unicornnews: Public Affairs Council launches

Staying with political communications, but from the other side of the fence now, and the previously reported UK Public Affairs Council has officially launched.

As much previously reported, this is the new body that aims to create and administer a voluntary register for the British lobbying sector, in which lobbyists will be encouraged to declare who they work with and who they deal with in government. The register, similar to one already operating at a European level, aims to overcome negative perceptions of the public affairs industry; though not everyone in the lobbying sector supports it.

The PAC is backed, though, but the three relevant trade bodies, the Association Of Professional Political Consultants, the Chartered Institute Of Public Relations and the Public Relations Consultants Association.

Launching the new council late last month, Philip Mawer, Chairman of the UKPAC Implementation Group, told esPResso: “For the first time the public can be confident that lobbyists from all walks of life, be they in corporations, charities, local authorities, law and accountancy firms, management or communications consultancies, think tanks and public affairs companies, will be able to be monitored by a single, independent organisation”.

He continued: “The UKPAC will create and oversee a central register, updated quarterly, which will hold key details of those who practice public affairs. All those listed will be demonstrating their commitment to promoting public confidence through transparency, accountability and effective self-regulation”.

Posted Monday April 12 2010 by Chris Cooke

Related categories: Political Communications Public Affairs