

International devEDIGender justice

Mark Davies

Mental HealthImmigrationCriminal justice

Andy Rowe

InfrastructureNuclearLocal gov

Cathy McGlynn

AgricultureAnimal healthTrade

Margaret Pinder

Policy devCommunicationsLaw

Alex Cole

BusinessSustainabilityEDI

Tom Levitt

SDGsSocial enterpriseCharities

Where politics is going.What it means for you.How to shape the outcome.

Political judgement.Applied where it counts.