10 Things That Should Have Been Included In The Government's Lobbying Bill

Because as David said...'it's the next big scandal waiting to happen...'

1. Who is being lobbied?

Lobbying is the practice of seeking to influence a politician or public official

on a particular issue. It is a practice exercised in any healthy democracy, but it

is essential that the act of lobbying be made open to the public,

to ensure a fair and transparent democracy.

2.Who is doing the lobbying?

Say ‘hello!’ to Lynton Crosby, he is joint director of Crosby Textor, a company

specialising in campaign advice and strategic communications (simply a lobbying firm). He has however denied letting his interests overlap between his role as a Conservative party election consultant and director of a lobbying firm, clients of which may be large tobacco companies...hmm...

3.Which ministers are being approached?

Lobbyists often seek to influence those in the higher echelons of power,

which is why cabinet ministers are constantly being called up on their

secret meetings and all too chatty emails with big players in the world of

business.

4.How much money is being spent.

The UK lobbying industry is worth over £2 billion!

What is this money being spent on? From where?

AND TO WHOM?

5. Information on the other 80% of lobbyists.

The Government’s draft lobbying bill would only provide

a detailed insight into around 20% of lobbying that occurs

in UK politics at the moment, what about the other 80%...?!

6. Information on issues relating to revolving doors.

All too often people leave behind positions in politics

only to enter into the world of lobbying, they do not however,

leave behind their important political contacts.

7. And in addition to that, information on any public office held by the lobbyist in the past five years.

To help combat this issue, the bill should include

a clause which insists that all lobbyists provide a

public record of any political office they have held

in the past 5 years.

8.Lobbyists at all levels of Parliament.

Lobbying doesn’t just occur in Parliament or the Cabinet.

Anyone with an important political decision to make might be lobbied, so why focus on such a small percentage of people being lobbied?!

9. 'Dave's Dinners' and the offer of 'Premier League Access.'

There has been one too many cash for questions or cash for access stories,

time with the Prime Minister or any other political figure should not be for sale to the highest bidder.

10. Information on who is lobbying Special Advisers...

Just because lobbyists aren’t contacting MPs directly, doesn’t mean they’re not

talking to their special advisers, in actual fact, they are talking to them quite

a lot... sometimes 4 times a day!

This is a phone call log between Jeremy Hunt's special adviser and Frederic Michel (a well known lobbyist for the media industry.)