Helio Intelligence, through its leading political monitoring service DeHavilland, has strengthened its UK-wide offering through the acquisition of NewsDirect, a specialist in devolved nation policy coverage.

This positions DeHavilland as the most comprehensive provider of political intelligence across the United Kingdom, with NewsDirect joining the portfolio alongside sister brand Forefront Advisers.

NewsDirect provides policy coverage for the devolved nations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with local teams and local knowledge. The acquisition underscores DeHavilland’s commitment to providing nuanced, high-quality human-led insights into the UK political landscape.

The complementary nature of NewsDirect’s specialist devolved nation insights and DeHavilland’s broader political monitoring capabilities, will provide immediate benefits to clients. This is particularly timely ahead of the upcoming Scottish Parliament and Senedd elections in 2026, ensuring access to the most comprehensive intelligence available.

Andrew Himsley, CEO of DeHavilland said: “We are delighted to add NewsDirect to the DeHavilland service, ensuring our clients get the most detailed and relevant information on all the UK political institutions that matter. Being able to offer NewsDirect’s market-leading devolved nation monitoring ahead of the Scottish and Welsh elections is a huge win for our clients.” 

Kirsty Peebles, Founder and Managing Director of NewsDirect said: “It’s very exciting to be part of DeHavilland for both NewsDirect and our clients. I’ve seen the developments the group is investing in and what it will mean for the future of political monitoring and intelligence. It will be truly transformational. I’m thrilled to have found strong new owners for the next stage of NewsDirect’s journey and look forward to seeing the service flourish as part of DeHavilland.”