WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

The series exists to challenge norms, including ours. We hope you find that regular challenge as useful as we do.

We choose guests for what they reveal about how influence works, not whether we agree with them (either their political philosophy or their views on influencing). Quite the opposite: we strive to blend a mix of political philosophies and approaches to influencing.

One week you may find yourself reading the thoughts of a FTSE100 head of policy, the next an ardent anti-corporate campaigner. Or maybe a government minister, followed by someone who wants their job.

WHOSE WORDS?

The main body copy of an interview is the interviewee’s own words and can be attributed to them. The subject line, headers, and any introductory text are our words.

Newsletter subject lines are intended to draw you into the content. We prefer punchy, provocative titles, because it means more people engage. We add subheadings throughout an interview; all headings are our words to help situate a guest’s point or emphasise something they have said. Where quotation marks are used in a subject line or a header, it is a direct quote from the interview.

Where there is an introduction to an interview, that can be attributed to the Cast from Clay colleague who wrote it, normally Tom Hashemi.

GUESTS & EDITING

We choose guests based on a mix of factors: Are they a thinker? Have they done something interesting or have an unusual background? Will they challenge (y)our thinking? If there is someone you think would make for a good interviewee, please reply to any newsletter and tell us. You are also welcome to pitch us your colleagues, but note that we’re interested in the craft of influence (and not in your policy goals/most recent report).

Guests do not pay to appear, nor do we pay them. If a guest appears on the series to promote a book, we do not earn commission if you choose to buy it. On the very rare occasion we allow an anonymous interviewee, we will explain why we agreed to do so.

Process-wise, guests see the questions a day or two before we speak with them. The interview is exploratory, not challenging; this publication is not here to hold political figures to account. Our goal is to understand how guests practice their craft, or what they think needs to change and why. We edit the interviews for length and clarity, but never to change what someone meant, or the way they framed an argument. Guests see the edit before publication and are allowed to remove or tweak any sections they are not comfortable with–we are not trying to catch people out.

WHO IS THE PUBLISHER?

Policy Unstuck is published by Cast from Clay, a strategy and positioning consultancy for policy-focused nonprofits. You can find out more about us on our website.