Maintaining momentum for a nationally significant infrastructure project 

Building nationally important infrastructure is challenging at the best of times. Building it through a period of political instability is harder still. 

Since Barley began supporting East West Railway Company, the UK has had five Prime Ministers, multiple changes in government and shifting national priorities around infrastructure, growth, transport and public spending. At the same time, East West Rail is being developed across a complex geography, connecting Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge through communities with very different views, priorities and levels of support for the project. 

Following the 2024 General Election, EWR Co needed to build relationships quickly with newly elected MPs, returning MPs, council leaders and potential ministers along the route. For a major infrastructure project preparing for future consultation and consent, a slow post-election reset would have created risk. Decision-makers needed to understand both the benefits and the challenges of East West Rail, while those who influence them needed a clear and accurate understanding of the project’s position. 

The challenge was not only to engage political stakeholders, but to identify where support could be maintained, strengthened or unlocked. This included existing and potential advocates across local government, major employers and institutions, including organisations such as AstraZeneca, Cambridge University and local businesses whose voices could help make the case for East West Rail. 

Barley was asked to develop and deliver a rapid political engagement programme that would help EWR Co understand the new political landscape, prioritise engagement and build constructive relationships with key decision-makers and advocates within the first 100 days. 

Insights and approach

Our insight was clear: after an election, speed matters, but relevance matters more. Newly elected representatives do not need generic project information. They need to understand what the project means for their constituency, their residents and their political priorities. 

Ahead of the election, we mapped likely parliamentary outcomes along the route, identifying potential new MPs, returning MPs, relevant ministers and key local political stakeholders. We also mapped potential advocates, including local authorities, major employers, universities and local business voices who could help demonstrate the wider economic, social and connectivity case for the project. 

This meant EWR Co was ready to act as soon as the results were known, rather than losing momentum during the usual post-election re-engagement period. 

We developed targeted briefing materials, constituency-specific messaging and clear lines-to-take, ensuring engagement was practical, accurate and locally relevant. These materials helped decision-makers understand the strategic benefits of East West Rail, the local issues that needed to be managed, and the current position of the project as it moved towards future consultation and consent. 

We also helped EWR Co prepare for challenging conversations, including with representatives who were sceptical, opposed or under pressure from local campaign groups. The programme was designed to be structured but flexible, enabling EWR Co to prioritise the most important relationships, respond quickly to new political dynamics, maintain consistency across meetings and follow up with the right information, evidence and advocacy opportunities.