Public affairs & education
Natspec
We built a cross-party coalition of 37 parliamentarians, secured 10 parliamentary questions, 8 ministerial responses and launched a manifesto at the Palace of Westminster — with a Hereward College student petitioning Keir Starmer directly.
The national membership association for organisations that offer specialist provision for students and young adults aged 16–25 with learning difficulties and disabilities.
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The brief
Specialist FE colleges occupy a niche position in the education landscape, often overlooked in favour of school-level SEND provision. Natspec sought capital funding, greater consultation in policy development and VAT relief for Specialist Post-16 Institutions — and needed Parliament to take notice.
What they needed
Secure an urgent one-off capital improvement fund for specialist FE colleges.
Ensure greater government consultation in SEND and FE policy development.
Integrate specialist FE colleges more fully into SEND and FE policy.
Exclude Specialist Post-16 Institutions from proposed VAT changes.
The approach
A targeted 18-month public affairs engagement programme across Westminster and the Welsh Parliament — building a cross-party coalition through individual meetings and generating sustained parliamentary interventions.
Stakeholder mapping and monitoring
We updated stakeholder maps to identify MPs, Peers, Senedd Members and officials with an interest in SEND and FE, and implemented a parliamentary monitoring system to track relevant debates and opportunities.
Cross-party coalition building
Through 37 individual meetings across Westminster and Cardiff Bay, we built a cross-party coalition — converting awareness into Parliamentary Questions, ministerial correspondence and debate interventions.
Manifesto launch at Westminster
We organised the Natspec manifesto launch at the Palace of Westminster — sponsored by Dr Lisa Cameron MP — with speeches from Helen Hayes MP and Seema Malhotra MP and attendance from Lord Addington, Jesse Norman MP and Florence Eshalomi MP.
The results
meetings with MPs and Peers
meetings with Welsh Assembly Members
Parliamentary Questions secured
ministerial written responses
parliamentary manifesto launch
The coverage
Education Policy
Natspec manifesto launched at the Palace of Westminster — cross-party commitment secured
Palace of Westminster · 19 February 2024
SEND
Helen Hayes MP speaks at Natspec manifesto launch on specialist FE funding crisis
Palace of Westminster · February 2024
Impact
Hereward College student petitions Sir Keir Starmer to commit to specialist FE support
2024
The moment
A student from Hereward College petitioning Sir Keir Starmer directly.
The campaign's impact extended beyond Parliament. A student from Hereward College, inspired by the manifesto launch and its cross-party momentum, petitioned Sir Keir Starmer to commit future government support to specialist FE colleges. The kind of organic advocacy that no media placement can generate — earned through 18 months of relationship-building.
Seen in
The impact
27 Westminster meetings generating 10 Parliamentary Questions and 8 ministerial responses.
10 Welsh Senedd meetings extending the campaign across England and Wales.
Cross-party Commons debate interventions by David Davis MP and Peter Aldous MP.
Manifesto launch attended by senior Labour, Conservative, LibDem MPs and Lords.
The outcome
37 parliamentary meetings, a manifesto launched at Westminster, and a student who went straight to the next Prime Minister — the groundwork for a policy change under the incoming Labour Government.
