Brexit flag

Political Headlines – Corbyn says Brexit talks are inconclusive while MPs vote for an extension

Today’s political headlines includes the inconclusive Brexit talks, MPs voting to force Prime Minister to request Brexit extension, Lynton Crosby’s firm linked to no-deal Brexit Facebook ads and Carney warns of alarmingly high risk of no-deal. 

Brexit talks ‘inconclusive’, Corbyn says
The Times says that both Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn are facing backlashes from their parties over their talks to try to end the Brexit deadlock, with two ministers resigning from the Government. Both sides initially said the first meeting was ‘constructive’ and announced that a working party would meet today. However, Corbyn subsequently claimed that it was ‘inconclusive’ and that May’s position had not changed as much as he’d expected. Emily Thornberry, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, has written to other members of the shadow cabinet insisting that any deal agreed by Parliament should be subject to a referendum.

MPs vote to force Prime Minister to request Brexit extension
As The Guardian reports, last night MPs voted by a margin of just one vote to back a bill tabled by Yvette Cooper and Sir Oliver Letwin which forces the Prime Minister to request an extension to the Brexit process. It passed through all of its stages in the Commons within hours and will now be considered by the Lords. An attempt by Hilary Benn to reserve Monday for further indicative votes resulted in a tie, which was broken by Speaker John Bercow, who followed precedent and voted with the Government, causing the vote to be lost.

Lynton Crosby’s firm linked to no-deal Brexit Facebook adverts
The Guardian reveals that a series of apparently separate grassroots campaigns placing adverts on Facebook backing a no-deal Brexit are actually being overseen by employees of CTF Partners, a lobbying company run by Sir Lynton Crosby, who assisted with the last four Conservative General election campaigns and has been linked to a leadership bid by Boris Johnson. It is not clear who is paying for the adverts, which may have cost as much as £1m.

Carney warns of ‘alarmingly high’ risk of no-deal Brexit
The Financial Times says Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has criticised his predecessor, Mervyn King, claiming that suggesting that a no-deal Brexit could be easily managed was ‘absolute nonsense’ and the risk of such a scenario was ‘alarmingly high’. He confirmed there was ‘absolutely no’ chance he would continue in post after January 2020.

All English regions other than London favour no-deal Brexit over remaining in the EU
According to a YouGov poll featured in The Daily Telegraph, London is the only region of England and Wales which did not believe that the UK should leave the EU without a deal rather than revoke its application to leave should no deal be agreed by 12 April. However, Scotland would also prefer to remain a member of the EU.

Windrush scandal compensation to cost up to £310m
The Daily Telegraph reports that Home Secretary Sajid Javid has announced that compensation to Windrush scandal victims will cost up to £310m, with a ‘baseline estimate’ of £200m, and there will be no cap on the amount they can claim. He said this was an attempt to ‘right the wrongs’ of ‘a terrible mistake that should not have happened’.

MPs criticise China
The Sun carries details of a new report by the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee about China. It warns of ‘troubling allegations’ about Chinese interference in British universities, recommends that Chinese companies such as Huawei shouldn’t be allowed to build vital technology, and attacks the Chinese government for supporting Russia over the Salisbury poisonings. However, it also warns against deploying naval vessels to the South China Sea.

MPs call for delay to loan charge implementation
The Financial Times says a report by the loan charge all-party parliamentary group, to which over 100 MPs belong, calls for a six month delay to the implementation of the loan charge, due to be brought in tomorrow, and for an independent review, claiming that it was a ‘cynical’ cover-up by HMRC and the policy breaks civil service and ministerial codes.

Brexit is nine days away, apparently, find out what will happen next with Vuelio Political Services

State of the profession CIPR 2019

PR is not diverse enough – results from CIPR’s State of the Profession 2019

The results from this year’s State of the Profession survey from the CIPR reveal that PR firms are getting bigger but alongside the greater headcounts, they also contain gender imbalance, mental health issues triggered by high workloads and unfair advantages for those who come from a paid-for education background.

The CIPR’s survey of 1,503 members showed that PR departments are more likely to have grown in size, with half of the agencies getting bigger. It’s a positive sign for the importance and value of PR, but there are greater concerns among the workforce.

The PR workforce is less diverse this year, with more than one in ten (92%) classifying themselves as white – up from the 88% in 2018. When it comes to gender equality, two-thirds (67%) of the industry identify as female, yet almost half (44%) of the most senior roles are occupied by men. To add to issues of unfair advantage in the world of PR, a quarter of this survey’s respondents went to fee-paying schools – much higher than the national average (7%).

As for how the industry’s unique pressures impact its workers, this survey found a level of disconnect between what firms expect of their employees versus the skills people believe are actually important for their roles. Junior practitioners, for example, don’t identify ‘technical and digital’, ‘research and evaluation’ or ‘project and account management’ skills as strengths, whereas recruiters do.

A more serious disconnect, however, is the continuing difference between the demands of the job and the workloads people can manage while remaining healthy.

Over half (59%) of respondents classed a heavy or unmanageable workload as a factor for workplace stress, with 46% highlighting unrealistic deadlines and expectations, and 32% find the unsociable hours a problem. Nearly a quarter (23%) said they had taken absence from work due to stress, anxiety or depression, and 14% rated the contribution of work on their diagnosed condition as significant. How the industry supports workers with stress-related mental health issues could also be cause for concern – 23% said managers did ‘nothing’ when informed of the problem.

Those working all-hours won’t be surprised by all these numbers, maybe they won’t even have time to read them, but there are also encouraging statistics to be found in the CIPR report. Of the staff with mental health concerns related to their career – 36% said they were offered counselling after talking to their managers, 28% time off and 19% re-allocation of workload.

CIPR President Emma Leech, said: ‘This report identifies clear challenges and opportunities for the PR industry. Diversity is an issue we must tackle head on. Talent doesn’t have a postcode and it isn’t determined by skin colour. Our industry has to work harder to be inclusive. Similarly, mental health is a growing area of concern and we must be proactive in changing working practices and shifting the ‘always on’ culture that contributes to the problem.’

Avril Lee, chair of the CIPR Diversity and Inclusion Forum, said: ‘The PR industry agrees that diversity is important for attracting the best talent to bring fresh thinking, creativity and insights into new audiences, but our actions speak louder than our words. And our actions are building a profession of white, ex-public-school professionals; we are less diverse than in previous years.

‘Who can make our industry a fairer place where there is opportunity for all? You! Every manager, every employee, every agency leader – we all need to challenge outdated and biased recruitment and retention policies. We are all responsible for shaping the future of our industry by establishing workplace cultures in which all talent is judged fairly and given an equal opportunity for progression. Without those inside changing the status quo, those outside will remain locked out and our profession will be the poorer for it.’

As the CIPR report states, the numbers may ‘paint a picture of a profession which lacks self-awareness and consciously or unconsciously disadvantages people based on who they are rather than what they can do,’ but this is an industry in the process of self-correcting. Surveys like this can only help with gaining greater insight for the support of those already in PR, and with the improvement of hiring practices for those who could do great work as part of the industry in the future.

Theresa May blaming MPs

Political Headlines – May offers Corbyn compromise talks

Today’s political headlines includes May’s offer to Corbyn to compromise on Brexit, EU leaders would reject request for short delay, manufacturing growth sectors vulnerable to Brexit and Lamb warns he may quit Lib Dems. 

May offers Corbyn Brexit compromise talks
The Guardian reports that Theresa May used a statement after yesterday’s seven-hour long Cabinet meeting to offer to enter talks with Jeremy Corbyn to find a Brexit compromise, which he has accepted. She said she would request a further extension from the EU, but hoped for a deal with Labour or a decision by Parliament before next Wednesday so European Parliament elections could be avoided. Sources say that the meeting was ‘at times fractious and bad tempered’, with 14 ministers opposed to a long extension, although some claimed that only four favoured a no-deal Brexit. However, The Daily Telegraph claims that 14 ministers were in favour of no-deal, with 10 preferring an extension. Jacob Rees-Mogg said that the decision is ‘an attempt to overturn the referendum that wanted a clear Brexit’.

EU leaders would reject request for short delay
According to The Times, EU leaders will reject a request for a short delay to Brexit, with French President Emmanuel Macron saying that the only choice was between a long extension or no-deal. However, European Council President Donald Tusk said that leaders should ‘be patient’ and see what happens in the UK.

Manufacturing growth sectors vulnerable to Brexit
The Financial Times says that UK manufacturing growth over the past decade has been driven by just four sectors – food, motor vehicles, other transport equipment and repair of machinery – and that these rely most on a close relationship with the EU. PwC warned that Brexit would be ‘costly’ to these industries, which new Office for National Statistics figures show were responsible for 86% of manufacturing growth between 2008 and 2018.

Lamb warns he may quit ‘intransigent’ Lib Dems
The Sun reports that former Liberal Democrat leadership contender Norman Lamb has warned that he may quit the party as it was being ‘intransigent’ over Brexit. He was the only one of the party’s MPs to vote in favour of a customs union during Monday’s indicative votes and said he was worried his party had become ‘the mirror image of the ERG.’

MPs call for prison sentences of under a year to be abolished
The Daily Telegraph says that a new report by the Commons Justice Committee endorses Justice Secretary David Gauke’s plan to axe prison sentences shorter than six months, but suggests that he should go further and abolish all sentences of less than a year. It says this would improve prison safety and allow more to be spent on rehabilitation.

NAO criticises nuclear submarine storage
The Guardian reports that the National Audit Office has criticised the Ministry of Defence over the cost of nuclear submarine storage. It says that failings in the ‘dismal’ programme have cost the UK £500m, with none of the 20 vessels decommissioned since 1980 having been disposed of, risking the UK’s reputation as a ‘responsible nuclear power’.

Police investigate pro-Brexit railway sabotage attempts
The Mirror reports that the British Transport Police are investigating two pro-Brexit attempts to ‘sabotage’ the rail network by placing devices on the tracks which would disrupt signalling systems. Safeguards introduced as a result of EU regulations meant that the devices did not function successfully.

Councils left ‘in the dark’ about Brexit
The BBC carries details of a new report by the Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, which says that the Government has left councils ‘in the dark’ about Brexit and needs to provide more support urgently. It also calls for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to be fast-tracked to replace EU funding.

Brexit is nine days away, apparently, find out what will happen next with Vuelio Political Services

Emmy's mummy and Harry's too

Mummy blogger spotlight: Clare Nicholas, Emmy’s Mummy and Harry’s Too!

Clare Nicholas is the author of Emmy’s Mummy and Harry’s Too! a Top 10 UK Mummy Blog. A former nanny, Clare covers life with her two children and posts reviews, activities and competitions on her blog. We caught up with Clare to find out what’s best about being a mum, setting up a YouTube channel for her daughter and working with brands and PRs.

How has your blog changed in the last year?
It’s continued to grow from strength to strength, although I have also launched a second blog to start getting back to writing for me again. Starting from scratch again was a little daunting though and I certainly need to add more hours into my day.

How does social media feed into your blog – are any channels more important?
This year I’ve taken more of a focus on growing and improving my Instagram content and followers. I’ve dipped my toes into IG stories and love interacting with my followers over there. My goal for this year is to hit 10k and gain that much wanted swipe up.

I have turned YouTube over to my daughter. Emmy has been desperate for her own channel and has a love of watching Vlogs. She now has her own channel and she’s working hard (with my help) on adding content over there.

What’s the perfect Mother’s Day?
I’ve actually just written about this one and as much as I adore and love my kids, a day to myself would be amazing. No cooking, cleaning or breaking up fights.

What’s the best thing about being a mum?
It’s a dream come true for me, there were years when I didn’t actually think it would happen for me, but I didn’t give up that dream and it was fourth time lucky.

I love everything about being a mum, but the best times are those sleepy times when they sneak into my bed and all they want is a cuddle with mum.

What advice would you give new mothers?
Take any help offered and there is no right or wrong way to do things. Work out what works for you and trust your instincts.

The UK Bloggers Survey revealed Parenting as a supersector – how do you feel parenting fits in to the broader blogosphere?
While it may be the largest sector, many start out as parenting bloggers to document their children’s milestones (which is what I did) before finding their niche and moving onto with something completely different or combining it with crafts, travel or even cooking alongside.

Parenting blogs can help others from feeling alone, they help to show other parents that their problems are normal, that we all get stressed and can help to relieve the boredom of a 3am feed. They can be a mix of factual and humorous and make for more entertaining reading than a textbook in those lonelier times.

The Survey also revealed that bloggers post less frequently – is this your experience?
I guess it depends on the age of their children. Those with young babies may find it harder to find the time to post but as my children are older I post more frequently than I ever have done. I struggled with posting when the kids were home and young and could only do so in the evenings, but now they are in full time school I’ve no excuse not to find the time.

Do you accept PR press releases?
I do and I try my hardest to reply to all of them, posting which are relevant and forming a relationship with the PRs at the same time. Not all fit our family but it takes two minutes to reply and say why it’s not a good fit and by doing so it helps to build an ongoing relationship for future work.

How do you choose which PRs and brands to work with?
They have to be something we would use or the kids enjoy, gone are the days of saying yes to every review that was pitched to me.

They need to be in keeping with our family feel so gambling is a no-no and payday loans etc won’t feature.

I’m open to suggestions on many topics and can easily turn my hand to writing within my own style to fit what the brand wants if the price is right.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
Attending the red-carpet premiere of the BFG remains my all-time favourite event. Of course, we love working with various travel companies on holiday reviews, the press launch of the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas was amazing and working with Merlin Annual Pass was possibly the kids’ favourite.

What other blogs do you read?
I struggle to find time to read many any more sadly but The Oliver’s Madhouse, written by my good friend Jaime, hits my inbox weekly as I don’t see enough of her and her lovely boys,

Whinge Whinge Wine also gets my vote. Written by the lovely Fran, every post has me giggling out loud.

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House of commons

Political Headlines – MPs reject all Brexit options once again

Today’s political headlines includes MPs rejecting all Brexit options again, Sedwill warns of no-deal risks, Brexiteers to urge May to give EU ultimatum and Boles quits Tories. 

MPs reject all Brexit options again
As The Times reports, a majority of MPs again failed to back any of the alternative Brexit proposals put forward in yesterday’s indicative votes. A customs union was rejected by 3 votes, a second referendum by 12, and the ‘Common Market 2.0’ plan by 21. The Cabinet will hold a five-hour meeting today, with speculation that Theresa May could threaten Brexiteers with a general election and Chancellor Philip Hammond will warn that if the Government doesn’t put forward a compromise proposal, it should hold a referendum as neither the Conservatives or the UK can ‘afford an election’.

Sedwill warns of no-deal risks
The Daily Mail has obtained a letter warning about the risks of a no-deal Brexit from Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill to Cabinet ministers. He writes that this would force up food prices by up to 10q, disrupt national security making the UK ‘less safe’, lead to the reimposition of direct rule in Northern Ireland and cause a recession, with the Government under pressure ‘to bail out companies’.

Brexiteers to urge May to give EU ultimatum
According to The Sun, Brexiteer ministers will use today’s Cabinet meeting to press Theresa May to issue a final ultimatum to the EU – either the backstop is improved or the UK will leave with no deal in ten days. However, according to the paper consensus is growing for a run-off vote between May’s deal and a customs union with the EU.

Boles quits Tories
The Guardian reports that former minister Nick Boles quit the Conservatives yesterday, announcing his departure in the Commons after his ‘Common Market 2.0’ Brexit proposal failed. He said that he had chosen to leave because ‘my party refuses to compromise’ and would now sit as an ‘independent progressive conservative’.

MPs call for ‘Big Four’ accounting firms to be split up
The Financial Times carries details of a new report by the Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee which calls for the break-up of the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms by the Competition and Markets Authority when it publishes its final proposals for the sector in a ‘few weeks’. Committee chair Rachel Reeves said change was ‘long overdue’ and the dominance of a few firms had led to ‘audits which investors and the public cannot rely on.’

Social media firms to be fined over knife sales
According to The Daily Telegraph, the Government’s new white paper on online harms, expected next week, will announce fines for social media firms which allow the sale of knives and don’t remove violent content, such as ‘drill’ music videos. This would be policed by a regulator with the power to fine companies up to 4% of their global turnover.

Parents who home educate children to be required to register
The Times reports that Education Secretary Damian Hinds is to require parents whose children are home educated to register with local authorities, allowing intervention to take place where the standard of the education provided is too low or only a religious education is being given. If parents refuse to register, existing ‘school attendance orders’ will be used to force them to send their children to school, with other penalties under consideration.

Climate change protesters disrupt Brexit debate
The Guardian says that yesterday’s debate on Brexit in the Commons was disrupted by semi-naked climate change protesters who glued themselves to the glass of the public gallery. They were removed by the police and 12 people were arrested for outraging public decency.

Keep up to date with Brexit with Vuelio Political Services

Knife crime

Political Headlines – knife crime, resignations warning and Chris Grayling

Today’s political headlines includes knife crime to be treated like a disease, Ministers warn of resignations over soft Brexit, Grayling says next Prime Minister needs experience and Corbyn says he’s ready for an election. 

Knife crime to be treated like a disease
The Daily Mail reports that Theresa May and Home Secretary Sajid Javid are to announce a new ‘public health’ approach to knife crime at a youth crime summit today. Schools, hospitals and social services will be given a legal duty to report knife wounds so that children can be referred to violence reduction units. Writing in the paper, they vow to ‘treat the threat which knives pose to our society like a disease.’

Ministers warn of resignations over soft Brexit
The Times says that ministers, including Chris Grayling and Penny Mordaunt, have warned Theresa May that they might resign if she agrees to a ‘soft’ Brexit this week. However, yesterday Justice Secretary David Gauke said that Conservative MPs needed to recognise that they didn’t have the votes for their favoured Brexit. The paper adds that some ministers have suggested that May should attempt a ‘fudge’ by agreeing a ‘customs partnership’ with the EU – a proposal previously rejected by both the Cabinet and the EU.

Grayling says next Prime Minister needs experience
Interviewed by The Daily Telegraph, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has suggested that the next Prime Minister should be an experienced Brexiteer because ‘the next two or three years are going to be very tough’. He added that they may not be the same person who the party would want as a leader in the 2027 general election, so it would then be time to turn to one of the ‘really good generation of younger politicians in their 40s’.

Corbyn says he’s ready for an election
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says that his party is ‘ready for a general election’ and to deliver its ‘alternative Brexit plan’, though he added that it ‘must be about the future of our country, not just Brexit’. He said that he took ‘nothing for granted’ but an election ‘would be the chance to change politics in a fundamental way.’

Customs union may win indicative votes
The Times suggests that a customs union with the EU could emerge as the victor from today’s indicative votes on Brexit options after Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry hinted yesterday that the party would be unable to back the ‘Common Market 2.0’ plan as it would continue freedom of movement.

SNP close to backing single market plan
According to The Sun, the Tory rebels backing the Norway-style ‘Common Market 2.0’ proposal are close to securing the support of the SNP for their plan. The SNP abstained on the proposal last week, but their support today could potentially give it more votes than the rival customs union plan.

Chief Whip says Government should have been clearer about ‘softer Brexit’
Chief Whip Julian Smith told the BBC that the Government ‘should have just been clearer’ that the general election result in 2017 ‘inevitably’ led to a softer Brexit. Interviewed for a new documentary, he said that the Cabinet’s behaviour was the ‘worst example of ill-discipline in Cabinet in British political history’.

Windrush compensation to be announced
In an exclusiveThe Sun says that Home Secretary Sajid Javid is now ready to announce details of the compensation scheme for victims of the Windrush scandal. The Chancellor has agreed to give the Home Office £100m for the scheme, which may be launched this week, with officials suggesting that at least 15,000 people may be entitled to compensation.

Every issue – Brexit or otherwise – can be covered for you by Vuelio Political Services

Pre-R

Creative PR? It’s child’s play

Vuelio is delighted to announce the launch of a brand-new PR agency, staffed exclusively by children. Pre-R will be run by primary school children and focus on creative PR and publicity.  

The fully integrated Vuelio platform helps users identify, understand and engage with their audiences – all they need is great ideas. ‘We have implausibly wondrous campaign concepts but have never before been trusted to enact them at an agency level’, said Pre-R’s surprisingly articulate CEO, Avril Falls, aged 7¾. ‘Thanks to Vuelio, we can focus on what’s important – creativity, building relationships and communication’.

While Vuelio is a software platform, it felt there was a gap in the market for a new kind of agency, one where creativity was championed in its purest, most innocent, form. The company is working in partnership with a local school, St MacGuffin’s Primary School for Creative Children, and has made Pre-R’s office in Mrs Sham’s classroom, 2S.

The staff start their morning with a glass of milk and there’s a group nap after story time in the afternoon. Pre-R’s office manager Bo Gus, 6½, said: ‘I imagine you’re all thinking, “oh great, another hipster agency starting their day with milk and having afternoon naps”, but loads of the staff get cranky if they don’t stick to their routine’.

When it’s time for work, the children at Pre-R come up with a creative campaign then use Vuelio to identify stakeholders, whether it’s journalists, editors and producers; bloggers, vloggers and social influencers; or even MPs, their staff and local councillors. They connect with them through the platform and then track the coverage with media monitoring to see the results in real time.

‘Real-time monitoring makes a huge difference and because Vuelio is integrated, the coverage is automatically linked back to our releases’, said Senior Account Manager May Dup, nearly 7. ‘It’s a real rush when you can prove you’re responsible for Tinky Winky mentioning a client, especially as the Tubbies don’t actually speak!’.

When it’s time to report back to clients, advanced analytics automatically create graphs and charts proving successful ROI and Canvas allows them to share all their success in one place, with one link.

‘I’m probably biased, but it really is child’s play’, Dup continued. ‘Vuelio is so easy to use, we can finally put our imagination to good use’.

Though the agency has only officially launched today, 1 April, they already have a number of clients on board, keen to work with the latest in creative PR.

‘Our clients are all keen to get publicity today, and while one of our account managers wanted the first campaign to be about dinosaurs, we’re probably looking at doing something for April Fool’s, considering that’s now our birthday’, Falls said, ‘We just hope everyone takes the joke in the right way’.

For more information on Pre-R, and to replicate its success with the latest in PR and communications software, get in touch with Vuelio.

Harriet Shearsmith Toby and Roo

Mummy blogging spotlight: Harriet Shearsmith, Toby & Roo

Harriet Shearsmith is the award-winning mummy blogger behind Toby & Roo. Consistently ranked in the Top 10 UK Mummy Blogs, Harriet writes about family life with ‘crazy boys’ Reuben and Tobias and ‘dictator-like’ daughter Edith. With Mother’s Day on Sunday (don’t forget!), we caught up with Harriet to find out how to celebrate in the best way, advice for new mums and the importance of communication in collaborations.

How has your blog changed in the last year?
I feel that my focus has moved away from my blog and more into Instagram and social media content. I have cut back the amount I’m writing and trying to focus more on the style of content really resonating with me and my readership.

How does social media feed into your blog – are any channels more important?
Instagram is absolutely the most important channel for me, and the most important aspect of my career really. I think that my focus has moved across to it as a platform and I love that. I’m a very visual person so it works well for me.

What’s the perfect Mother’s Day?
Ohhhh breakfast in bed, snuggles on the sofa and maybe a cinema trip or something? Definitely a relaxed one! If they could all make sure the house is spotless then that would be EPIC!

Toby & Roo

What’s the best thing about being a mum?
Just having the honour of watching them develop into little people. All of mine are so different and I love that – it just goes to prove they are their own little people! It’s such a pleasure to see them change and I adore being a mum to these three beauties, even when it’s exhausting and overwhelming.

What advice would you give new mothers?
Don’t expect perfection! It isn’t going to happen – you will make mistakes and you should absolutely forgive yourself for it. I think taking each day as it comes it so important.

The UK Bloggers Survey revealed Parenting as a supersector – how do you feel parenting fits in to the broader blogosphere?
I think it’s incredibly important and a vital part of blogging that I hope never disappears! It’s not easy being a parent and there are a lot of times at 3am when I just felt so alone. I think from a mental health perspective, it’s so important to share our experiences, as a society we lack the community or ‘village’ that our parents perhaps had, so to be able to connect around these really busy lives we lead is massively important.

The Survey also revealed that bloggers post less frequently – is this your experience?
Absolutely! When I first started blogging I posted one to two times a day, every weekday. Short, snappy little posts, and then over time I would change to one a day and eventually I have whittled it down to much longer posts three times a week. To see how my blog has evolved is really interesting to me and while I don’t think that blogging is ever ‘dying out’ I do think it’s evolving and taking a slight back seat to social.

Do you accept PR press releases?
I do! I don’t mind press releases at all, sometimes you find something really interesting.

How do you choose which PRs and brands to work with?
PRs are usually taken care of by my team at Kameleon, however brands are all down to me. I have some things that just don’t fit with me or my ideals and therefore I won’t work with them. I’m not a fan of diet products so I avoid them like the plague, despite being asked on an almost daily basis if I would like to try one shake, or herbal treatment, or another. I feel like a brand has to fit with me, and if I am unsure of the brand I will Google them to try and work out if there is anything I think makes us incompatible.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
I’ve worked on so many amazing collabs that I truly have LOVED so it would be really hard to list just one! I think for me, anything that gives me a clear idea of the client expectations but a license to be creative is perfect. I love the flexibility to go back to a client and say that this would work better for my audience if we did this, or can I do XYZ to instead of ABC. It’s that communication!

What other blogs do you read?
I’ve come away from reading a lot of blogs lately and I tend to focus more on social media and engaging with people on there. I do LOVE Emily Leary from A Mummy Too – her recipes are amazing. I will be eagerly looking for recommendations!

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Gov

Political Headlines on original Brexit day – MPs vote on half of May’s deal and EU prepares year-long extension

Today’s political headlines includes MPs voting on half of May’s Brexit deal, EU leaders preparing to offer UK year-long extension, Tory leadership contenders jostle for position and soft brexit backers working on compromise. 

MPs to vote on half of May’s Brexit deal
As the BBC reports, yesterday the Government announced that MPs will vote on the Withdrawal Agreement half of Theresa May’s Brexit deal today. However, Labour has confirmed that it was oppose the Government, accusing it of trying to push through a ‘blindfold Brexit’, while the DUP are also opposed, suggesting that the Government is likely to be defeated.

EU leaders prepare to offer UK year-long extension
According to The Times, if MPs fail to back the Withdrawal Agreement today, EU leaders are preparing for a special summit on April 10 at which the UK will be offered a choice of an extension of up to a year, forcing it to hold European elections in May, or a no-deal Brexit. The paper adds that preparations for the European elections are being increased, with returning officers being placed on standby.

Tory leadership contenders jostle for position
The Daily Telegraph reports on emerging contenders for the Conservative leadership, claiming that Jeremy Hunt has told colleagues that he has the definite backing of 75 MPs and the possible support of a further 25, while Sajid Javid has been trying to persuade Michael Gove to support his leadership bid. The paper adds that Dominic Raab has ‘set out his stall as the “no-deal Brexit candidate”’. The Sun claims that Liz Truss has hinted that she will also stand, announcing that she backs a Canada-style free trade deal with the EU, while a party source claimed that up to 30 MPs were considering standing.

Soft Brexit backers working on compromise options
The Guardian says that MPs who back a softer Brexit are working on compromise options to be voted on by the Commons in Monday’s round of indicative votes, including discussions with the Labour frontbench. One senior MP told the paper that they were trying to combine Labour’s alternative Brexit, Ken Clarke’s customs union proposal, and the ‘common market 2.0’ option. The Times adds that supporters of the ‘common market 2.0’ plan have been holding talks with the DUP and the SNP.

British Chambers of Commerce say that MPs have let businesses down
The Financial Times reports that Adam Marshall, the director-general of the British Chambers, told the organisation’s annual conference yesterday that MPs had ‘let British businesses down’, complaining about Brexit uncertainty and saying that politicians’ ‘tactics’ and ‘soundbites’ had left businesses in despair.

Efforts to deselect Grieve led by former UKIP candidate
The Times says that attempts by local Conservative members to deselect Dominic Grieve are being led by a man, Jon Conway, who stood against him for UKIP two years ago. He is to face a vote of no confidence today as a result of his support for a second Brexit referendum.

Former Labour members arrested as part of investigation into antisemitism dossier
The Sun reports that the police have arrested three former Labour members, including a former council candidate, on suspicion of publishing or producing ‘race hate material’, as part of an investigation into a leaked dossier of antisemitic social media posts handed to Metropolitan Police chief constable Cressida Dick during an interview on LBC.

Lord Winston demands licence plates for cyclists
The Times says that Labour peer and IVF pioneer Lord Winston is calling for cyclists to be made to carry licence plates, after he was kicked and had his phone thrown to the ground by a woman he criticised for cycling on the pavement. He told the paper that he was considering introducing a private member’s bill on the proposal.

The UK is not exiting the EU today, so when will it? Find out with Vuelio Political Services

Twin mummy and daddy

Mummy blogging spotlight: Emily Higgins, Twin Mummy and Daddy

Emily Higgins is behind Twin Mummy and Daddy, the mummy blog that recently joined the Top 10 UK Mummy Blogs for the first time. One half of a parent-blogging power couple (the other being DIY Daddy’s Nige), Emily writes about life with her two twins, from the IVF journey to everyday adventures.

We caught up with Emily to find out about the different social channels she uses, the perfect’s Mother’s Day and getting to know your kids.

How has your blog changed in the last year?
I don’t think my blog has changed much in the last year. So much has happened in my personal life from redundancy, my husband’s ill health, starting a new business, and now starting a new job, that I’ve just continued to plough on as normal with my blog. I have so many things I’d love to change in terms of blog layout and design, but I just haven’t had the time to do any of it.

How does social media feed into your blog – are any channels more important?
Social media is important in terms of my blog as it’s where most of my audience comes from, particularly Twitter and Facebook. I share all of my blog posts across social media so naturally it’s where most of my readers find my content.

What’s the perfect Mother’s Day?
A day spent with my children and husband doing pretty much anything together would be perfect. I’m not one for presents, flowers or chocolates etc. A homemade card, cuddles and time spent with my family is all I need.

What’s the best thing about being a mum?
Watching my children grow up into wonderful people. I think it’s amazing how they’ve grown from two tiny, premature babies into two strong, intelligent girls. They amaze me with their passion for learning, exploring the world we live in and just making the best out of any situation.

What advice would you give new mothers?
I think it’s so important for new mums and dads to allow themselves time to bond with their new baby. I know friends and family will be eager to meet the new arrival, but it can be very overwhelming to see your new born being passed around so soon after birth. My best advice would be to give it a day or two, so you can get to know your little one and then let your family and friends meet them too. You won’t ever get back those first few days so make the most of them!

The UK Bloggers Survey revealed Parenting as a supersector – how do you feel parenting fits in to the broader blogosphere?
I think a lot of parents turn to blogs for advice because it’s real. I guess parenting blogs are kind of like Google for parents. If you want tips for weaning, teething or any other aspect of being a parent, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find something about it written on someone’s parenting blog somewhere.

The Survey also revealed that bloggers post less frequently – is this your experience?
Yes! When I first started blogging, I would occasionally publish new content. I had no schedule, I just wrote and published content as and when I wanted. As my blog grew, I found that in order to keep my current readers coming back to my blog, and gain new readers, I’d need to publish content on a more regular basis. As such I always made sure that I had a new post published on my blog every day. Almost seven years later, I’m a lot more laid back! I publish one new blog post every Monday-Wednesday, and then have a feature every Thursday called The Brilliant Mum Feature, and then a Linky for bloggers every Friday. I don’t publish anything over the weekend. It takes the pressure off and means that I can spend time with my family instead of worrying about having to write something.

Do you accept PR press releases?
Yes, as long as they’re in keeping with the content of my blog.

How do you choose which PRs and brands to work with?
I like working with PRs and brands who are up front about what they’re looking for from the beginning. A good first email that addresses me by name, sets out what the campaign is and what the PR or brand would like to achieve from it, in addition to their expectations of what they want from me. I really dislike impersonal emails that either don’t address me by name, get my blog name wrong, approach me with something that has nothing to do with my blog, and worst of all, those who have done no research about me or my blog at all.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
I really enjoyed working with Argos over the summer and Christmas. They’re a great brand to work with, friendly and have great communication. I also really enjoy working with Mecca Bingo. They’re another company who pitch to bloggers really well, plus they’re super friendly and easy to work with!

Some of my favourite collaborations have also been with smaller, independent businesses who have no PRs or big budgets. I love discovering new businesses with great ethics and if I can help promote them then I’m all for it!

What other blogs do you read?
Naturally, I read my husband’s blog, www.diydaddyblog.com. He’s currently number four dad blogger on the top 10 Daddy Blogs Vuelio list. I really admire his honesty in the things he writes about. Some of the subjects he covers such as depression and male suicide raise important questions and great awareness. My husband, Nigel, talks from his own experiences and I think a lot of people learn a lot from him.

I also enjoy reading Vicky’s blog, Miss Tilly and Me. I’ve never met Vicky, but she feels like a friend and her blog posts are always interesting and easy to read.

There are so many other blogs that I enjoy reading such as Five Little Doves, Dad Blog UK, Mummy’s Diary, Run Jump Scrap, Cardiff Mummy Says and so many more!

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The frenchie mummy

Mummy blogger spotlight: Cécile Blaireau, The Frenchie Mummy

Cécile Blaireau is The Frenchie Mummy, a brand new entry into the Top 10 UK Mummy Blogs. Covering the reality of being a first time ‘maman’, the blog includes Cécile’s thoughts, favs, dislikes, rants and moans.

With just days until Mother’s Day, we caught up with Cécile to find out what it’s like making a ‘mini moi’, the importance of rocking your own motherhood journey and why she wants to work on more campaigns that show her opinionated side.

How does social media feed into your blog – are any channels more important?
I mainly use Twitter and Facebook to promote my posts. Instagram is more about my day to day routine and pretty pics of us. I share a lot about our days out and our adventures, but I am not using it much to drive traffic to my blog. It is more fun and a great way to share my personality in images and videos, especially with stories.

Cécile Blaireau

What’s the perfect Mother’s Day?
Anything that involves some good food and potentially a glass of Merlot! This year, we are booked for an afternoon tea in my area and I might have a massage to relax. It will be very sophistiqué. No wine, but I don’t mind! I love the place where we are going.

What’s the best thing about being a mum?
Seeing your little one growing into a nice little person. The scary thing is that he looks more and more like me! I did not realise I was going to create so much of a mini moi. I don’t mind really, LOL!

What advice would you give new mothers?
Don’t worry about everything and books don’t always have the right answer. Just listen to your intuition and avoid pieces of advices from everyone else. They think they know what is best, but it is not always the case! Plus, it is your motherhood journey, so rock it your own way!

top mum bloggersThe UK Bloggers Survey revealed Parenting as a supersector – how do you feel parenting fits in to the broader blogosphere?
I think it is getting bigger. I see so many mums doing their own thing, creating their own business, etc. It doesn’t have to be blogging really! Plus, parents are making the next generation, so we have a word to say!

The Survey also revealed that blogger post less frequently – is this your experience?
I think it all depends on our life. At first, I was eager to post regularly to establish myself and get some practice. But recently, I have learned that I also need to take care of myself and work at my rhythm. Plus, I want to spend some quality time with my little one before he starts school. So, if it means that I might not post for a few days, so be it!

Do you accept PR press releases?
Yes, if it is a brand we like, or it fits with something I want to do.

How do you choose which PRs and brands to work with?
I have a list of PRs I regularly work with, but I am always on the lookout for more! I engage as much as I can on their social channels to get noticed or thank them for working with me. They need some love too!

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
Some with kids’ brands that I have known and loved since I was a little girl myself. Seeing that those brands wanted to work with me made me proud.

And also, the #tickledpink #beyourbreastfriend I was involved with Breast Cancer Care, Breast Cancer Now and Asda not so long ago. It is such an important and personal message I wanted to pass on! Plus, I really want to talk more about women’s issues. I am quite an opiniated person and I want it to be more apparent on my blog.

What other blogs do you read?
I love reading Honest Mum as she is always so inspirational and kind. Many more too!

And a lot of podcasts like #TheSuccessRevolution by the Step Up Club. Those ladies always have inspirational ladies on, and it keeps me going! I need to think all the time to get inspired to write.

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Tory Party Conference

Political Headlines – May promises to quit if MPs back her deal

Today’s political headlines includes May promising to quit if MPs back her deal, MPs failing to back any type of Brexit, Labour MPs rebel against second referendum and May considers splitting deal. 

May promises to quit if MPs back her deal
The Daily Telegraph reports that Theresa May yesterday told her MPs that she was prepared to resign in order to get them to support her Brexit deal, prompting some Conservatives, including Boris Johnson, to grudgingly lend it their backing. However, the DUP continues to insist that it would be ‘impossible’ for its MPs to back the deal, while around 20 Conservative MPs continue to oppose it. Should her deal be approved, the paper expects the leadership contest to start in May, with a new leader chosen by the end of July.

MPs fail to back any type of Brexit
As The Times reports, yesterday’s Indicative votes on possible Brexit outcomes failed to secure majority support from MPs for any option. A continued customs union secured the most support, failing by just eight votes, while a new referendum garnered more votes than expected, losing by 27. Sir Oliver Letwin, who was responsible for the process, announced that attempts to reach a consensus would continue on Monday.

Labour MPs rebel against second Brexit referendum
The Guardian says that Labour’s shadow housing minister, Melanie Onn, resigned yesterday so that she could vote against plans for a second referendum. Shadow cabinet members Jon Trickett, Ian Lavery and Andrew Gwynne all abstained on the policy, while the 27 Labour MPs who rebelled against the whip also included Sheffield City Region mayor Dan Jarvis.

May considers splitting deal
According to the Financial Times, Theresa May is considering trying to circumvent John Bercow’s block on a third meaningful vote by splitting the Brexit deal and only putting the withdrawal agreement before MPs for their approval, cutting off the political declaration on the future relationship. However, the EU Withdrawal Act requires MPs to vote on both.

Council tax increases but cuts to continue
The Times says that the average English council tax bill is to increase by almost 5%, the second highest increase in the last decade. According to the paper this growth is being driven by social care costs, with the Local Government Association warning that cuts in funding from the Government mean there will be ‘continued cutbacks to local government’.

Labour to unveil National Grid nationalisation plans
The BBC reports that Labour is to publish a policy paper laying out its plans to take the National Grid into public ownership. The grid would be run by a new National Energy Agency, with the party arguing that this would deliver lower bills for consumers and help to tackle climate change.

Report slams Grayling’s probation reforms
The Daily Telegraph says that the probation reforms introduced by Chris Grayling when he was Justice Secretary have been criticised by the Chief Inspector of Probation, Dame Glenys Stacey. She concludes that they are ‘irredeemably flawed’, with 80% of the companies awarded contracts ‘inadequate’ and reoffending having increased by 22%.

Former Momentum vice chair expelled by Labour
The Guardian reports that Labour has expelled Jackie Walker, the former vice chair of Momentum, for misconduct. She was suspended from the party over two years ago for comments she made at an antisemitism training session. The Jewish Labour Movement said that the expulsion was ‘two and a half years too late’.

Can you afford not to stay up to date? Let Vuelio Political Services do all the hard work for you. 

Theresa May second meaningful vote

Political Headlines – May to be pressed to set departure date and Rees-Mogg apologises for changing his mind

Today’s political headlines includes May to be pressed to set departure date, Rees-Mogg apologises for changing mind over Brexit, Ministers could resign if Government doesn’t allow free votes today and Brexit extension could see UK leave EU in April 2020. 

May to be pressed to set departure date
According to The Daily Telegraph, at today’s meeting of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs, Theresa May is to be urged to say that she will resign by the autumn. This would lead a number of Brexiteers to withdraw their opposition to her Brexit deal. Speaking at an event organised by the paper, Boris Johnson has hinted that he might reluctantly back the deal if she did so. If she can secure enough backing, a new vote on the deal may be held on Thursday, although Michael Gove has suggested she pick Friday instead.

Rees-Mogg apologises for changing mind over Brexit deal
Writing in the Daily Mail, Jacob Rees-Mogg apologises for changing his mind and backing Theresa May’s Brexit deal, so long as the DUP also back it. He claims that it has become clear that parliamentary numbers mean that ‘all the other potential outcomes are worse’. The paper adds that the European Research Group is likely to split over the deal, with a number of ‘refuseniks’ refusing to back it under any circumstances.

Ministers could resign if Government doesn’t allow free votes today
The Daily Telegraph claims that Theresa May has been warned that up to 20 pro-European junior ministers could resign unless she allows them to vote freely on their preferred Brexit outcomes today, although no Cabinet ministers are expected to quit. The Guardian adds that Jeremy Corbyn is considering whether to back the ‘Common Market 2.0’ proposal in today’s votes, which would keep the UK in the EEA and EFTA.

Brexit extension could see UK leave EU in April 2020
The Guardian reveals that the EU is to suggest a revised Brexit date of 1 April 2020 should the UK request a longer Brexit extension in the coming weeks. The date is contained in papers prepared for use should May have opted to request a longer extension at last week’s European Council summit.

Cameron tells ministers to push for soft Brexit
The Sun claims that former Prime Minister David Cameron has been privately critical to ministers over Theresa May’s failure to pursue a cross-party Brexit compromise, urging remainer MPs to force her to back a customs union with the EU. He apparently told one MP that May would always ‘put the party’s interest first’.

Automatic speed limiters to be fitted to all new cars
The Times says that new measures adopted by the European Commission will mean that all new cars sold in the EU must be fitted with automatic speed limiting and emergency braking technology within the next three years. The Government has pledged that British vehicle standards will be aligned with those of the EU after Brexit.

Government refuses to rethink ‘loan charge’ policy
The Financial Times says that Government has refused to rethink its ‘loan charge’ policy, which will see at least 50,000 people who used loan-based tax avoidance schemes taxed in a single financial year on income on loans they received up to two decades ago, leaving them with bills of up to six figures which they say they cannot pay. Sir Ed Davey, chair of the Loan Charge All-Party Parliamentary Group, said this ‘offends against the rule of law’.

Tory MP criticised after using antisemitic term
The Guardian says that former Brexit minister Suella Braverman has been criticised by the Board of Deputies of British Jews after she used the term ‘cultural Marxism’, often linked to antisemitic conspiracy theories, in a speech. Questioned afterwards, the Conservative MP said that she stood by her use of the phrase, despite its far-right connotations.

When will the UK exit the EU? Stay up to date with Vuelio Political Services.

Jo Middleton mummy blogger

The number one mummy blog: Slummy Single Mummy

Jo Middleton is the multi-award-winning blogger behind Slummy Single Mummy. The current holder of Mummy Blog of the Year from the Vuelio Blog Awards 2018, and the number one ranked blog in the Top 10 Mummy Blogs, Slummy Single Mummy has followed parenting and family life as Jo’s children grow up. Among Jo’s many achievements, she has just published her first novel, Playgroups and Prosecco.

Soon to be a grandmother, Jo will have a whole new generation and perspective from which to write about parenting and motherhood.  

How has your blog changed in the last year?
Quite a lot actually, as the last year has been a really exciting one for me! About 10 months ago I was approached by a publisher about writing a novel, so that took up quite a lot of time over the summer and forced me to blog less frequently. Then just before Christmas I found out I was going to be a granny, so it’s set to come full circle soon and hopefully have a lot more baby related content!

How does social media feed into your blog – are any channels more important?
Social media is massively important for my blog, more so than ever before. In fact, I’d say there are a lot more people now who know me JUST through social media. I use it to promote new blog posts, but more and more brands now are wanting standalone social content, especially on Instagram.

What’s the perfect Mother’s Day?
This Mother’s Day we are going out for a massive family roast dinner at a lovely country pub, which is pretty perfect I’d say! Because my children are older now I don’t get to enjoy a lie-in as a luxury any more – it’s more about trying to get them OUT of bed than to stay in it.

Jo Middleton

What’s the best thing about being a mum?
You become a parent, so you have someone to hang out with at Christmas when you get old right?? Apart from that… I’m really enjoying having older children and getting to see how my parenting has shaped them into young adults.

What advice would you give new mothers?
Everyone says it but trust your instincts – no one knows your baby better than you and no amount of well-meaning advice can replace your own understanding and connection with your baby. Also, there’s no right or wrong answer, no ‘perfect’ way to parent, so just do your best. They’ll probably only remember the stuff you mess up on anyway!

The UK Bloggers Survey revealed Parenting as a supersector – how do you feel parenting fits in to the broader blogosphere?
I think parenting is a massively important category, because it spans so many different things. I can write about money or food or travel and it can all have a family angle to it.

The Survey also revealed that blogger post less frequently – is this your experience?
Yes definitely. As I said, I’ve found social channels becoming more important as standalone methods of communication and I think this is reflected in people reading blogs less frequently and bloggers posting less on their main blog.

Do you accept PR press releases?
I don’t tend to read generic press releases, but always happy to read ideas for creative content.

How do you choose which PRs and brands to work with?
It’s a combination of factors, but I like a personal, creative approach and of course it has to be for a product or service that I genuinely feel I would enjoy or find useful.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
Gosh, there have been so many! Anything that gives me a ‘behind the scenes’ look at something is always fun, but lately I’ve been really enjoying food related stuff, as creating recipes really gets me thinking creatively, and I love the process of making something, photographing it, and presenting it – it’s a fun journey.

What other blogs do you read?
Backing up the whole blog/social shift I don’t actually read many other blogs – I’m really into watching other people’s Instagram stories at the moment instead.

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Mudpie Fridays

Mummy blogger spotlight: Clare Minall, Mudpie Fridays

Clare Minall writes Mudpie Fridays to share what she and her sons, Monkey and Kipper, get up to as she balances work, motherhood and all the adventures of life. Recently ranked in the Top 10 Mummy Blogs, Clare told us about how social media works with her blog, the joys of being a mother, posting on a daily basis and working with brands and PRs on magical experiences.

How has your blog changed in the last year?
I am saying no a lot more! Last year my blog really came of age. Up until this point I would say yes to pretty much any type of work. I was amazed that people would give us the opportunity to review items and pay me for editorial content. What I didn’t appreciate was just how much time it takes to create a blog post, get just the right photo, edit the photos and then promote it via social media.

The penny dropped I was working hour upon hour writing content but sometimes my heart wasn’t in it. As much as it was valuable SEO it taught me the sort of content I enjoyed creating and the sort that I didn’t. I think it shows in my writing which hopefully means I do a better job for the brand, my readers enjoy it more and I am a lot more relaxed.

How does social media feed into your blog – are any channels more important?
I tend to favour Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Everything I write will get shared across all these channels. Depending on the content I will also create a pin, but I only tend to do this for evergreen posts. Pinterest creates the biggest referral stream to my blog outside of Google and other search engines. Currently it’s probably my most underutilised channel, which is something I plan to address this year. It’s hard to keep all the social media channels spinning, each has its only personality, so I think it’s natural to favour one over another.

What’s the perfect Mother’s Day?
Hopefully this years! Anything which gives me the opportunity to spend time with my little family without distractions. A chance to reconnect without time pressure, or a to do list getting in the way. So much so that this year we are going off the grid. I think it will force us all to stay off electronics. I am surprised by just how much I am looking forward to it. Although my eldest needs some convincing.

Clare Minall

What’s the best thing about being a mum?
It’s so hard to choose! I think seeing the world through the boy’s eyes. Constantly juggling, running from one thing to another as an adult, it’s easy to miss the magic in every day. Yet taking the time to spend with the boys and see their joy in simple things reminds me of where my priorities should lie. They help keep me on the straight and narrow.

What advice would you give new mothers?
A wise person once said to me that you have to listen to your gut and trust your instinct. You will come across a lot of people offering advice. Some of this advice will relate to experience based on knowing a few things about lots of babies. But you as a mother will know a lot of things about your baby. So trust it. It’s something I have followed with both boys even though they were very different babies and even more different as children. Believing I know what is right for my child and trusting it makes me a lot more relaxed as a parent.

The UK Bloggers Survey revealed Parenting as a supersector – how do you feel parenting fits in to the broader blogosphere?
I discovered blogs when I was first pregnant trying to navigate one of life’s biggest changes, so I am not surprised that parenting is now considered a supersector. Parenting can link with pretty much every blog out there. A beauty blogger could still be a mum. A travel blogger could focus on family travel. A food blogger could produce ‘free from recipes’ because their little ones have allergies. Many bloggers in other sectors could well be parents themselves. I would find it hard now that I am a parent for it not to shape my thinking or my writing, since it’s so integral to everything I do.

The Survey also revealed that bloggers post less frequently – is this your experience?
I tend to try to schedule a daily post. There are weeks when this is not possible as I may have specific social media campaigns. I am not sure if frequency is that important but its more about consistency. I try to write certain types of posts on certain days or times of the month so that people know what to expect. There are also posts that I write purely for me. Mudpie Fridays originally started as an online diary as I tried to navigate secondary infertility. Not that I realised that’s what it was then. But recording our adventures as a family of three helped and then when I finally managed to hang on to a baby the weekly diary kept me sane.

Do you accept PR press releases?
I do, but as I mentioned previously it needs to be in keeping with my brand, my values and my families preferences. This way it’s more likely to be received well by my audience. If it doesn’t tick the box, then it’s likely the brand would get a better response with someone else anyway. I would also want to build my own narrative around the release in my voice, which is what my readers expect.

How do you choose which PRs and brands to work with?
PR wise it’s a relationship game, I have been very fortunate to work with some lovely PRs over the last few years. Brand wise I pick based on whether it’s a brand I would choose to buy outside of the blog. If it’s an experience or event would I choose to take the boys there if I wasn’t being paid or offered something based on a review? If the answer’s no, then if I worked with them the post is unlikely to flow properly and it would be obvious to my readers.

Mudpie Fridays

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
We have been so fortunate over the last few years and had some amazing experiences. Anything family travel orientated or that gives my family the opportunity to try something new scores highly. While we were reviewing a resort complex in Crete last October we were invited on a Cretan Cookery Course. The people that ran it were so hospitable and made such an effort with the boys. I can still remember Monkey’s face as he mixed the pork with all the vegetables, his sleeves rolled up, a huge grin on his face, chatting away. Once the food was prepared and cooked, we all sat down and ate together. Over the table we shared travel stories with the other guests, before being treated to some traditional music as the evening drew in.

In November last year, Monkey and I were invited to Finland by the Levi Tourist board. It was a once in a life time experience that saw us stay in a glass igloo underneath the stars and chase auroras. Those memories will stay with us both for a lifetime and its simply not something we would be able to afford to do without having Mudpie Friday.

What other blogs do you read?
Lots! I read more blogs than I do books, magazines and newspapers so it’s very hard to choose some favourites. However if I had to choose then the ones I read my frequently are Laura at Dear Bear & Beany, Becky at Cuddle Fairy and Donna at What the Redhead Said. They all have children similar in age to my boys, so I can really relate to their parenting journeys.

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Article 13

Industry associations react to EU copyright vote

The European Parliament’s vote to pass new laws for copyright on the internet has been met with criticism from industry giants like Google, high-profile Youtubers, and associations including the CIPR and PRCA.

‘Memes’ and parody are safe under the Article 13 – passed on Tuesday with a 348-274 vote – but reuse of material beyond reaction gifs created for sharing on Twitter or Tumblr could be subject to censor. Francis Ingham, director general of the PRCA said: ‘We risk chilling online engagement with overreaching roles on copyright. This comes, ironically, at a time when we need the public to engage with the news more than ever’.

Though Article 13 has the aim of passing accountability for copyright-breaking content from the public and onto the digital companies that host its distribution, this may still have unintended negative consequences for individuals looking to share their thoughts on current events online. The directive’s upload filters – though intended to support news organisations and providers – may silence public opinion before it can be shared and, according to the CIPR’s stance, ‘damage the rights of internet users’. For CIPR Chief Executive Alastair McCapra, ‘Mandatory licenses and content filters are a disproportionate response to the problem and will not tackle the problem of the illegal sharing of right-protected content online.’

High-profile figures are on each side of the argument regarding the new laws, such as musicians Wyclef Jean (against) and Debbie Harry (for). Companies who had protested the passing of Article 13 include PornHub – a platform that has previously provided a haven for users leaving the social blogging platform Tumblr post-censorship to instead create and share GIFs with them [This link is surprisingly safe for work]. Tumblr’s ban on ‘NSFW’ content in December 2018 has already seen the social blogging site lose 30% of its web traffic, and though Article 13’s copyright focus is far from Tumblr’s ‘female-presenting nipples’ aversion, social sharing sites could still be negatively affected in a similar way when it comes to engagement and user numbers.

For journalists and content creators, the new laws are designed to support and protect their work from companies sharing without payment or proper accreditation. A noble aim, but one that comes with caveats and consequences that won’t always be conducive to creativity and reward. Laws that could curb future controversies like that of the @fuckjerry account aggregating without consent may also harm journalistic free thought, and that’s something that will have an impact on the PR industry.

McCapra said: ‘[Article 13] will force restrictions on the way PR professionals work and deliver value for clients and businesses across Europe’, which is a view that many PRs are likely to share in the coming months. However the industry reacts to the new laws as their reality sets in, PR firms and freelancers (and the content creators they work with) are going to have to get creative to work with the incoming filters and restrictions… or the new opportunities, depending if you’re team Jean or team Harry.

Vuelio are exhibiting at B2B Marketing Expo 2019

On 27 and 28 March, the ExCeL Centre will transform into Europe’s leading marketing event, B2B Marketing Expo. Exhibiting on stand 2212, the Vuelio team will be ready to answer any questions about our portfolio of products, from the market-leading journalist enquiry service to our fully integrated communications suite.

You’ll find the Vuelio stand close to three masterclasses, including digital marketing, customer acquisition and empowering your ecommerce, so why not get up to speed with the latest marketing theory and visit our stand all in one trip!

With hundreds of other exhibitors to visit at B2B Marketing Expo this year you’ll need to make sure you’ve got a solid plan, so you don’t miss anyone out.

And we’ll be running a special competition for a chance to win £100 for a charity of your choice. Just speak to any member of the Vuelio team – you can’t miss us.

Unable to make it this year? Follow @Vuelio and stay up to date with the latest news, events and blog posts.

UK Bloggers Survey PR opinions

The blogosphere is evolving – what does the PR industry need to do to catch up?

Bloggers are getting smarter about navigating the industry and finding success, according to results from the UK Bloggers Survey 2019, but could the PR industry be doing more to adapt alongside them?

According to the statistics, more bloggers are choosing to monetise their posts, with women in particular utilising blogging as a business rather than a hobby. But there’s still improvement to be made in how PRs can work with the community to measure success, to improve diversity within the UK blogging sphere, and to work on the gender split that continues in key verticals.

72% of the female bloggers surveyed blog for professional reasons rather than personal, in comparison to a 44% personal/56% professional split for male respondents
Is the fact that women are leading the way in monetising their blogs a sign of dominance in the sphere? ‘I think it’s to do with men blogging for fun outside of a day job and not seeing it as generating the kind of income they might like’, says Fiona Scott, who works with bloggers for her Wiltshire-based media consultancy. ‘Women may be more willing to accept a lower income in return for doing something they love which fits around their other responsibilities, e.g. children.’

That the results are a reflection of continuing gender inequality is a view backed up by Mindy Gofton, head of marketing strategy & innovation at i-com.net: ‘Research has shown that women’s spending money is more likely to get spent on the family as a whole, while men’s spending money is more likely to get spent on themselves. Given that women have lower average salaries and that they are far more likely to work part-time or to be full-time carers or full-time parents, it stands to reason that monetising a blog is a way to have a little additional financial freedom that their male counterparts simply don’t need.’

89% of the bloggers felt that PRs should focus on the quality of engagement to measure success
Methods of measuring success is something PRs and bloggers still disagree on, with bloggers valuing quality over the PR focus on quantity. Is this something that needs to change?

‘Measuring the success of a blogger campaign is something the PR industry needs to work on’, says Nobull’s junior account manager Amy Green, who has previously decided not to work with higher-following bloggers if they don’t fit a campaign’s specific objectives. ‘The standard “PR Value” and “Circulation” almost don’t apply anymore. Understanding what the purpose of the campaign is defines how you are going to measure the success.’

‘I think it’s important to not only focus on numbers but also on the engagement,’ says Nicole Rohde at luxury fashion brand Maxwell-Scott. ‘We are all aware that nowadays there are millions of fake accounts on social media and there is also the hidden world of buying fake Instagram followers. I often ask bloggers for case studies on previous collaborations so that I can estimate the level of engagement a post about my brand will get. It’s more important to find a blogger that absolutely fits in with the overall strategy of your brand, rather than the biggest.’

40% of bloggers consider themselves more trusted than traditional journalists (down from the 54% the year prior)
What do PRs consider better value – features in traditional media, or posts from high-profile bloggers? 40% of bloggers surveyed believe they’re more trusted than journalists, and they may be onto something. Bloggers often have more capacity to work on a piece, according to Procoal’s Tom Bourlet: ‘With the expectancy now on many journalists to burn and churn through content on a much more regular basis to match online demands, they simply don’t have the time they used to.’

Speed is something Model Village CEO William Soulier also sees as a positive: ‘The limited red-tape in terms of sign-off and internal processes enables bloggers to turn around content much faster. This ultimately gives them an edge.’ But it’s detail that Nicole appreciates in the fashion sphere: ‘Bloggers will usually provide outfit suggestion to go along with your product. They show how the item can be used in everyday situations, which provides the target audience with a better idea.’

Whether bloggers are a more reliable choice that traditional journalists is something head of outreach and content Simona Bojare considers in her work at Ascent Group: ‘I still work with A LOT of bloggers but I’ve become a lot more selective than I was few years ago. As an industry, we’re definitely seeing people/readers be a lot more sceptical when it comes to influencer/blogger endorsements. This is due to those few that have had lousy disclosure practices in the past.’

Danny Whatmough, managing director, Integrated Media at Weber Shandwick believes both traditional journalists and bloggers need to be judged on their individual work and merits: ‘Trust and authenticity are topics that are sensitive but important in both disciplines. There are examples on both sides where practitioners have not been trustworthy or authentic and this has an impact on the whole industry.’

None of the female bloggers who took part in the survey write about politics, gaming, music, or tech. Of those that took part in this survey, 93% identified as White British
Results from The UK Bloggers Survey 2019 mirrored a continuing gender disparity across certain subjects in the wider blogging community, as well as the shockingly low percentage of high-profile BAME bloggers and influencers in the UK. Whether the existing, predominantly white, blogging community isn’t an inviting space for BAME creators to join, or PR companies and brands aren’t doing enough to work with those who are already a part of it, there’s no disputing that there are many voices out there, and more needs to be done to find and elevate them.

‘For PRs to make a strong difference, they need to stop following and repeating what their competitors are doing and to look elsewhere, see the people who are trying to get their name out there and just need the opportunity to be heard’, believes Tom Bourlet. ‘They need to analyse their previous marketing efforts or influencers worked with and see if they have followed a consistent pattern and see whether there is an opportunity to change this and to build in more diversity.’

‘Lack of diversity is a problem that the PR industry faces too’, says Danny at Weber Shandwick. ‘It’s important that we work hard – including through surveys like this – to hear from a diverse range of opinions and properly reflect the audiences that we are looking to reach. Whether that’s through PR outreach, data and insight or news articles, we all have a responsibility to support diversity that will, ultimately, make the output and results of campaigns stronger.’

Work in PR and want to work with the best bloggers in the business? You need the Vuelio Media Database.

Theresa May

Political Headlines – May resists pressure to quit in Brexit latest

Today’s political headlines covers May resisting pressure to quit, Johnson accusing May of being ‘chicken’, The Sun tells May to resign and more than a dozen racist councillors have been reinstated.  

May resists pressure to quit at Chequers meeting
The Times says that Theresa May has resisted pressure from prominent Brexiteers to set a date for her resignation in return for securing backing for her Brexit deal. At a meeting at Chequers yesterday senior Brexit-backers are believed to have told May to set out a departure timetable, but a source said that ‘she refused to be drawn’. The Sun adds that May suggested that the deal could be voted on tomorrow if they agreed to back it, and that Chief Whip Julian Smith warned that an attempt by MPs to take decision-making powers from the Government today will succeed.

Johnson accuses May of being ‘chicken’
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Boris Johnson accuses the Government of being ‘chicken’ and of having ‘bottled’ Brexit, telling Theresa May to ‘tell Brussels to let me people go’ and ‘channel the spirit of Moses’. The paper says May is to hold a Cabinet meeting this morning, having been given public backing by Michael Gove and David Lidington who had been named as potential successors over the weekend. Ahead of the meeting, ministers will be given an hour in a reading room to consider papers covering seven Brexit options, with May expected to use Cabinet to announce plans for ‘indicative votes’ on these later this week.

Sun tells May to resign
The front page of The Sun says ‘Time’s Up, Theresa’, calling on Theresa May to resign as Prime Minister because ‘she has lost the backing of much of the country and now her party’. It tells her that she should promise to resign, and then Conservative Brexiteers and the DUP ‘must back the deal’, warning that ‘if it fails again this week we are heading for a much softer Brexit’.

Racist Tory councillors reinstated
An investigation by The Guardian reveals that more than a dozen Conservative councillors who had been suspended after they posted Islamophobic or racist material online have had their membership ‘quietly reinstated’. Mohammed Amin, who chairs the Conservative Muslim Forum, has called on the party to publish formal disciplinary processes.

CPRE says brownfield land could deliver a million homes
The Sun carries details of research by the Campaign to Protect Rural England, which finds that the UK’s housing crisis could be solved if a million homes were built on brownfield land, with two-thirds of the potential sites ‘shovel-ready’ and deliverable within five years.

Former top Treasury official warns over HS2 cost
The Financial Times says that Lord Macpherson, former Permanent Secretary at the Treasury, has said that HS2 would now fail ‘a rigorous cost-benefit analysis’ and that the technology behind it was likely to be outdated when the line becomes fully operational.

Opposition parties call for Saudi arms sales ban
The Guardian reports that the leaders of Labour, the SNP, the Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru and the Green Party have all signed a letter calling on the UK to stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia. The letter comes on the fourth anniversary of the civil war in Yemen and ahead of the visit of the UN special envoy for Yemen to London this week.

Lib Dem MP admit slapping boyfriend
The Daily Telegraph says that Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran has admitted that she was arrested and detailed by the police after she slapped her then-boyfriend during a row over a computer cable at the party’s 2013 conference in Glasgow. While some activists have praised her honesty, others have demanded that she step down.

Is this the biggest week in politics? Maybe, find out what happens when its happens with Vuelio Political Services.

Juncker

Political Headlines – EU agrees Brexit delays

Today’s political headlines covers the latest Brexit developments including the EU’s agreed conditional delay and Corbyn to meet May for Brexit talks.  

EU agrees Brexit delay
As the BBC reports, the EU last night agreed an extension to the Brexit process. If Theresa May’s deal is approved next week, the UK will leave the EU on 22 May. If MPs reject it again, the UK will have until 12 April to set out its next steps or it will leave without a deal. May said that this gave MPs a ‘clear choice’. The Times adds that divisions emerged between EU leaders as they struggled to reach consensus on the way forward.

Corbyn to meet May for Brexit talks next week
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn gave the Daily Mirror an exclusive interview during his visit to Brussels yesterday, telling the paper that he will meet the Prime Minister on Monday, indicating Labour might back her deal if she shifted towards a softer Brexit. He said that Labour would ‘do everything we can to help’ Parliament come to a cross-party agreement.

No-deal plans activated
The Financial Times reports that the Government has activated various no-deal Brexit contingency plans. Ministers at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are now getting daily reports on potential food and water shortages, while the Ministry of Defence has activated a crisis management centre at its Whitehall nuclear bunker.

MPs tell May to quit over Brexit chaos
In an exclusiveThe Daily Telegraph claims that Sir Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs, visited Theresa May on Monday to tell her that MPs want her to resign over her handling of the Brexit process. The Times says that Chief Whip Julian Smith has told Conservative MPs that May’s attempt to blame MPs for the Brexit chaos was ‘appalling’.

Johnson receives JCB donation
The Guardian reports that Boris Johnson has received £15,000 in donations from the Brexit-backing manufacturer JCB, bringing the total amount of support he has been given to nearly £140,000 since late 2018. Other Tory leadership contenders have also received donations from various sources, with Dominic Raab receiving over £50,000 this month.

MPs warn of Brexit abuse
The Daily Mirror reports that Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle has said that a Brexiteer tried to assault him while he was out in his constituency, bending his glasses. He accused Theresa May of having used her speech on Wednesday to whip up ‘fear and division’. The Daily Telegraph says that Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has advised MPs to travel home by cab to avoid ‘abuse and intimidation’.

MPs ‘clueless’ about technology
The Sun reports that Matthew Taylor, head of the RSA and the Government’s gig economy advisor, has warned that MPs are ‘clueless’ about the impact of technology on the workforce, with a survey finding that less than half of MPs felt they had the expertise to make judgements on tech policy. He has published a repot setting out a five point plan.

Labour launches local election campaign
The Guardian says that Labour’s deputy chair Ian Lavery used the launch of the party’s local election campaign, held in Stoke-on-Trent, to warn that the most deprived areas of the country were being worst affected by cuts to local government funding. Figures published by the party show that the ten most deprived councils have suffered above average cuts.

One week to go – stay in the loop with Vuelio Political Services.