The UK's most authoritative champion of public
& stakeholder consultation
Rhion Jones was a Founder Director of The Consultation Institute and has written extensively on all aspects of public consultation. His entertaining presentations and stimulating training courses have assisted thousands of public engagement professionals and enhanced their career prospects.
Recent Blogs
25 July
Why UNIVERSAL in Bedford will face fewer Blockers? And why others will ...?
13 July
What might frustrate the Ten-year Infrastructure Strategy?
27 June
After the event – the subsequent role of consultation and engagement
23 June
High Court allowed Ministers to exclude discarded options in the consultation on net-zero aviation
29 May
NHS Patient & Public involvement in England – the confusion continues
23 May
West Dulwich Action v LB Lambeth: disregarding submissions from LTN opponents
16 May
So much more to say …. the 100th Blog!
28 April
Infrastructure consultations curbed: can less mean more?
23 April
Will statutory fan consultation in football affect local authorities?
13 April
What if Americans were consulted on tariffs?
2 April
Dear Wes Streeting, I’m worried about patient and public involvement.
28 March
Rachel Reeves and the push for Regulators to back economic growth
16 March
21 February
Care homes Judicial Review highlights consultation risks for
Councils struggling with under-funded services
10 February
The next Archbishop; is the Church of England consulting meaningfully?
27 January
Will consultees respond well to community benefits?
17 January
Another bad day in Court for Government lawyers defending an unlawful consultation
31 December
When consultee misgivings are well-founded. The burning issue of waste incineration
20 December
Happy Christmas, Councillor! Your role may be abolished!
6 December
27 November
Assisted dying: should there be a public cconsultation?
23 November
Will the ‘Gunning Principles’ apply to Football clubs’ consultations?
17 November
The Rule of Law and the right to be consulted
30 October
Not yet a listening Government:
Consultations arising from the Reeves Budget
22 October
The NHS Big Conversation - is it any good?
17 October
When a ‘statutory consultee’ makes a mistake, and it leads to a judicial review
27 September
What exactly do your stakeholders think?
16 September
What’s Missing from the Darzi Report? The failure of patient and public involvement?
25 August
19 August
The Surrey Oil Well case – the Supreme Court considers the Impact Assessment.
2 August
A degree of deja-vu: Angela Rayner’s planning reforms may worry many consultees
19 July
Is there now a case for faster public consultations?
11 July
When new Ministers know exactly what they want. Is there still a case for consultation?
2 July
Why a new Government should reform public consultations?
And how it might do so.
30 June
Consultation GuRU’s Election Quiz: Whose manifesto commitment is this?
18 June
12 June
25 May
General Election 2024:
Doorstep Dialogues as a form of consultation?
21 May
If a Minister promises a ‘consultation’, is it okay just to launch a ‘call for evidence’?
27 April
The retreat from Gunning? The riddle of the ‘Question Seven’ case
19 April
Football’s new era of consultation kicks off with an Own Goal!
8 April
Will football fans really be consulted?
27 March
Satisfaction with NHS & Social Care: Focus on service users
21 March
‘Hostile Takeover’ of Police & Crime Commissioner’s role was unlawful due to a flawed consultation
12 March
You WILL increase your productivity … or else!
The case for consulting the staff.
29 February
Martyn’s law, consultation and the perception of risk
18 February
Politics, consultation and the ‘propensity to participate’.
How much does it matter who
participates in our democratic processes?
2 February
Councils in financial distress demand different dialogues; here comes co-prevention!
19 January
Changing the NHS: Will new Regulations make it harder?
16 January
Gove’s Street Votes: brilliant innovation or irrelevant gimmick?
11 January
Anger-based policy-making: implications for consultation
4 January
Consultation law: the key cases of 2023
29 December
27 December
Consultation Law latest: six new Court judgments to consider
13 December
Policy-making criteria for a challenging world: Latest thinking from Carnegie UK and from Wales
29 November
Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone (LEZ) survives legal challenge:
consultation held to be lawful
23 November
Autumn Statement triggers a dozen consultations – including a planning BOGOF
17 November
Government by Announcement:
Suddenly, an extra item of legislation!
9 November
How the King's Speech might have been ... if consultation mattered more!
5 November
Accounting for engagement activities: Lessons from recent FOIA requests
28 October
Non-selective badger-culling through ‘controlled shooting’. Consultation declared unlawful
13 October
Consultation and the ‘Plan for Drivers’ - High on rhetoric; hesitant on content
Running Commentary
July 22
This morning I found that Sam Coates (acting as a mouthpiece for Robert Jenrick) has reported that Ministers think the Aarhus Convention is mad! I have posted a rebuttal on LinkedIn - See https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhion-jones-339317/recent-activity/all/
Alongside Elizabeth Gammell he wrote The Art of Consultation in 2008 and The Politics of Consultation in 2018. Both books are available at AMAZON.
His thought-leadership pieces, particlarly on Consultation Law are universally regarded as the most authoritative anywhere.
With thousands of significant consultations launched every year in the UK, and even more in other countries, Rhion applies his forensic skills and extensive knowledge to specific exercises. There is no-one better to advise on the quality of a consultation. Just ask.st ask
Now, post-COVID, he is able to travel to meet those who share his passion for public engagement. Alternatively, he uses zoom, though confesses to be frustrated by some aspects of an online presence!
His focus is on spreading the word, and inspiring individuals and organisations with the message that consultation and engagement matters more than ever - and must be done to the best possible standards.
The Monthly Consultation Catch-up
