Lobbying in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
Lobbying in the United Kingdom plays a significant role in the formation of legislation and a wide variety of commercial organisations, lobby groups 'lobby
' for particular policies and decisions by Parliament
and other political organs at state and local levels. It is also possible, but less effective for individuals to lobby parliament. The professional lobbying industry has grown steadily in size and influence. It is now estimated to be worth £1.9 billion and to employ 14,000 people, although those in the sector prefer to use the term 'Public Relations', 'Public Affairs', 'Political Consultants', 'Corporate Affairs' to describe their activities which often include other forms of advocacy
.
The current levels of intensive lobbying are causing concern as is the 'revolving door
' which allow individuals to move rapidly between legislative and commercial roles in the same sectors creating with the possibility of conflict of interest
s. Ministers are making increasing use of Special Advisor
s (staff members employed by the minister personally, but paid for from the public purse) who are often selected from the related private sector industries and have been sometimes been criticised for engaging in campaigning while still on the government payroll or for moving directly between lobbying roles and the advisor role.
Since 1994 there have been various complaints by MPs about unacceptable lobbying and a number of police investigations. The parliamentary report 'Lobbying: Access and Influence in Whitehall' produced early in 2009 concluded that there was "very little regulation of any substance" and recommended that a statutory register of lobbying activity was established similar to the one required in the United States
. The government subsequently reported that it would rely on a continued period of self-regulation. Early in 2010 it was reported that the Department for Transport
could face criminal prosecution following allegations that it may have deleted or concealed emails following a Freedom of information
request regarding the department's communications with BAA Limited over the expansion of Heathrow Airport. David Cameron
, the Prime Minister
said that the issues of lobbying and party funding were "the next big scandal waiting to happen".
in 2007 to be worth £1.9 billion and to employ 14,000 people. The report also suggested that some MPs are approached over 100 times a week by lobbyists. In addition to direct lobbying, advocacy groups use other forms of advocacy to influence public opinion and policy outcomes.
There are two self-regulatory bodies which UK public affairs companies can join - the Association of Professional Political Consultants (APPC) and the Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA) - and also the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) which registers individual lobbyists. Public affairs practitioners also get together through the PubAffairs group, which is a network for those working in public affairs, government relations and policy.
The House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee
has recommended that a statutory register of lobbying companies and activities is created, however the government has rejected the recommendation.
The phrase "lobbying" comes from the gathering of Members of Parliament and peers
in the hallways (or lobbies) of Houses of Parliament before and after parliamentary debates.
During the 1800s petitions were a popular way of raising issues with parliament and in 1839 13,657 public petitions were presented on more than 90 different subjects with a total of over 4.5 million signatures.
In 1866 a group of 'Suffragists' petitioned and lobbied parliament that women should have the same political rights as men. They were unsuccessful and in 1903 the Suffragette
s were formed who's motto was 'Deeds not Words'; they heckled ministers, displayed banners and used both violent and non-violent direct action
; equal voting rights for women was achieved with the Representation of the People Act 1928
.
In 1923, Winston Churchill
acted as a highly paid lobbyist for Burmah Oil (now BP plc) to persuade the British government to allow Burmah to have exclusive rights to Persian (Iraq
i) oil resources, which were successfully granted.
The first inquiry into lobbying of the parliament was in 1991 and in the United States the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995
was passed with an objective of maintaining a degree of transparency in the activities of lobbyists. This bill was strengthened by the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act
in 2007 following the American Jack Abramoff scandal
. The OpenSecrets
website allows web users to track federal campaign contributions and lobbying activity the United States. It served over 90 million pages to 17 million web visitors during 2007.
In 1994 The Guardian claimed on of London's most successful parliamentary lobbyist, Ian Greer of Ian Greer Associates, had bribed two Conservative
Members of Parliament in exchange for asking parliamentary questions, and other tasks, on behalf of the controversial Egyptian owner of Harrods
department store, Mohamed Al-Fayed
in what became known as the Cash-for-questions affair
. Following a lengthy libel case brought by Neil Hamilton
and Grier and a parliamentary investigation it was found that "Mr Hamilton's conduct fell seriously and persistently below the standards which the House is entitled to expect of its Members." It was also found that Michael Brown
MP had failed to register an introduction payment in relation to US Tobacco
(Skoal tobacco)" and had "persistently and deliberately failed to declare his interests in dealing with Ministers and officials over the Skoal Bandits issue." Others were also criticised.
Shortly before the 1997 general election Bernie Ecclestone
the head of Formula One
donated £1 million to the Labour party; after Labour's victory and after a meeting between Rt Hon Tony Blair
and Mr Ecclestone the Department of Health
sought exemption for Formula One from the EU’s proposed ban on tobacco advertising
. This event was cited as one of the reasons for the 2008 inquiry.
Jonathan Aitken
, previously Minister of State
for Defence Procurement
under John Major
in 1992 was jailed in 1999 in relation to the Arms-to-Iraq
scandal. Prior to becoming minister he had been a director of arms company BMARC
, and after losing his seat at the 1997 election he was appointed as a representative for the arms company GEC-Marconi (part of BAE Systems
since November 1999).
In 2006 is was alleged that by making donations or loans to political parties is was possible to 'buy' Life peer
ages and thereby participate in the creating legislation directly (Cash for Honours). After a 16 month investigation the police said that no prosecution would be brought because "while peerages may have been given in exchange for loans, it could not find direct evidence that that had been agreed in advance; this direct evidence of an agreement in advance is what would be required for a successful prosecution". This claim was cited as one reason for the reasons for the 'Lobbying: Access and Influence in Whitehall' report (see below).
In March 2007 the Select Committee on Standards and Privileges published a report following a complaint about the conduct of David Cameron
regarding his 'Leader's Group'. The complaint related back to August 2007 when David Cameron's Chief Fundraiser used a researcher pass allotted to a Conservative peer Lord Harris of Peckham to gain access to facilities inside the Palace of Westminster and investigated a series of fundraising events which allowed donors to meet Cameron. The investigation concluded that it was improper to employ parliamentary staff for fund-raising purposes and that it was "ill-advised to link directly, in promoting the Leader's Group, the issues of access to his office and party fund-raising". Lord McNally, a member of the Lords Committee said that this was "yet another example of how pressure on political parties to raise ever larger sums from private sources pollutes our politics". Using passes in this way does not however break any written rule.
A freedom of information
request in July 2007 showed that BAA executives met the Department for Transport 117 times between 2002 and 2007, including 24 meetings with the secretary of state.
In October 2007 Lord Hoyle (a member of the house of Lords) was paid an undisclosed sum to introduce an arms lobbyist, a former RAF officer who worked for BAE
, to the defense minister, Lord Drayson. The lobbyist had also a security pass as a 'research assistant' from another MP. Accepting money for introductions is 'frowned on' but not illegal.
In 2008 Plane Stupid
activists managed to get onto the roof of the Palace of Westminster
and dropped a banner reading 'BAA HQ' as a reference to the close relationship BAA Limited had with government. Gordon brown who was in the house on that day responded saying: "The message should go out today very clearly that decisions in this country should be made in the chamber of this House and not on the roof of this House".
In January 2009 Labour MP John Grogan said that those who had opposed the third runway might have won had it not been for the "intricate web" linking BAA, British Airways
and Whitehall
. Liberal Democrat MP, Susan Kramer
MP said that Commons investigation was "a matter of public interest and is imperative."
In January 2009 The Sunday Times
claimed that when a reporter had posed as a lobbyist that Lord Snape, Lord Moonie, Lord Taylor of Blackburn
and Lord Truscott had offered to influence legislation in return for payment (main:Cash for influence
). The Metropolitan Police said that no action would be taken, noting that "The application of the criminal law to members of the House of Lords in the circumstances that have arisen here is far from clear," and "there are very clear difficulties in gathering and adducing evidence in these circumstances in the context of parliamentary privilege
." The House of Lords voted to suspend Lord Taylor and Lord Truscott for six months in the first such action since the 17th century.
Also in January 2009 the House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee
published a report 'Lobbying: Access and Influence in Whitehall' which noted:
The report recommended that "A statutory register of lobbying activity to bring greater transparency to the dealings between Whitehall decision makers and outside interests." It also concluded that the self-regulation of the professional lobbying industry was "fragmented" and appeared to "involve very little regulation of any substance". In October 2009 the government responded to the pasc report rejecting a mandatory register of Lobby groups. The concluded that:
The 'Alliance for Lobbying Transparency' criticised the decisions saying "self-regulation is no regulation"; they compared the situation to that of MPs Expenses scandal
.
In August 2009 Transparency International
UK received a grant from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust
to assess the level of corruption in the UK for the first time. One motivation for research, which is expected to take 12 months is the "anecdotal evidence and reports in the media suggest that: a) there is a widespread belief that certain institutions and processes within the UK are vulnerable to corruption, for example, funding of political parties".
In February 2010 there were a number of separate developments:
In March 2010 Dispatches
and The Sunday Times
recorded four Members of Parliament
offering lobbying in return for influence with the Cabinet
. Stephen Byers
, a former member of the cabinet was recorded as saying he would work for up to £5,000 a day and was like a "cab for hire.
Also in March 2010 the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments
revealed that Tony Blair
, who resigned as prime minister and as an MP on 27 June 2007 had acted as a paid business consultant to an oil firm with interests in Iraq
just 14 months after leaving office. In July 2008 he had requested to the committee that his relationship with UI Energy Corporation
should be kept secret for reasons of 'market sensitivity' and the committee agreed to postpone publication for three months against normal procedures; the committee then had to then "chase" Blair and send a formal letter to his office in November 2009 which was responded to in February 2010 with a request for continued secrecy. The committee chairman Lord Lang
disagreed and the information was published on their website with the note 'Publication delayed due to market sensitivities'. UI Energy also retains other senior political figures including former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke
, former US Secretary of Defense United States Mr. Frank Carlucci
and a former US commander for the Middle East, General John Abizaid
. The news raised concerns that he had profited financially from contacts he made during the Iraq war. Blair also earned money from the ruling family in Kuwait from December 2007 for whom he produced as report on the oil state's future over the next 30 years for a reported £1m fee. An investigation by The Guardian
in 2009 found that he had put his multimillion-pound income through "an obscure partnership structure called Windrush Ventures, which enabled him to avoid publishing normal company accounts".
" policy between Downing Street, Whitehall and BAA Limited (BAA is a major UK airport operator). The following sections show the close relationship between the government, industry and companies working for the industry. It also shows the frequency with which senior people switch between government and industry in ways that often create a conflict of interest
. Campaigners have won a High Court
battle over plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport in March 2010 when Lord Justice Carnwath
ruled that the government's policy support for a third runway would need to be looked at again and called for a review "of all the relevant policy issues, including the impact of climate change policy". The Department for Transport vowed to "robustly defend" the third runway plan.
from 1996 and 2001 (Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions
as well as Deputy Prime Minister
) before working for various element of the aviation lobby and becoming head of corporate affairs at BAA in 2006 before he became 'Special Advisor' to Gordon Brown
in 2007 when he became prime minister. He was succeeded at BAA by Tom Kelly who took the title 'group director of corporate and public affairs'; Kelly had previously been the official spokesman for Tony Blair
when he was prime minister.
Stephen Hardwick was an adviser to John Prescott before becoming head of public affairs at BAA and later forming Altitude Consultancy which "helps clients with business-critical public policy, regulation and reputation issues to define, pursue and achieve their objectives" It is reported that Hardwick helped establish Freedom to Fly which was part funded by BAA.
BAA employs PR company Finsbury which is headed by from Roland Rudd and was sold the company to WPP Group
for £50m in 2001. Rudd's business partner was Rupert Younger, son of Lord Young
who was previously Secretary of State for Trade & Industry Rudd is a "close friend" of former business secretary Lord Mandelson who 'strongly' backed the business case for expansion and is credited with winning over rebel ministers at the last minute. In the run-up to the decision Mandelson held meetings with Finsbury and officials from Finsbury met with transport minister Lord Adonis.
BAA said: "It is entirely appropriate that BAA holds discussions with government, as we do with politicians of all parties, in the interest of Britain's airports. As was clearly demonstrated with a decision last week, government and government alone makes the critical judgements that affect airport growth."
who subsequently became Director of Public Affairs at BAA Limited. It was chaired by Brenda Dean
a Labour Peer and a privy councillor. Their director, Dan Hodges, is the son of Glenda Jackson
, Labour MP and former Aviation Minister.
was formed in 2007 with support from various companies in the aviation sector who were concerned about impending legislation which would have affected the sector. The organisation was also evidently concerned about the Conservative's rejection of Heathrow 3rd runaway, a fact that was later confirmed by a leaked strategy document.
Initially Digby Jones was appointed chairman. Following Jones's appointment as Minister of State for Trade
in both the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
and the Foreign Office
Brian Wilson
was appointed in his place. Wilson been a Labour MP until 2005 and a minister at the Department of Trade and Industry. Michelle De Leo was appointed director. Leo is the wife of Dan Hodge (director of Freedom to Fly and son of Glenda Jackson - aviation minister).
As well as lobbying politicians Flying Matters published press briefing, carried out polls, published research, commissioned advertisements, gave evidence to a public inquires and participated in party conferences. Their lobbying was countered by the work of Plane Stupid
and others who frequently complained at the close relationship between the lobby group and government and in 2008 protested on the roof of the UK's Houses of Parliament while parliament was sitting to draw attention to the close relationship between BAA Airports Ltd and the government. In 2009 Greenpeace
acquired and published a detailed confidential report into the group activities and plans. The activists complained about the revolving door
where the same people (including Brian Wilson) move between government and the private sector claiming that this is a conflict of interest
which leads to poor decisions. The objectives outlined in the leaked 'draft Strategy and programme for 2009-10' stated that it was: "Essential to keep the debate moving the in right direction to give ministers confidence in their position" ... "Essential to help establish a foundation from which the Conservatives could amend their position post election". The organisation's budget for 2008-2009 was £390K. The leaked papers claimed that The Department for Transport
was independently approaching Flying Matters for support on key issues on the Climate change bill and Leo confirmed that they had been approached. This was denied by the Department for Transport.
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
' for particular policies and decisions by Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
and other political organs at state and local levels. It is also possible, but less effective for individuals to lobby parliament. The professional lobbying industry has grown steadily in size and influence. It is now estimated to be worth £1.9 billion and to employ 14,000 people, although those in the sector prefer to use the term 'Public Relations', 'Public Affairs', 'Political Consultants', 'Corporate Affairs' to describe their activities which often include other forms of advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
.
The current levels of intensive lobbying are causing concern as is the 'revolving door
Revolving door (politics)
The revolving door is the movement of personnel between roles as legislators and regulators and the industries affected by the legislation and regulation and on within lobbying companies. In some cases the roles are performed in sequence but in certain circumstances may be performed at the same time...
' which allow individuals to move rapidly between legislative and commercial roles in the same sectors creating with the possibility of conflict of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
s. Ministers are making increasing use of Special Advisor
Special advisers in the United Kingdom
A special adviser works in a supporting role to the British government. With media, political or policy expertise, their duty is to assist and advise government ministers.-Role:...
s (staff members employed by the minister personally, but paid for from the public purse) who are often selected from the related private sector industries and have been sometimes been criticised for engaging in campaigning while still on the government payroll or for moving directly between lobbying roles and the advisor role.
Since 1994 there have been various complaints by MPs about unacceptable lobbying and a number of police investigations. The parliamentary report 'Lobbying: Access and Influence in Whitehall' produced early in 2009 concluded that there was "very little regulation of any substance" and recommended that a statutory register of lobbying activity was established similar to the one required in the United States
Lobbying in the United States
Lobbying in the United States targets the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, and state legislatures. Lobbyists may also represent their clients' or organizations' interests in dealings with federal, state, or local executive branch agencies or the courts. Lobby...
. The government subsequently reported that it would rely on a continued period of self-regulation. Early in 2010 it was reported that the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
could face criminal prosecution following allegations that it may have deleted or concealed emails following a Freedom of information
Freedom of information
Freedom of information refers to the protection of the right to freedom of expression with regards to the Internet and information technology . Freedom of information may also concern censorship in an information technology context, i.e...
request regarding the department's communications with BAA Limited over the expansion of Heathrow Airport. David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
, the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
said that the issues of lobbying and party funding were "the next big scandal waiting to happen".
Summary
The professional lobbying industry has been steadily growing in recent years and was estimated in a paper published by the Hansard SocietyHansard Society
The Hansard Society was formed in 1944 to promote parliamentary democracy. Founded and chaired by Commander Stephen King-Hall, the first subscribers were Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee...
in 2007 to be worth £1.9 billion and to employ 14,000 people. The report also suggested that some MPs are approached over 100 times a week by lobbyists. In addition to direct lobbying, advocacy groups use other forms of advocacy to influence public opinion and policy outcomes.
There are two self-regulatory bodies which UK public affairs companies can join - the Association of Professional Political Consultants (APPC) and the Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA) - and also the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) which registers individual lobbyists. Public affairs practitioners also get together through the PubAffairs group, which is a network for those working in public affairs, government relations and policy.
The House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee
Public Administration Select Committee
The Public Administration Select Committee is a Select Committee appointed by the British House of Commons to examine the reports of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and to consider matters relating to the quality and standards of administration provided by civil service departments,...
has recommended that a statutory register of lobbying companies and activities is created, however the government has rejected the recommendation.
History
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
in the hallways (or lobbies) of Houses of Parliament before and after parliamentary debates.
During the 1800s petitions were a popular way of raising issues with parliament and in 1839 13,657 public petitions were presented on more than 90 different subjects with a total of over 4.5 million signatures.
In 1866 a group of 'Suffragists' petitioned and lobbied parliament that women should have the same political rights as men. They were unsuccessful and in 1903 the Suffragette
Suffragette
"Suffragette" is a term coined by the Daily Mail newspaper as a derogatory label for members of the late 19th and early 20th century movement for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, in particular members of the Women's Social and Political Union...
s were formed who's motto was 'Deeds not Words'; they heckled ministers, displayed banners and used both violent and non-violent direct action
Direct action
Direct action is activity undertaken by individuals, groups, or governments to achieve political, economic, or social goals outside of normal social/political channels. This can include nonviolent and violent activities which target persons, groups, or property deemed offensive to the direct action...
; equal voting rights for women was achieved with the Representation of the People Act 1928
Representation of the People Act 1928
The Representation of the People Act 1928 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. This act expanded on the Representation of the People Act 1918 which had given some women the vote in Parliamentary elections for the first time after World War I. It widened suffrage by giving women...
.
In 1923, Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
acted as a highly paid lobbyist for Burmah Oil (now BP plc) to persuade the British government to allow Burmah to have exclusive rights to Persian (Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i) oil resources, which were successfully granted.
The first inquiry into lobbying of the parliament was in 1991 and in the United States the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995
The Lobbying and Disclosure Act of 1995 was legislation aimed at bringing a level of accountability to federal lobbying practices in the United States. The law was amended substantially by the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007...
was passed with an objective of maintaining a degree of transparency in the activities of lobbyists. This bill was strengthened by the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act
Honest Leadership and Open Government Act
The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 is a law of the United States federal government that amended parts of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995...
in 2007 following the American Jack Abramoff scandal
Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal
The Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal is a United States political scandal relating to the work performed by political lobbyists Jack Abramoff, Ralph E. Reed, Jr., Grover Norquist and Michael Scanlon on Indian casino gambling interests for an estimated $85 million in fees. Abramoff and Scanlon...
. The OpenSecrets
Center for Responsive Politics
The Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
website allows web users to track federal campaign contributions and lobbying activity the United States. It served over 90 million pages to 17 million web visitors during 2007.
In 1994 The Guardian claimed on of London's most successful parliamentary lobbyist, Ian Greer of Ian Greer Associates, had bribed two Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Members of Parliament in exchange for asking parliamentary questions, and other tasks, on behalf of the controversial Egyptian owner of Harrods
Harrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
department store, Mohamed Al-Fayed
Mohamed Al-Fayed
Mohamed Abdel Moneim Al-Fayed is an Egyptian businessman and billionaire. Amongst his business interests are ownership of the English Premiership football team Fulham Football Club, Hôtel Ritz Paris and formerly Harrods Department Store, Knightsbridge...
in what became known as the Cash-for-questions affair
Cash-for-questions affair
The "Cash-for-questions affair" was one of the biggest political scandals of the 1990s in the United Kingdom.It began in October 1994 when The Guardian newspaper alleged that London's most successful parliamentary lobbyist, Ian Greer of Ian Greer Associates, had bribed two Conservative Members of...
. Following a lengthy libel case brought by Neil Hamilton
Neil Hamilton (politician)
Mostyn Neil Hamilton is a former British barrister, teacher and Conservative MP. Since losing his seat in 1997 and leaving politics, Hamilton and his wife Christine have become media celebrities...
and Grier and a parliamentary investigation it was found that "Mr Hamilton's conduct fell seriously and persistently below the standards which the House is entitled to expect of its Members." It was also found that Michael Brown
Michael Brown (UK politician)
Michael Russell Brown is a British former Conservative Party politician and is now a newspaper and broadcast political journalist. He was a Member of Parliament from 1979 to 1997.-Biography:...
MP had failed to register an introduction payment in relation to US Tobacco
Skoal tobacco
Skoal Tobacco is a division of U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company . USSTC distributes dipping tobacco and, more recently, snus, both of which are marketed as smokeless tobacco. Skoal was first produced by US Smokeless Tobacco in 1934.-Cuts and Flavors:Skoal is packaged in 1.2 oz plastic can and is...
(Skoal tobacco)" and had "persistently and deliberately failed to declare his interests in dealing with Ministers and officials over the Skoal Bandits issue." Others were also criticised.
Shortly before the 1997 general election Bernie Ecclestone
Bernie Ecclestone
Bernard Charles "Bernie" Ecclestone is an English business magnate, as president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration and through his part-ownership of Alpha Prema, the parent company of the Formula One Group of companies. As such, he is generally considered the primary...
the head of Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
donated £1 million to the Labour party; after Labour's victory and after a meeting between Rt Hon Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
and Mr Ecclestone the Department of Health
Department of Health (United Kingdom)
The Department of Health is a department of the United Kingdom government with responsibility for government policy for health and social care matters and for the National Health Service in England along with a few elements of the same matters which are not otherwise devolved to the Scottish,...
sought exemption for Formula One from the EU’s proposed ban on tobacco advertising
Tobacco advertising
Tobacco advertising is the advertising of tobacco products or use by the tobacco industry through a variety of media including sponsorship, particularly of sporting events. It is now one of the most highly regulated forms of marketing...
. This event was cited as one of the reasons for the 2008 inquiry.
Jonathan Aitken
Jonathan Aitken
Jonathan William Patrick Aitken is a former Conservative Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom, and British government minister. He was convicted of perjury in 1999 and received an 18-month prison sentence, of which he served seven months...
, previously Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
for Defence Procurement
Defence Procurement Agency
The Defence Procurement Agency , was an Executive Agency of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence responsible for the acquisition of materiel, equipment and services, for the British armed forces....
under John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
in 1992 was jailed in 1999 in relation to the Arms-to-Iraq
Arms-to-Iraq
The Arms-to-Iraq affair concerned the uncovering of the government-endorsed sale of arms by British companies to Iraq, then under the rule of Saddam Hussein...
scandal. Prior to becoming minister he had been a director of arms company BMARC
BMARC
BMARC was a UK-based firm designing and producing defence products, particularly aircraft cannon and naval anti-aircraft cannon...
, and after losing his seat at the 1997 election he was appointed as a representative for the arms company GEC-Marconi (part of BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
since November 1999).
In 2006 is was alleged that by making donations or loans to political parties is was possible to 'buy' Life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
ages and thereby participate in the creating legislation directly (Cash for Honours). After a 16 month investigation the police said that no prosecution would be brought because "while peerages may have been given in exchange for loans, it could not find direct evidence that that had been agreed in advance; this direct evidence of an agreement in advance is what would be required for a successful prosecution". This claim was cited as one reason for the reasons for the 'Lobbying: Access and Influence in Whitehall' report (see below).
In March 2007 the Select Committee on Standards and Privileges published a report following a complaint about the conduct of David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
regarding his 'Leader's Group'. The complaint related back to August 2007 when David Cameron's Chief Fundraiser used a researcher pass allotted to a Conservative peer Lord Harris of Peckham to gain access to facilities inside the Palace of Westminster and investigated a series of fundraising events which allowed donors to meet Cameron. The investigation concluded that it was improper to employ parliamentary staff for fund-raising purposes and that it was "ill-advised to link directly, in promoting the Leader's Group, the issues of access to his office and party fund-raising". Lord McNally, a member of the Lords Committee said that this was "yet another example of how pressure on political parties to raise ever larger sums from private sources pollutes our politics". Using passes in this way does not however break any written rule.
A freedom of information
Freedom of information
Freedom of information refers to the protection of the right to freedom of expression with regards to the Internet and information technology . Freedom of information may also concern censorship in an information technology context, i.e...
request in July 2007 showed that BAA executives met the Department for Transport 117 times between 2002 and 2007, including 24 meetings with the secretary of state.
In October 2007 Lord Hoyle (a member of the house of Lords) was paid an undisclosed sum to introduce an arms lobbyist, a former RAF officer who worked for BAE
BAE
BAE Systems, a British defence, security and aerospace companyBAE may also refer to:*British Aerospace , a UK aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer...
, to the defense minister, Lord Drayson. The lobbyist had also a security pass as a 'research assistant' from another MP. Accepting money for introductions is 'frowned on' but not illegal.
In 2008 Plane Stupid
Plane Stupid
Plane Stupid is a UK-focused group of environmental protesters who state their aim as wanting to see an end to airport expansion for what it sees as "unnecessary and unsustainable" flights. The organisation has no formal hierarchy, leader, or media figurehead. It is a loose association of...
activists managed to get onto the roof of the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
and dropped a banner reading 'BAA HQ' as a reference to the close relationship BAA Limited had with government. Gordon brown who was in the house on that day responded saying: "The message should go out today very clearly that decisions in this country should be made in the chamber of this House and not on the roof of this House".
In January 2009 Labour MP John Grogan said that those who had opposed the third runway might have won had it not been for the "intricate web" linking BAA, British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
and Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
. Liberal Democrat MP, Susan Kramer
Susan Kramer
Susan Veronica Kramer, Baroness Kramer is a British Liberal Democrat politician. She was Member of Parliament for Richmond Park from 2005 to 2010, having been an unsuccessful candidate in the London mayoral election in 2000....
MP said that Commons investigation was "a matter of public interest and is imperative."
In January 2009 The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
claimed that when a reporter had posed as a lobbyist that Lord Snape, Lord Moonie, Lord Taylor of Blackburn
Thomas Taylor, Baron Taylor of Blackburn
Thomas Taylor, Baron Taylor of Blackburn is a former Labour member of the House of Lords. He is notable for being one of the first peers suspended from the House of Lords since the 17th century.-Biography:Thomas Taylor was born in 1926....
and Lord Truscott had offered to influence legislation in return for payment (main:Cash for influence
Cash for Influence
Cash for Influence is the name given by some in the media to a political scandal in the United Kingdom in 2009 concerning four Labour Party Life Peers offering to help make amendments to legislation for up to £120,000...
). The Metropolitan Police said that no action would be taken, noting that "The application of the criminal law to members of the House of Lords in the circumstances that have arisen here is far from clear," and "there are very clear difficulties in gathering and adducing evidence in these circumstances in the context of parliamentary privilege
Parliamentary privilege
Parliamentary privilege is a legal immunity enjoyed by members of certain legislatures, in which legislators are granted protection against civil or criminal liability for actions done or statements made related to one's duties as a legislator. It is common in countries whose constitutions are...
." The House of Lords voted to suspend Lord Taylor and Lord Truscott for six months in the first such action since the 17th century.
Also in January 2009 the House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee
Public Administration Select Committee
The Public Administration Select Committee is a Select Committee appointed by the British House of Commons to examine the reports of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and to consider matters relating to the quality and standards of administration provided by civil service departments,...
published a report 'Lobbying: Access and Influence in Whitehall' which noted:
- The practice of lobbying in order to influence political decisions is a legitimate and necessary part of the democratic process. Individuals and organisations reasonably want to influence decisions that may affect them, those around them, and their environment. Government in turn needs access to the knowledge and views that lobbying can bring.
- Evidence was given by GreenpeaceGreenpeaceGreenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
of a Revolving doorRevolving door (politics)The revolving door is the movement of personnel between roles as legislators and regulators and the industries affected by the legislation and regulation and on within lobbying companies. In some cases the roles are performed in sequence but in certain circumstances may be performed at the same time...
where many former Members and Ministers now working for lobbying firms in particular for the nuclear sector. The report listed Geoffrey Norris (special policy adviser to Peter MandelsonPeter MandelsonPeter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson, PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004, served in a number of Cabinet positions under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and was a European Commissioner...
), Jamie ReedJamie ReedJamieson Ronald "Jamie" Reed is a British Labour politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Copeland in Cumbria since 2005, replacing Copeland's long-serving former MP Jack Cunningham.-Early life:...
, Jack CunninghamJack CunninghamJohn "Jack" Anderson Cunningham, Baron Cunningham of Felling, PC, DL is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Copeland from 1983 to 2005, and previously served in the Cabinet.-Early life:...
, Ian McCartneyIan McCartneySir Ian McCartney is a former politician, who was the British Labour Party Member of Parliament for the Makerfield constituency between 1987 to 2010, and served in the Cabinet, from 2003 to 2007, when Gordon Brown became Prime Minister...
, Richard CabornRichard CabornRichard George Caborn PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Central from 1983 to 2010...
, Brian Wilson and Alan DonnellyAlan DonnellyAlan Donnelly is a British politician from Jarrow who served as a Labour Member of the European Parliament and leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party....
. They also noted that some ran PR and lobbying firms including Alan DonnellyAlan DonnellyAlan Donnelly is a British politician from Jarrow who served as a Labour Member of the European Parliament and leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party....
who runs Sovereign Strategy and employs Jack CunninghamJack CunninghamJohn "Jack" Anderson Cunningham, Baron Cunningham of Felling, PC, DL is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Copeland from 1983 to 2005, and previously served in the Cabinet.-Early life:...
. - A complaint by Greenpeace into the access BAA had to the Department for TransportDepartment for TransportIn the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
the committee said that while it welcomed wider engagement in the policy process it was important that engagement was even-handed and was seen to be even-handed, also that token engagement bred cynicism and was "worse than no engagement at all".
The report recommended that "A statutory register of lobbying activity to bring greater transparency to the dealings between Whitehall decision makers and outside interests." It also concluded that the self-regulation of the professional lobbying industry was "fragmented" and appeared to "involve very little regulation of any substance". In October 2009 the government responded to the pasc report rejecting a mandatory register of Lobby groups. The concluded that:
- All departments will have to publish online quarterly reports detailing ministerial meetings with interest groups and hospitality received by ministers and their advisers. Details of meetings between officials and outside groups will not have to be published.
- The list of civil servants who will have to publish details of hospitality and expenses will be extended
- However they proposal for a compulsory register was rejects - feeling that the industry should be given more time to self-regulate but didn't recommend a time at which sel-regulation should be reviewed.
The 'Alliance for Lobbying Transparency' criticised the decisions saying "self-regulation is no regulation"; they compared the situation to that of MPs Expenses scandal
United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal
The United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal was a major political scandal triggered by the leak and subsequent publication by the Telegraph Group in 2009 of expense claims made by members of the United Kingdom Parliament over several years...
.
In August 2009 Transparency International
Transparency International
Transparency International is a non-governmental organization that monitors and publicizes corporate and political corruption in international development. It publishes an annual Corruption Perceptions Index, a comparative listing of corruption worldwide...
UK received a grant from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust
Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust
The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust is a philanthropic left-of-centre trust that chiefly supports work undertaken in the UK, Ireland and South Africa...
to assess the level of corruption in the UK for the first time. One motivation for research, which is expected to take 12 months is the "anecdotal evidence and reports in the media suggest that: a) there is a widespread belief that certain institutions and processes within the UK are vulnerable to corruption, for example, funding of political parties".
In February 2010 there were a number of separate developments:
- It was reported that the Department for Transport were being investigated by the Information Commissioner's Office and could face a criminal investigation over allegations that it had deleted or concealed records to prevent them from being disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act. The investigation followed a complaint by Justine GreeningJustine GreeningJustine Greening is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. She has been the Member of Parliament for Putney since 2005. She was appointed Economic Secretary to the Treasury in May 2010, and became Secretary of State for Transport on 14 October 2011...
MP. - Andrew MacKay, a conservative MP and previously a senior advisor to Cameron's team was reported to be joining the lobbying firm Burson-MarstellerBurson-MarstellerBurson-Marsteller is a global public relations and communications firm headquartered in the United States. Burson-Marsteller operates 67 wholly owned offices and 71 affiliate offices in 98 countries across six continents...
after quitting parliament at the next election with a salary in excess of £100,000; His wife, Julie KirkbrideJulie KirkbrideJulie Kirkbride is a British former politician. She was the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the Conservative stronghold of Bromsgrove from 1997 until 2010-Early life:...
, also an MP was reported to be looking for a lobbying job as well at a similar salary. The couple were both stepping down at the next general election following their part in the MP's expenses scandalUnited Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandalThe United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal was a major political scandal triggered by the leak and subsequent publication by the Telegraph Group in 2009 of expense claims made by members of the United Kingdom Parliament over several years...
which they had claimed second-home allowances on separate houses. They had been ordered to repay £60K. - Tom Watson complained of "unprecedented and relentless lobbing" around the Digital Economy Bill which is sponsored by Lord Mandelson. He suggested that some over 100 people were probably working full time to 'bounce it' through parliament and possibly only two people representing the interests of the nation’s youth. He observed that it was difficult when being lobbied by people you respect and admire. Lord Puttnam accused the government of attempting to push through the legislation without allowing for proper discussion, and that the bill as it stands was not fit for purpose.
- David CameronDavid CameronDavid William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
, the conservative leader predicted that it was "the next big scandal waiting to happen. It’s an issue that crosses party lines and has tainted our politics for too long, an issue that exposes the far-too-cosy relationship between politics, government, business and money". He suggested that he would shine "the light of transparency" on lobbying so that politics "comes clean about who is buying power and influence." Cameron has personal experience of the 'revolving door' moving as he did from the role of ministerial Special AdvisorSpecial advisers in the United KingdomA special adviser works in a supporting role to the British government. With media, political or policy expertise, their duty is to assist and advise government ministers.-Role:...
- first for Norman Lamont (Chancellor of the ExchequerChancellor of the ExchequerThe Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
) and then for Michael HowardMichael HowardMichael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
(Home SecretaryHome SecretaryThe Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
) He then moved to become Director of Corporate Affairs at Carlton CommunicationsCarlton CommunicationsCarlton Communications was a British media company. It was led by Michael Green and listed on the London Stock Exchange from 1983 until 2 February 2004, when it taken over by Granada plc to form ITV plc with Carlton gaining 32% of the new company....
at a time when the company bid successfully with Granada televisionGranada TelevisionGranada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
for license with to launch the world's first Digital terrestrial televisionDigital terrestrial televisionDigital terrestrial television is the technological evolution of broadcast television and advance from analog television, which broadcasts land-based signals...
service (ONdigital - later branded ITV digital). He resigned as a director of Carlton to run for parliament but remained on as a consultant to the company. During a round table discussion on the future of broadcasting in 1998 he criticised the effect of overlapping different regulators on the industry.
In March 2010 Dispatches
Dispatches (TV series)
Dispatches is the British television current affairs documentary series on Channel 4, first transmitted in 1987. The programme covers issues about British society, politics, health, religion, international current affairs and the environment, usually featuring a mole in an organisation.-Awards:*...
and The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
recorded four Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
offering lobbying in return for influence with the Cabinet
2010 cash for influence scandal
The 2010 cash for influence scandal is a political scandal in the United Kingdom. In March 2010, Dispatches, a current affairs documentary series on Channel 4 conducted a journalistic sting operation...
. Stephen Byers
Stephen Byers
Stephen John Byers is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for North Tyneside from 1997 to 2010; in the previous parliament, from 1992, he represented Wallsend...
, a former member of the cabinet was recorded as saying he would work for up to £5,000 a day and was like a "cab for hire.
Also in March 2010 the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments
Advisory Committee on Business Appointments
The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments is an non-departmental public body in the UK, which was set up in 1975 to provide advice on applications from the most senior Crown servants who wish to take up outside appointments after they leave Crown service. Since 1995 it has also provided...
revealed that Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, who resigned as prime minister and as an MP on 27 June 2007 had acted as a paid business consultant to an oil firm with interests in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
just 14 months after leaving office. In July 2008 he had requested to the committee that his relationship with UI Energy Corporation
UI Energy Corporation
UI Energy Corporation is a Korean company founded in 1987 . Its areas of interest include the development of resources and minerals, power plants and the supply of medical equipments...
should be kept secret for reasons of 'market sensitivity' and the committee agreed to postpone publication for three months against normal procedures; the committee then had to then "chase" Blair and send a formal letter to his office in November 2009 which was responded to in February 2010 with a request for continued secrecy. The committee chairman Lord Lang
Ian Lang
Ian Bruce Lang, Baron Lang of Monkton PC is a former British Conservative MP for Galloway from 1979 to 1983 and for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale from 1983 to 1997....
disagreed and the information was published on their website with the note 'Publication delayed due to market sensitivities'. UI Energy also retains other senior political figures including former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
, former US Secretary of Defense United States Mr. Frank Carlucci
Frank Carlucci
Frank Charles Carlucci III is a former official in the United States Government, associated with the Republican Party. The most prominent office held by Carlucci was as Secretary of Defense from 1987 until 1989 in the Reagan Administration.-Early life and career:Carlucci was born in Scranton,...
and a former US commander for the Middle East, General John Abizaid
John Abizaid
John Philip Abizaid, AO is a retired General in the United States Army and former Commander of the United States Central Command , overseeing American military operations in a 27-country region, from the Horn of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, to South and Central Asia, covering much of the Middle...
. The news raised concerns that he had profited financially from contacts he made during the Iraq war. Blair also earned money from the ruling family in Kuwait from December 2007 for whom he produced as report on the oil state's future over the next 30 years for a reported £1m fee. An investigation by The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
in 2009 found that he had put his multimillion-pound income through "an obscure partnership structure called Windrush Ventures, which enabled him to avoid publishing normal company accounts".
Aviation lobby
There has been considerable lobbying activity by the aviation sector in recent years. In 2009 senior MPs demanded a Commons investigation into evidence of a "revolving doorRevolving door (politics)
The revolving door is the movement of personnel between roles as legislators and regulators and the industries affected by the legislation and regulation and on within lobbying companies. In some cases the roles are performed in sequence but in certain circumstances may be performed at the same time...
" policy between Downing Street, Whitehall and BAA Limited (BAA is a major UK airport operator). The following sections show the close relationship between the government, industry and companies working for the industry. It also shows the frequency with which senior people switch between government and industry in ways that often create a conflict of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
. Campaigners have won a High Court
High Court
The term High Court usually refers to the superior court of a country or state. In some countries, it is the highest court . In others, it is positioned lower in the hierarchy of courts The term High Court usually refers to the superior court (or supreme court) of a country or state. In some...
battle over plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport in March 2010 when Lord Justice Carnwath
Robert Carnwath
Sir Robert John Anderson Carnwath CVO is a British judge.Carnwath was called to the Bar at Middle Temple in 1968. He practised in parliamentary law, planning and local government, revenue law and administrative law. He held the appointment of Junior Counsel to the Inland Revenue from 1980 to...
ruled that the government's policy support for a third runway would need to be looked at again and called for a review "of all the relevant policy issues, including the impact of climate change policy". The Department for Transport vowed to "robustly defend" the third runway plan.
BAA Limited
Joe Irvin was advisor to John PrescottJohn Prescott
John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
from 1996 and 2001 (Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions
Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions
The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions was a UK Cabinet position created in 1997, with responsibility for the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions ....
as well as Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a senior member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not a permanent position, existing only at the discretion of the Prime Minister, who may appoint to other offices...
) before working for various element of the aviation lobby and becoming head of corporate affairs at BAA in 2006 before he became 'Special Advisor' to Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
in 2007 when he became prime minister. He was succeeded at BAA by Tom Kelly who took the title 'group director of corporate and public affairs'; Kelly had previously been the official spokesman for Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
when he was prime minister.
Stephen Hardwick was an adviser to John Prescott before becoming head of public affairs at BAA and later forming Altitude Consultancy which "helps clients with business-critical public policy, regulation and reputation issues to define, pursue and achieve their objectives" It is reported that Hardwick helped establish Freedom to Fly which was part funded by BAA.
BAA employs PR company Finsbury which is headed by from Roland Rudd and was sold the company to WPP Group
WPP Group
WPP plc is a global media communications services company with its main management office in London, United Kingdom and its executive office in Dublin, Ireland. It is the world's largest advertising group by revenues, and employs over 150,000 people in 2,400 offices in 107 countries...
for £50m in 2001. Rudd's business partner was Rupert Younger, son of Lord Young
David Young, Baron Young of Graffham
David Ivor Young, Baron Young of Graffham, PC DL is a British Conservative politician and businessman.-Early life:Young is the elder son of a businessman who imported flour and later set up as a manufacturer of coats for children...
who was previously Secretary of State for Trade & Industry Rudd is a "close friend" of former business secretary Lord Mandelson who 'strongly' backed the business case for expansion and is credited with winning over rebel ministers at the last minute. In the run-up to the decision Mandelson held meetings with Finsbury and officials from Finsbury met with transport minister Lord Adonis.
BAA said: "It is entirely appropriate that BAA holds discussions with government, as we do with politicians of all parties, in the interest of Britain's airports. As was clearly demonstrated with a decision last week, government and government alone makes the critical judgements that affect airport growth."
Freedom to Fly
Freedom to Fly was formed during the preparation phase of the "Future of Aviation white paper 2003' by BAA and others It was 'fronted' by Joe Irvin, a former political adviser to John PrescottJohn Prescott
John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
who subsequently became Director of Public Affairs at BAA Limited. It was chaired by Brenda Dean
Brenda Dean
Brenda Dean, Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde PC is a British trade unionist and politician.She began her career as a trade unionist as a teenager...
a Labour Peer and a privy councillor. Their director, Dan Hodges, is the son of Glenda Jackson
Glenda Jackson
Glenda May Jackson, CBE is a British Labour Party politician and former actress. She has been a Member of Parliament since 1992, and currently represents Hampstead and Kilburn. She previously served as MP for Hampstead and Highgate...
, Labour MP and former Aviation Minister.
Future Heathrow
Future Heathrow is a coalition of aviation focused businesses and trades unions who support the 'sustainable growth of Heathrow' Their Campaign Director, Lord Soley, was also a senior Labour MP and one time chair of the parliamentary Labour party.Flying Matters
Flying MattersFlying Matters
Flying Matters was a pro-aviation coalition in the United Kingdom. Members included tourist organisations, airlines, aerospace manufacturers, trade associations, airport operators, growers and others. Formed in June 2007, they have issued briefings, press releases, lobbied Members of Parliament and...
was formed in 2007 with support from various companies in the aviation sector who were concerned about impending legislation which would have affected the sector. The organisation was also evidently concerned about the Conservative's rejection of Heathrow 3rd runaway, a fact that was later confirmed by a leaked strategy document.
Initially Digby Jones was appointed chairman. Following Jones's appointment as Minister of State for Trade
Minister of State for Trade
The Minister of State for Trade is an executive position in the Government of the United Kingdom, in both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
in both the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform was a United Kingdom government department. The department was created on 28 June 2007 on the disbanding of the Department of Trade and Industry , and was itself disbanded on 6 June 2009 on the creation of the Department for Business,...
and the Foreign Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
was appointed in his place. Wilson been a Labour MP until 2005 and a minister at the Department of Trade and Industry. Michelle De Leo was appointed director. Leo is the wife of Dan Hodge (director of Freedom to Fly and son of Glenda Jackson - aviation minister).
As well as lobbying politicians Flying Matters published press briefing, carried out polls, published research, commissioned advertisements, gave evidence to a public inquires and participated in party conferences. Their lobbying was countered by the work of Plane Stupid
Plane Stupid
Plane Stupid is a UK-focused group of environmental protesters who state their aim as wanting to see an end to airport expansion for what it sees as "unnecessary and unsustainable" flights. The organisation has no formal hierarchy, leader, or media figurehead. It is a loose association of...
and others who frequently complained at the close relationship between the lobby group and government and in 2008 protested on the roof of the UK's Houses of Parliament while parliament was sitting to draw attention to the close relationship between BAA Airports Ltd and the government. In 2009 Greenpeace
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
acquired and published a detailed confidential report into the group activities and plans. The activists complained about the revolving door
Revolving door (politics)
The revolving door is the movement of personnel between roles as legislators and regulators and the industries affected by the legislation and regulation and on within lobbying companies. In some cases the roles are performed in sequence but in certain circumstances may be performed at the same time...
where the same people (including Brian Wilson) move between government and the private sector claiming that this is a conflict of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
which leads to poor decisions. The objectives outlined in the leaked 'draft Strategy and programme for 2009-10' stated that it was: "Essential to keep the debate moving the in right direction to give ministers confidence in their position" ... "Essential to help establish a foundation from which the Conservatives could amend their position post election". The organisation's budget for 2008-2009 was £390K. The leaked papers claimed that The Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
was independently approaching Flying Matters for support on key issues on the Climate change bill and Leo confirmed that they had been approached. This was denied by the Department for Transport.
See also
- ASAIF
- Reform of the House of LordsLords ReformFor more than a century, governments in the United Kingdom have attempted to find a way to undertake a comprehensive reform of the House of Lords, which is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
- Cash for Honours
- Cash for influenceCash for InfluenceCash for Influence is the name given by some in the media to a political scandal in the United Kingdom in 2009 concerning four Labour Party Life Peers offering to help make amendments to legislation for up to £120,000...
- Cash-for-questions affairCash-for-questions affairThe "Cash-for-questions affair" was one of the biggest political scandals of the 1990s in the United Kingdom.It began in October 1994 when The Guardian newspaper alleged that London's most successful parliamentary lobbyist, Ian Greer of Ian Greer Associates, had bribed two Conservative Members of...
- Political partiesPolitical PartiesPolitical Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
- Revolving doorRevolving door (politics)The revolving door is the movement of personnel between roles as legislators and regulators and the industries affected by the legislation and regulation and on within lobbying companies. In some cases the roles are performed in sequence but in certain circumstances may be performed at the same time...