- The APPC is widening its membership to in-house public affairs specialists in a bid to head off the possible introduction of a statutory lobby register limited to agencies.
- Good Relations has hired Exposure director Simon Shaw to lead its new content production facility.
- The oil market's effect on petrol prices is back in the news after a feisty intervention by the Automobile Association attacking 'spivs and shady middle men'.
- Survey-led market research company OnePoll has acquired rival Response Fusion for a six-figure sum.
- Bell Pottinger Public Affairs is signalling its support for the Association of Professional Political Consultants' regulatory code by joining for the first time since the APPC's formation in 1994.
- Furniture giant Ikea has awarded Hope&Glory a retained account to handle its consumer press office, previously held by Cake, though it has yet to conclude a wider PR review.
- National Lottery operator Camelot has hired Telefónica's Glenn Manoff to lead corporate affairs as it plans global expansion.
- Westminster Advisers has hired an associate director and two account directors after a strategic review and amid other staff departures.
- Education Secretary Michael Gove was discovered to have based a claim of 'disturbing historical ignorance' among teenagers in an article he wrote for The Mail on Sunday in March partly on statistics from PR surveys by Premier Inn and UKTV Gold.
- The founder of The Icecreamists and Fathers4Justice has launched his own PR agency, Agitator Consultancy.
- The PRCA's Digital Group has nearly doubled its membership to 13 after recruiting six new people.
- Ascot Racecourse has appointed Promote PR to generate media coverage for a number of racing events this summer including Royal Ascot.
- Tying in with this week's feature on how PR is helping digital and technology start-ups, two agency professionals offer their views on working with entrepreneurial clients.
- The first PR apprentices to work in central government will join the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) within the next five weeks.
- Industry bodies the APPC, CIPR and PRCA have called on the Government to come clean over the fate of its legislation for a statutory lobbying register, which was not mentioned in the Queen's Speech.
- Oskar Yasar is understood to be readying the launch of an executive recruitment business after resigning his managing director of international role at VMA Group in February.
- A Cabinet Office spokesman has claimed the Government 'remains committed' to introducing a statutory lobbying register despite a Financial Times report today.
- The head of comms for UKIP has claimed the high ground after the party's local election gains, saying he resisted dozens of requests from journalists to do 'hit jobs' on rival candidates.
- The UK comms director for petition website Change.org is helping ordinary people to get their voices heard, reports Daniel Farey-Jones.
- The ruler of Dubai has called in APCO to deal with the media after 11 of his racehorses tested positive for banned substances in Britain.
