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
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
12 September
The Darzi Report on the NHS has been published and seems destined to be the key text for anyone pondering the future of health & social care. I'm hoping to digest it in the coming days and circulate a blog before long.
4 September
Re Grenfell Tower Report and its conclusion that successive Governments are at fault for mishandling building regulations, I have uncovered the paper I wrote in 2019 about Ministers' refusal to publish details of consultee responses on the relevant consultation. Read my account of this scandalous maladministration here
19 August
I have now taken my Book Reviews, published in each of my monthly Catch-up and put them all together in a new Book Reviews page on this website.
9 August
In the Consultation Catch-up I have published today, I express my total devastation at the news that the Consultation Institute has ceased to trade. Complete tragedy. Read my short statement here
10 July
So sorry to hear today of the untimely death of Simon Burall who ran Involve fpr many years. He was a respected and gifted fellow-traveller in the cause of public participation, and will be sadly missed. More here
5 July
Just returned from watching the peaceful transfer of power - just outside Downing Street. This is still one of the most important characteristics of our country.
10 June
Manifesto week. Starting with the LibDems on Monday, I look forward (?) to reading the case put forward by the main parties and forming my view as to the likely implications for public and stakeholder consultation. Watch this space.
25 May
The rushed Rishi elction means abandoning key legislation. Among them is the Football Governance Bill and its provisions for 'fan consultation'. I've agreed to speak at a Seminar/ Workshop to brief the football industry on Sept 10th, and as Labour says it will re-introduce the Bill if elected, I really want to go ahead with this. If interested, put the date in your diary and contact me for details - which will be confirmed after 4 July.
17 May
I have spent this morning attending an NHS event organisated by the ISB for Bedford/Luton/Milton Keynes on the subject of asddressing Health Inequalities - clearly a priority issue. One of the take-aways was the need for primry care consultative machinery to be more representative of disadvantaged communities. A subject requiring further analysis ....
19 April
Having written about fan consultation and the Football Governance Bill last week, I found it impossible to resist a follow-up in the early hours. The failure of the FA and the Premier League to consult over changes to the FA Cup is a gift to critics of the beautiful game!
14 April
I've reposted an interesting consultation on LinkedIn. It's about a proposed closure - once a month - of the road through Cheddar Gorge and seems to me a best practice example others can follow. Active travel policies will mean lots of engagement on issues like this.
19 March
The W Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner has won his case against the 'hostile takeover' of his functions - because the hurried consultation failed the Gunning 2 test. Unsurprising decision - but surprising legal rationale. Standby for commentary
17 March
Unbelievably maladroit attemot to portray itself as the motorists' friend appears this morning in a call for Councils to consult better on LTNs. Of course they should - But see my LinkedIn posting - https://tinyurl.com/mrkb93wu
4 March
Westco have just publicised the FREE 45-minute Webinar I'm delivering with them on Friday, 8th March on understanding Consultation Law. Details and registration here.
20 February
I have just sat in on Community Matters' (the Yorkshire one) webinar session on the current consultation about the Protect Duty Many volunteer-based organisations and churches feel they haven't been hrard on the issue and I expect to blog about it soon
8 February
Couldn't resist posting on LinkedIn this morning having found a great quote from Councillor Ian Boulton of Sth Gloucestershire Council, referring to a recent consultation as a "judicial review avoidance scheme". Brilliant ... but highly debatable ....!
5 February
Just published the February Catch-up. Click here
30th January,
Louise Reeve has highlighted a Guardian article about the 'Barnet graph of doom' and I have reposted on LinkedIn this morning because it's a timely reminder of the gradual squeezing out of 'aspirational consultation' - asking local communities what the most want - and how. See https://lnkd.in/e7FKA_Hu
7th January
I've just disseminated my Consultation Catch-up for January. Lots on the key judicial reviews - also my thoughts on 2 education consultations - and Michael Gove's NPPF changes.
27th December
I know its sad, but I spent some of Boxing Day updating my database of consultation-related judicial reviews, and noted that I've studied 20 judgments in 2023 - and provided commentaries on several of them. Now planning to publish my 'Top 10' in the next few days to coincide with announcing some Briefings and Courses through which I can explain their significance to specific audiences.
7th December
With everyone speculating as to whether the Rwanda Bill can be challenged in the Courts, I'm suggesting that a credible stakeholder - maybe Amnesty International could argue that it had a 'legitimate expectation' to be consulted before the Bill was published. Full text of my case is found here
27th November.
An interesting consultation launched in Wales; "Awareness, engagement and representation on community and town councils: call for evidence" I'm very tempted to have another look!
23rd November
I've posted my 50th Consultation GuRU blog. Almost exactly 12 months since I launched the Site. Thanks to so many who have provided me with encouragement and support.
20 November
The Environment Agency may shortly need to mount much better and more meaningful consultations on river basin management as a result of a successful judicial review, summarised here. Expect a commentary from Consultation GuRU shortly.
15 November
I have published an interesrting conversation with active travel specialist, Paul Murray of Ridge & Partners. Click here to hear his views on the eyebrow-raising Plan for Drivers.
13 November
A recent judgment of the Scottish Court of Session has considered another challenge against a Low-Emission-Zone (LEZ) - this time in Glasgow. Mr Parton claimed, inter alia trhat the consultation qwas unlwful. Lzady Poole declared that it was!
6 November
The environmental capaigner, Chris Packham has announced that he is going mount a legal challenge against the Government's 'U-turn' on the cut-off date for buying diesel/petrol cars. He will argue, inter alia that there should have been a consultation!
View the April 2024 Consultation Catch-up
To receive future issues directly, click here
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
