About Us

Helm is a strategy, research and communications consultancy formed in 2022

Our founding partners, Patrick Foster and Declan McHugh, are former directors of corporate communications and public affairs with extensive agency experience and a background in national media and politics.

Patrick is a former senior journalist at The Times and The Telegraph, overseeing coverage of the intersection between politics and the media industry. Declan was special adviser to Rt Hon Jack Straw MP between 2006 and 2010 and was later director of strategic planning in the Labour Party, overseeing organisational and governance issues.

Greg Cook is associate senior counsel and leads Helm’s research division, overseeing opinion polling and focus group activity. Greg was head of political strategy in the Labour Party for over twenty years, during which time he managed the party’s programme of opinion research under a series of leaders including former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He is a renowned expert in public opinion trends and how they may affect electoral behaviour and campaign messaging.

Helm boasts a wider network of senior associates with experience in business, politics and the media, giving us unparalleled expertise in strategy, research and communications.