GK Strategy, the political advisory firm, has appointed former cabinet minister and Liberal Democrat MP David Laws as a strategic advisor.

Laws was a chief negotiator in the 2010 coalition agreement between the Lib Dems and Conservatives, and held the roles of chief secretary to the treasury, minister of state for schools, and minister of state in the Cabinet Office.

Prior to joining parliament in 2001 as the MP for Yeovil, Laws worked in investment banking, with roles at JP Morgan and Barclays de Zoete Wedd. He lost his seat in the 2015 general election, and is currently executive chairman of the Education Policy Institute and the Education Partnerships Group.

In his new role at GK Strategy, Laws will advise on sectors including education, pensions and economic policy.

Laws commented: “I am delighted to join GK as a strategic advisor. It is a young, dynamic and exciting consultancy with a completely different approach and ethos to other agencies in the sector.”

Chief executive at GK Strategy Emily Wallace said: “David’s appointment is an exciting moment for GK and its staff. His cabinet-level experience and understanding of decision making at the heart of government will be invaluable to the engagement campaigns we support our clients to deliver.”

Laws’ appointment comes less than a month after the appointment Justin Ash, the former Oasis Dental Care chief executive, to the role of chairman at GK and its sister digital agency, onefourzero.