EU Public Policy Series: Martin Porter on Trust in Europe

19 March 2012

'Trust in Europe during a Time of Crisis'

With one of the most tumultuous years in European affairs now just behind us, the challenges facing Europe today remain arguably as great as any faced in the history of the EU.  Against this backdrop, the lecture will draw on the most recent opinion survey data from an annual survey by Edelman on the state of trust between four major constituencies - Government, Business, NGOs and the media - and examine what these findings means for the way in which each needs to understand the others, and how to engage with them as a result.  It will also consider some specific implications for the European Union, its policy-making and institutions, and the conduct of public affairs in it, during such a time of crisis of confidence.

Speakers

• Martin Porter, Managing Director, Edelman The Centre
• Discussant: Professor Richard Bellamy, UCL Europe Institute

The event will be chaired by Professor David Coen, UCL School of Public Policy

Biography

Martin Porter is Managing Director of Edelman | The Centre and was a co-founder of The Centre before it joined the Edelman network in 2010. He is closely involved and highly active in its consulting activities, where he specialises in strategic advice and high-level 'public engagement' support especially in areas related to the low carbon economy, sustainability and risk management issues.

His track record during his 15 years of EU public affairs activity in Brussels includes advocacy and communications campaign design and support to companies, associations, coalitions, NGOs and governments involved in the above areas to created shared value outcomes that deliver public goods as well as private enterprise benefits.

With a Doctorate in Political Science from the University of Bath and a first class joint honours degree in Modern Languages and European Studies from the same university, he is also a visiting fellow of the School of Public Policy at UCL and a Senior Associate of the Cambridge University Programme for Sustainability Leadership.

A British national, he speaks English and French fluently, with conversational Italian and German.  Married to another graduate of Bath University, Nikki Pattison (who is half British, half Austrian), with whom he has three children, he is a constructively critical, pro-European Liberal Democrat who lives by the motto 'healthy body, healthy mind' - combining a love of many sports and 'the great outdoors' with a passion for learning, reading, teaching and enjoying others' company, especially where fine food and drink are involved.