Campaign for Lobbying Transparency

I very much agree that tough steps are needed to clean up politics, including tackling the problems associations with lobbying.

In February, David Cameron said: ‘[Lobbying] is 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… I believe that it is increasingly clear that lobbying in this country is getting out of control… I believe that secret corporate lobbying, like the expenses scandal, goes to the heart of why people are so fed up with politics. It arouses people’s worst fears and suspicions about how our political system works, with money buying power, power fishing for money and a cosy club at the top making decisions in their own interest. We can’t go on like this. I believe it’s time we shone the light of transparency on lobbying in our country and forced our politics to come clean about who is buying power and influence’ (Speech, ‘Rebuilding trust in politics’, 8 February 2010).

A Conservative Government will:

• Introduce new rules to stop central government bodies using public money to hire lobbyists to lobby the government. New guidance will prevent central public sector bodies hiring external firms to influence the allocation of government funds or passage of legislation.

• Require the lobbying industry to ensure full and proper transparency of their clients and staff; we will legislate for a statutory register if this does not happen.

• Ensure that ex-Ministers are banned from lobbying government for two years after leaving office. We will extend to ten years the period during which ex-Ministers must seek advice from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments. We will put the Committee on a statutory basis, so that ignoring its advice will be an offence.

• Require civil servants to publish online details of any meetings with lobbyists.

In addition, Conservatives have committed to implement the proposals of the Committee on Standards in Public Life (the ‘Kelly reforms’) that Parliamentary candidates for election should declare their interests – including lobbying interests. I will be publishing my own declaration on nomination as a candidate.