 In 1991 he set up on his own as managing director of The Public Affairs Company, a political consultancy based in Leeds.A few days after the 2005 general election, Lawler wrote to "The Times" to remark that the Conservative Party's strategy was "misconceived" and that the negative tone "repelled many people and buried the positive reasons that would attract them to support the Conservatives"; he appeared to blame Lynton Crosby by calling for no more immigration by "election experts from Australia".In 2010 Lawler joined Keene Public Affairs, and was promoted to its board of directors in July 2011.