Total Politics

What Total Politics does

Total Politics is a privately held UK-based media, events, and training group focused on politics, government, and public policy, operating as the trading name of Political Holdings Limited (Company No. 07291783) and owned by Lord Ashcroft. The group was formed in December 2022 when Political Holdings Ltd expanded by acquiring a portfolio of media, events, and training brands from Merit Group plc, consolidating established titles such as PoliticsHome, The House magazine, Holyrood, The Parliament (Brussels), Civil Service World, PublicTechnology, Training Journal, Conservative Home, LabourList, Campaigns & Elections, and Biteback Publishing under a single ownership structure headquartered at Millbank Tower in London.

The company's core offering is structured around three integrated service lines: (1) a multi-brand media portfolio spanning UK politics, EU affairs, Scotland, the public sector, party-political channels, US/Mexico coverage, and book publishing, distributed via a digital-first advertising platform that targets every level of the political audience from Cabinet ministers to grassroots party members; (2) Total Events, an award-winning events business running large-scale exhibitions such as Civil Service Live and private roundtables in Brussels, Holyrood, and Westminster; and (3) Total Training, providing policy, communication, and leadership training in person, hybrid, and online formats across 40+ countries, with explicit positioning as the leading provider of policy training for the UK Government. The underlying technology is a media and event platform rather than a software product, with proprietary assets being brand reputation, audience relationships, and political-neutral positioning.

Total Politics operates a B2B sales-led and event-driven go-to-market model, monetising through four revenue streams: digital and political advertising, event attendance and sponsorships, multi-year government and corporate training contracts, and book publishing via Biteback Publishing. Primary customers are government departments, civil servants, ministers, MPs, and political parties, with secondary segments in corporates, UN agencies, and development organisations. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with multi-year training contracts. The group employs 51-100 people and is led by Chief Executive Mark Wallace.

Name

Total Politics

Legal name

Political Holdings Limited

Website

https://totalpolitics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Total Politics is a UK-based media, events, and training group serving government, political, and public-sector audiences through a portfolio of established media brands (PoliticsHome, The House, Holyrood, The Parliament, CSW, PublicTechnology, Training Journal, Conservative Home, LabourList, Campaigns & Elections, Biteback Publishing), award-winning events, and policy training delivered in 40+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Political Media and Training

NAICS

Media Representatives (541840), Media Buying Agencies (54183), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Government & Public Sector Conferences (MPAGAGAH), Political & Advocacy Advertising (MPADAEAK), Full-Service Media Planning & Buying (MPAAABAA), Political & Public Affairs Channels (MPABAIAC)

Keywords

• Political media publishing
• Policy training services
• Government events
• Political advertising
• Public sector content

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising: Digital advertising across their portfolio of political and public sector media titles. Offers targeted campaigns reaching politically influential audiences from Cabinet level to grassroots party members.
2. Events and sponsorships: Award-winning events including large-scale exhibitions and private roundtables. Revenue from event attendance, sponsorships, and partnership opportunities at political conferences and public sector gatherings.
3. Training services: Policy, communication, and leadership training delivered in-person, hybrid, and online formats. Serves government clients and public sector organizations worldwide.
4. Publishing: Book publishing through Biteback Publishing, specializing in current affairs, politics, and related non-fiction content.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Total Politics Group operates a portfolio of specialist political and public-sector media brands (including PoliticsHome, The House magazine, Holyrood, The Parliament, CSW, PublicTechnology, Training Journal, Conservative Home, LabourList, Campaigns & Elections and Biteback Publishing), delivered alongside Total Events (political and public-sector conferences, exhibitions and roundtables) and Total Training (policy, communication and leadership training). Revenue is generated primarily through advertising on its media titles, event sponsorships and delegate income, and customized training contracts.

Product overview

Total Politics Group operates as a multi-brand media, events, and training platform focused on politics, government and public policy. The offering is structured around three core service lines: (1) a portfolio of specialist media brands spanning UK politics (PoliticsHome, The House magazine, Conservative Home, LabourList), EU affairs (The Parliament), Scottish politics (Holyrood), public sector (CSW, PublicTechnology, Training Journal), US/Mexico coverage (Campaigns & Elections), and book publishing (Biteback Publishing); (2) Total Events delivering award-winning in-person and online events including large exhibitions and private roundtables; and (3) Total Training providing policy, communication and leadership training worldwide. The company owns these acquired and integrated brands under Political Holdings Ltd, with connections to key political and policy leaders across the UK, EU, USA and Mexico.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Total Events: Award-winning events connecting with senior government and public sector stakeholders
• Total Training
• Biteback Publishing
• Campaigns & Elections
• Conservative Home
• LabourList
• PoliticsHome
• The House magazine
• Holyrood
• The Parliament
• Civil Service World (CSW)
• PublicTechnology
• Training Journal

Products and services

• PoliticsHome Most read specialist political news source in the UK, providing news and insight for people at the forefront of UK politics with award-winning journalism and insider perspectives; serves as a politically neutral media title within the Total Politics portfolio.
• The House magazine In-house publication for the UK Parliament, offering news, reviews, exclusive insights and expert analysis, overseen by a cross-party advisory board.
• The Parliament Trusted source of critical information for influential policy makers across the EU, offering expert commentary from people at the heart of the EU decision-making process.
• Holyrood Unofficial in-house publication for Scottish Politics, providing insight and analysis for Scotland's politicians and key decision-makers, established with the opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 and read by four in five MSPs.
• CSW (Civil Service Weekly) Most trusted independent platform for civil servants, offering news and insights about the people, policies and reforms that matter in their working lives.
• PublicTechnology Essential news and insights for decision-makers driving technology and digital transformation in the public sector, covering technology and data topics.
• Training Journal Publication supporting the continuing professional development of those involved in workplace training, learning and development for over 50 years.
• Conservative Home Britain's leading independent conservative news and analysis site, providing daily coverage of politics, current affairs, policy and ideas.
• LabourList Independent specialist media title covering the Labour Party.
• Campaigns & Elections Non-partisan, non-ideological go-to resource for political campaign professionals in the United States and Mexico, covering the latest in campaigning and industry developments.
• Biteback Publishing Non-fiction publishing house specialising in current affairs, politics, sport, military history and espionage, described as Britain's leading political publisher.
• Total Events Award-winning events service connecting with senior government and public-sector stakeholders, ranging from large-scale exhibitions such as Civil Service Live to private roundtables in Brussels, Holyrood and Westminster.
• Total Training Award-winning policy, communication and leadership training for people working in or around government, parliament and the public sector, delivered in-person, hybrid and online in 40+ countries; leading provider of policy training for the UK Government.
• Political Advertising Integrated, digital-first advertising service across the Total Politics media portfolio (PoliticsHome, The House magazine, Holyrood, The Parliament, Conservative Home, LabourList) enabling advertisers to reach every level of political audience from Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet to MPs, advisers, councillors and grassroots party members.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Merit Group plcfoundationalOthers · 1 December 2022Total Politics Group was formed in December 2022 when Political Holdings Ltd acquired a portfolio of media, events, and training brands from Merit Group plc. This acquisition established Total Politics as a major player in political media and training.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Spectator: The Spectator is an established UK political and current affairs magazine and digital brand that competes for politically engaged readers and political advertisers alongside PoliticsHome, Conservative Home and The House.
• Haymarket Media Group: Haymarket is a major B2B and consumer media publisher with a substantial public sector and policy-facing portfolio; a broad incumbent competing for advertising budgets in the same political and public sector audience pool.
• Reuters: Reuters is a global newswire and media brand covering politics and policy, serving as a broad incumbent whose government and policy content overlaps with Total Politics's politically focused news titles.
• Ipsos Public Affairs: Ipsos Public Affairs provides research, polling and advisory services to government and political clients globally, broadly comparable to Total Politics's training and policy insight offerings at the high end of the public sector services value chain.

Emerging players

• Apolitical: Apolitical is a digital learning and knowledge platform for government and public servants, emerging as a focused competitor to Total Training's policy and leadership training offering with a tech-led delivery model.

Direct peers

• Politico: Politico operates a leading political and public policy news platform with deep reach into UK, EU and US political audiences, directly competing with PoliticsHome, The Parliament and The House in the political news and policy intelligence category.
• Dods Group: Dods provides political intelligence, events, training and public affairs services to government and parliamentary stakeholders across the UK and EU, overlapping with Total Politics's media, events and training portfolio.
• DeHavilland: DeHavilland delivers political monitoring, forecasting and public affairs intelligence to organisations engaging with Westminster, Holyrood and Brussels, competing with the political intelligence and audience reach of PoliticsHome and Holyrood.
• MHP Communications: MHP Communications is a UK public affairs, political communications and strategic advisory firm that competes with the political advertising and engagement services offered through Total Politics's media titles.
• Lexington Communications: Lexington provides public affairs, government relations and political communications services to corporate and political clients, directly comparable to Total Politics's political engagement and public sector communications offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TotalPolitics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Total Politics