Talk of the trade: PR advice from Portillo

SEEKING a guest speaker for its seminar on 'Effective Government Relations and Lobbying' on 17 June, the Institute of Public Relations somehow lighted upon Michael Portillo, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, whose PR skill is such that he was recently forced to row back from a speech in which he seemed to defy government policy on Europe.

The event may be of more value to Mr Portillo than to the assembled PR wizards, who will have to pay for the privilege of hearing him.