The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) has published its Manifesto detailing a “bold vision for the next UK government to deliver a strong economy and fairer society”.
Launched at yesterday’s (Tuesday 11 February) President’s Reception at the Institute of Directors, the document aims to provoke an open and informed debate, focused around specific important opportunities outlined for the future:
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Lobbying
Calling for Government to actively support the development of high professional standards and accountability in lobbying, and work with the profession to build stronger institutions that can regulate the ethical conduct of lobbyists, supporting and maintaining the voluntary codes of conduct.
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The future of corporate governance
Calling for Government to assist in the creation of a new corporate culture in the UK based on wider value creation and with a firm understanding of the importance of relationships in business decision making.
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Independent practitioners and future skills needs
Calling for Government to allow tax deductibility for any kind of training undertaken by the self-employed and allow tax deductibility for any kind of training for small businesses.
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The gender pay gap
Calling for Government to tackle to gender pay and inequality directly by strengthening the Equal Pay act, ensuring it is applied universally.
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Data protection
Calling for Government to think beyond the scope of current EU Data Protection Law and lead a national conversation about how we can develop a coherent and satisfactory framework for responding to emerging technology and address the rapid changes in the market for data.
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Internet governance
Calling for Government to build support for a multi-stakeholder approach to internet governance.
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Broadband
Calling for Government to pledge a greater amount of investment in the UK's critical digital infrastructure.
At the Reception, which also marked ten years of Chartered status for the CIPR, President Sarah Pinch said: “The next UK Government should seek to restart the dialogue with stakeholders on the role of lobbying in our democracy, and actively support the development of a highly skilled, qualified and ethically competent group of public affairs professionals that serve the needs of a modern complex democracy.
“Ensuring that the law that introduced a statutory register of consultant lobbyists genuinely provides the public with more information about how policies and laws are shaped should be considered a priority. Failure to do so will result in lobbying genuinely being the next big scandal waiting to happen.
“Looking outside of our traditional areas of influence, some of the really big questions facing our society – internet governance, data protection, the gender pay gap – have not so far figured large in political debate, but our future government will need to take a lead on finding answers to them.
“Most of these issues are not ones for which a government can simply legislate, and most of them do not have a simple, straightforward solution. Rather, they require an open and informed public conversation which will allow us to arrive at a sustainable set of policies and maintain the UK’s world lead in what are critically important areas.”
The Manifesto is available to download in electronic format on the CIPR website or in hard-copy from CIPR Public Relations Centre, London.