Company:Westminster Digital

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Westminster Digital
Founded2017 (2017)
HeadquartersLondon, UK

Westminster Digital was a British video production company[1] founded by Craig Dillon in 2017[2] which specialized in producing promotional sixty to ninety-second Facebook clips about local issues for Conservative Members of Parliament.[3][4][5] The company is said to have produced videos for most of the candidates in the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election[6][7]Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag The company was renamed WD International Holdings in February 2024, at which time Companies House reported both its accounts and confirmation statement as being overdue.[1]

History

Craig Dillon, a former YouTuber[8] and Sky News digital producer,[9][5] who studied TV production at the University of Westminster,[10] founded the company as Westminster Analytics in November 2017.[1] The company was renamed Westminster Digital in May 2019 and Thomas Dixon was appointed Managing Director in August of that year.[1] In November 2020 Dixon was registered as having ownership of around one-third of the company's shares, with the remainder under ownership of the founder and CEO, Dillon.[1]

Westminster Digital's collection of up to £165,000 (according to one estimate)[11] of government funds for the creation of Facebook videos and other social media content for MPs was controversial.[12][13] Despite the MPs claiming the expenses legally as payments from their office costs budget and justifying them as cheaper than employing a full-time communications staff,[11] critics have called them a waste of taxpayers' money.[12][13] Although no complete public list of MPs who have claimed for services from Westminster Digital exists,[11] their clients are known to have included Michael Gove, Matt Hancock, Sajid Javid, Liz Truss and Boris Johnson.[7]

The company's managing director and minority shareholder Thomas Dixon resigned[1] and their work on the July–September 2022 Conservative Party leadership election campaign for Penny Mordaunt was concluded[14] in July 2022. This followed accusations of astroturfing[14] and a viral appearance by CEO Craig Dillon (under the pseudonym Thomas Corbett-Dillon) on Tucker Carlson Tonight,[15][16] which was described as a “distraction”.[14] In September of that year, Dixon's minority share in the company passed to Thomas Borwick's College Green Group.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "WD International Holdings". Companies House. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11068273. 
  2. ↑ "Craig Thomas Dillon". Companies House. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/fFnybUZsJaNQCiZiei9VN19aZrc/appointments. 
  3. ↑ Le Conte, Marie (3 October 2019). "Conservative MPs are using a social media agency to land cabinet roles'". GQ. https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/politics/article/social-media-for-politics/. 
  4. ↑ Manthorpe, Rowland (7 December 2019). "How candidates are turning to social media to win elections'". Sky News. https://news.sky.com/story/under-the-radar-how-candidates-are-turning-to-social-media-to-win-elections-11880079. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Volpicelli, Gian M. (9 December 2019). "Why local Tories are pumping out Brexit-dodging Facebook videos'". Wired. https://www.wired.co.uk/article/tory-party-facebook-westminster-digital-election/. Retrieved 16 July 2022. 
  6. ↑ D'Urso, Joey (2 June 2019). "Tory leadership: How are Tory hopefuls campaigning online?'". BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48486562. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Tominey, Camilla; Bernal, Natasha (27 June 2019). "Meet the millennials helping the Tory leadership hopefuls go viral'". The Daily Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/meet-millennials-helping-tory-leadership-hopefuls-go-viral/. 
  8. ↑ Sherwin, Adam (11 November 2014). "YouTube vlogger Craig Dillon pursues defamation action after rape allegation". The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/youtube-vlogger-craig-dillon-pursues-defamation-action-after-rape-allegation-9854713.html. 
  9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Dickson2019
  10. ↑ Sherwin, Adam (1 May 2015). "Craig Dillon interview: Youtube vlogger on seeking protection for those accused of sex attacks online after being accused himself". The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/craig-dillon-interview-youtube-vlogger-on-seeking-protection-for-those-accused-of-sex-attacks-online-after-being-accused-himself-10219779.html. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Smith, Mikey (4 June 2021). "Tory MPs spend £160k of taxpayers' cash getting Facebook videos made by same firm". Daily Mirror. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/tory-mps-spend-160k-taxpayers-24229197. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Smith, Mikey (18 March 2021). "Policing minister claimed up to £800 a month on expenses to pay for his podcast". Daily Mirror. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/policing-minister-claimed-up-800-23755339. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Thompson, George (28 September 2023). "Brandon Lewis criticised for spending on marketing agencies". Eastern Daily Press. https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/23808440.brandon-lewis-criticised-spending-marketing-agencies/. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Grylls, George; Smyth, Chris (20 July 2022). "Fox News pundit has fought digital war for Penny Mordaunt". The Times. https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/economics/article/fox-news-pundit-has-fought-digital-war-for-penny-mordaunt-pdb8l22vn. 
  15. ↑ Thompson, Sophie (12 July 2022). "Boris Johnson's former advisor says he was elected to be 'British Trump'". indy100. https://www.indy100.com/politics/thomas-corbett-dillon-tucker-carlson. 
  16. ↑ Spocchia, Gino (13 July 2022). "Tucker Carlson guest mocked for 'making up a million things' about Boris Johnson's resignation". The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/tucker-carlson-fox-boris-johnson-resignation-b2122367.html. 
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