Guest article: Matt Baldwin, Coast
Wednesday 26 November 2025.
It’s a date that is driving speculation, commentary, predictions and, at least if you read the Express, Mail or Telegraph, the end of civilisation as we know it.
Even left-leaning media outlets are warning of dire consequences, with commentators and business leaders sharpening their pencils and trotting out well-worn lines.
It is, of course, the Government’s annual set piece – Budget Day.
Budget Day is greeted by professional services PR and comms teams with an equal mix of enthusiasm and dread.
The pressure to deliver top-tier media coverage for a firm’s specialists is high, matched with a nervousness of making predictions that are unlikely to materialise or for fear of offending clients with different political persuasions.
It is seemingly difficult (although not impossible) to step away from politics when it comes to the Budget. It is, after all, a highly political occasion.
Yet it is the one day of the year when everyone wants to hear from accountants and tax lawyers. It is their chance to be Budget rockstars.
But if PR and comms teams leave it to 26 November, their Budget Day will be over before the Chancellor opens her mouth.
Having advised law and accountancy firms for 22 consecutive Budgets, here is what we think good Budget Day comms look like.
Start early. That means now. If you have not already done so, plan your comms approach and begin to build relationships with key media as soon as you possibly can. The heavy lifting happens in the weeks and months before Budget Day.
Think audience. Who are you trying to reach? If you try and reach everyone, you will most likely reach nobody. For some firms, clients will be first and foremost. For others, it will be individual sectors or geographies.
Message. Messaging needs to reflect the concerns and interests of clients and the appetite of your experts. Are they happy to make predictions, or would they rather focus on potential impacts? Might they be happier exploring more radical change, however unlikely (check out posts from tax guru Dan Neidle).
Soundbites. Nobody needs a firm to simply repeat what the Chancellor announces on the day. The BBC, FT and others can do that faster and better. Focus on what it means to clients. Short and pithy (or, as we explored last week, quick and dirty) wins the day.
Break through the noise. Securing press on Budget Day itself is a challenge. Now is not the time to scatter comment far and wide. Focus on just one or two media outlets and offer to ‘place’ your experts at their disposal. Even better, get them in the studio or on the newsdesk to answer the immediate questions journalists might have.
Post Budget. Look for the hidden stories. Scour the press releases and paperwork that government issues. Flag with key journalists a day or two after. But don’t leave it too long – it will be a race against other firms.
Follow these steps and you too can build Budget rockstars. Or head to the Coast for specialist Budget support.
Matt Baldwin is the join managing director of Coast Communications, a media relations consultancy.
