10 Downing Street - Dods Monitoring

MPs are on message and well-briefed.
Back at Number 10, the Downing Street
Conservative media team meet daily with
their lib Dem counterparts at 8:15am and
then again at 5:30pm, with senior civil
servants also present.
leading the liberal Democrat
representation, during lena Pietsch’s
maternity leave, is the veteran spinner Olly
Grender. Part of the lib Dem media outfit
during the era of Paddy Ashdown, Grender
has brought experience to an otherwise
youthful team, and is described by one lib
Dem as “very different to lena…much more
hands on… with a less laissez faire attitude
to government departments.” Grender
48 | THE HOUSE MAGAZINE | APrIl 2012
is described as “very good at batting for
ministers and being proactive and a staunch
defender of lib Dem territory” with her
years of scrapping for scarce lib Dem airtime
in opposition ensuring that she keeps the
thoughts of the core base at the heart of the
party’s media message.
She works closely with Sean Kemp, who
graduated from the lib Dem press office
after the election to join the Number 10
team. Kemp is a regular presence around the
lobby, gives briefings after Clegg’s Commons
appearances, keeps the political press well fed
with lib Dem messages on a day-today basis,
and has earned praise for his ability to turn
less-than-straightforward lib Dem policies