CIPR Joins Call for Government to Champion Professional Standards

Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) has joined a coalition of more than 30 leading UK professional and membership bodies — collectively representing over one million professionals — in writing to government ministers to call for a closer working relationship between Whitehall and the professional and chartered body sector.

The joint letter, published ahead of the second annual Chartered Week (23–27 February 2026), was addressed to ministers and called for Chartered and professional bodies to be treated as strategic partners in addressing skills shortages, improving productivity, and delivering public service reform. The Chartered Week campaign highlights the role of professional standards in public accountability and economic competitiveness.

The letter argued that working more closely with bodies spanning science, technology, engineering and mathematics, environment, law, accountancy, leadership, management, and procurement would help ensure public policy has long-term credibility. It also emphasised that active membership of a professional body represents a pledge of public accountability, underpinned by codes of conduct and ethical commitments — a safeguard the Alliance described as "critical in the AI age".

Among the signatories were the chief executives of the CIPD, Association for Project Management, Chartered Management Institute, Chartered Institute of Marketing, Institute of Directors, Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, and Association of Accounting Technicians, alongside the CIPR's own Chief Executive, Alastair McCapra.

Founded in 1948, the CIPR is the world's only Royal Chartered professional body for public relations practitioners, with over 11,000 members.