unicornnews: No compulsory lobbying register

The Cabinet Office has resisted calls for tougher rules to regulate the lobbying sector, rejecting proposals made by a parliamentary select committee that a statutory register be created where political consultants must state their clients, and record any meetings they have had with MPs. There has been increasing support in political circles for more transparency in the world of lobbying. Some in the public affairs sector support some sort of register, though mainly on a voluntary rather than statutory basis, perhaps in line with the voluntary register that has already been launched at a European level. But others in the industry are opposed to any new regulation of the way they operate.

In its report, the Cabinet Office throws its support behind the voluntary register idea, though without the stick of threatening to launch a compulsory system if the industry can’t agree on how to better self-regulate. The Office has said, however, that it will continue to review efforts made regarding a voluntary register.

The report does put more pressure on those of the political side of the equation to declare their exposure to lobbyists. The list of civil servants who must declare any hospitality or expenses received from political consultants or their clients will be extended, and that information will be published online every quarter.

Responding to the government’s decisions regarding the lobbying review, the chair of the Select Committee who proposed the statutory register, Tony Wright, told reporters: “I am glad that the government has accepted some of our proposals to increase the transparency of lobbying but disappointed that it has not accepted the case for a statutory register, which is where I think we shall eventually end up”.

In related news, a group in the House Of Lords has proposed that peers should not be allowed to do any paid lobbying work. The committee of Lords is also keen to improve the public perception of Parliament, and hopes the ban on lobbying work would end damaging “peers for hire” stories in the press. It’s thought that if the government adopted the proposals about eight Lords would have to give up ongoing lobbying work.

If the rules are introduced in the Lords, pressure for similar restrictions on MPs in the Commons would grow. Responding to the Lords committee’s recommendations, David Miller of SpinWatch told PR Week: “It is obvious that the ban on parliamentarians acting as lobbyists must now extend to the House of Commons. Public trust relies on knowing that MPs and Lords are acting in the public interest”.

Any new rules to restrict MPs and Lords operating in the lobbying sector would actually be welcomed by the Association Of Professional Political Consultants. Their chair, Robbie MacDuff, told PR Week: “Our view on this is very simple: Parliamentarians should not be paid lobbyists”.

Posted Friday November 13 2009 by Chris Cooke

Related categories: Public Affairs Regulation