I know it’s not even Halloween, but we need to start thinking about 2026. As a new year hoves into view the political and policy environment across the UK and Europe is entering a defining phase. A year into a new political cycle, with economic recovery pressures, important local elections and digital disruption reshaping communication, public affairs training has never been more strategically important. For organisations seeking to influence policy, manage risk and protect reputation building capability within teams is now the ultimate differentiator.
Navigating a New Political Landscape
Effective public affairs teams will need to interpret the evolving political and regulatory landscape, not just react to it. As explored in Running Effective Political Campaigns, success depends on the integration of research, mapping, strategy, messaging, tactics, and measurement — turning complex change into clear action.
In this mutating environment training builds the experience and judgement to identify emerging issues and understand political intent and align organisational goals with the direction of policy i.e. figure out what the government wants and shape your messages to show how you can help them get it.
From Political Awareness to Strategic Engagement
Going into 2026 public affairs professionals will be expected to operate as strategic partners that provides experience and the ability to think on their feet rather than a prompt on ChatGPT. Westbrook Strategy’s training programmes are designed to equip teams with the foresight and fluency needed engage effectively with policymakers and regulators and build relationships over time.
Influence in 2026 will depend on sustained engagement — creating a network of allies across government, business and civic society rather than relying on episodic lobbying and just popping up when you need something.
Integrating PR and Public Affairs in a Digital Era
The boundary between public relations and public affairs continues to blur. With digital campaigning now central to political influence, the ability to integrate media, messaging, and stakeholder outreach is critical.
As outlined in our Integrated PR and PA course, effective campaigns sit at the “sweet spot” where insight, strategy, messaging and tactics sit together. Westbrook’s approach helps organisations:
This integration ensures that corporate voices remain credible, agile, and responsive in an era where public sentiment can shift in hours.
Building Future-Ready Capability
Public affairs training in 2026 is about readiness. It’s about building teams capable of operating confidently in a fragmented media environment and a fluid policy context.
Those who invest in developing their people now will benefit from:
- Stronger institutional memory and political literacy.
- More effective cross-sector collaboration.
- Greater resilience to reputational and regulatory challenges.
At Westbrook Strategy, our programmes go beyond theory — we help professionals translate insight into influence. Because in 2026, knowing how politics works won’t be enough. The organisations that thrive will be those that know how to work politics strategically, ethically, and with measurable impact.