Twelve years ago I founded Total Politics magazine. It was a monthly magazine for people who were part of the political process. It wasn't a good time to start a magazine, seeing as the financial crash led to a bit of a collapse in the advertising sector. It was sent free of charge to around 5,000 MPs, Peers, council leaders, devolved administration politicians, political journalists and was also available on newsstands. We held conferences, panels and breakfasts and after a couple of dicey financial years it started to break even and gradually moved into profit. Lord Ashcroft was its main financial investor, and without his support it wouldn't have stood a chance. In 2012 Dod's took it over and enveloped it into their political publishing empire. I knew its best chance of succeeding was within a bigger organisation so I agreed to the takeover, although I worried they would close it down, because it had leeched a lot of advertising revenue from the House Magazine. And that's exactly what happened. In December 2014, the print edition of Total Politics stopped after 74 issues, although the Total Politics website continues.
Earlier this year I read about 'Mace', a new magazine which is the brainchild of William Cash and Brooks Newmark. It published its first edition in February, and very impressive it was too. It's a cross-party political and public affairs magazine and I'm very excited to say that I've been asked to become a contributing editor. For each issue I'll be compiling a list. You know how much I like a good listicle.
For the September issue, I'll be presenting the Top 100 Most Powerful & Influential People in British Politics. And I'd like your help. I'm putting together a panel of 6-8 people who will be the ultimate arbiters of who is included and who isn't, and we'll be holding a Zoom conversation in mid June.
In advance of that I wonder if you'd like to submit nominations of who should be included in the list. The names will include MPs, Peers, Advisers, CIvil Servants, senior party representatives, journalists, think tank heads, lobbyists, party donors and advisers. There are obvious names like Boris Johnson, Nicola Sturgeon, Sir Keir Starmer, Arlene Foster, Sir Mark Sedwill, Mark Drakeford and Priti Patel. But what about the less obvious names? Feel free to submit suggestions of people you think we might not have considered, with your reasons (which won't be published).
Just contact me via the contact box at the top of the page, or you can email editor@macemagazine.com by June 10th at the latest.
