Public affairs and policy engagement
Octopus is investing in the people, ideas and industries that will change the world. We strongly believe there is no trade-off between ‘doing good’ and ‘making money’. Indeed, we believe that companies that understand what it means to make the world a better place, will deliver better financial returns for their investors over the coming decades.
We passionately believe in making the UK the best place in the world to set up, scale up and list a company. Our policy engagement work is supporting UK businesses to unlock investment into solutions tackling humanity’s greatest challenges. We are revitalising our healthcare system, empowering people and communities, and building a sustainable planet to accelerate the journey to net-zero.
Learn how Octopus works with governments
Watch this short video to hear Justine Duggan and Jessica Franks discuss why governments like offering support for investors who are willing to take additional risk with their money, and what the outlook is for the sector.
Policy engagement
We contribute to public policy debates on issues relevant to our business and customers. We do this individually via correspondence, meetings, and consultations and through other bodies listed below.
Our public affairs and policy engagement work is overseen by founder and board member Chris Hulatt to ensure that it aligns with our values and mission as well as the principles set out in our responsible investment policy.
Get in touch
Justine Duggan, Head of Public Affairs
Contact: [email protected]
Justine started her career straight out of school working at the Mirror Group Newspapers and has worked at various national newspaper titles before embarking on a career in public affairs. She made the jump to public affairs working for the Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP. After 7 years in Parliament, she went to work at iNHouse Communications working with clients such as Sky, Diageo and NHBC before taking on the role at Octopus Group.
She has been a councillor, is currently a school governor and sits on the advisory council of Thames 21.
We are members of the following groups
Consultations
Over the last year we have fed into the following consultations and inquiries:
| Jan 2021 | HMT Budget representation |
| March 2021 | Department of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy – call for evidence: Enabling a high renewable, net zero electricity system |
| May 2021 | Treasury Select Committee Inquiry into jobs, growth and productivity after coronavirus |
| June 2021 | Department of Health and Social Care’s call for evidence on the Women’s Health Strategy |
| Oct 2021 | Autumn Budget and Spending Review |
| Jan 2022 | Department of Work and Pensions consultation: enabling investment in productive finance |
| Jan 2022 | Department for International Trade’s GCC consultation |
| Nov 2022 | Department for Work and Pensions consultation: Broadening the investment opportunities of defined contribution pensions schemes |
| Jan 2022 | Spring Statement |
| Feb 2022 | Work and Pensions Committee consultation: Protecting pension savers – five years on from the pension freedoms: Saving for later life |
| June 2022 | Treasury Select Committee consultation into Venture Capital Market |
| Aug 2022 | Labour’s Start up Scale up Review |
| Jan 2023 | Spring Statement |