Emma Burnell
Campaigning and public policy professional
Emma is a campaigning and public policy professional with over two decades of experience in campaigning and political communications. She is also a talented and highly sought-after writer and commentator.
She is widely published and has a proven history of developing and implementing communication strategies, campaigns, profile raising, stakeholder relationships and speech writing. Over the years, she has worked for the Fabian Society, the National Housing Federation, the Trades Union Congress, New Local Government Network and the Institute for Public Policy Research in a variety of communications roles. She runs the Political Human consultancy.
She has also developed a broad portfolio of journalism having written for The Guardian, The New Statesman, the Independent, The Telegraph and The Times among others. She has appeared on BBC News, Channel 4 News, Sky News and a huge variety of radio programmes.
She is also a proficient theatre maker. Her first play, No Cure For Love, was staged in 2021; her second, Triggered, won an OffComm commendation. She continues to write about life, love, politics and women over 40.
“I have spent my life fighting and defying gender stereotypes and sexism. To fight sexism, you have to understand that sex matters. In campaigning, in language and in safeguarding – women and girls are harmed and held back because of their sex. To end this we must recognise this.”