The US has ten times more lobbyists on its public register than those registered in Westminster, even when adjusted for population, according to new research published today by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
The report – No Rules Britannia? – exposes the gaps in the UK’s lobbying regulations and lays bare the limitations of Westminster’s public Register, which was introduced more than a decade ago to increase lobbying transparency.
Comparing Westminster’s Lobbying Register with those covering Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Scotland (Holyrood), Ireland, the US and European Parliament, the report reveals that Westminster’s register has the fewest lobbyists recorded even when adjusted for population. It is also the least transparent about what constitutes lobbying, only capturing consultant lobbyists who make up a small percentage of the industry.
Key findings include:
- The EU has more than 8 times as many registered lobbyists per million people than Westminster;
- Scotland/Holyrood has 69 times more registered lobbyists per million people than Westminster;
- Westminster lobbyists account for 0.5% of lobbyists registered across all jurisdictions analysed (Westminster, USA, EU, IRE, AUS, CAN, FRA, GER, Holyrood).
At the same time, the report reveals that the Westminster Lobbying Register’s sanctions are amongst the least strenuous: the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists (ORCL) has no power to bar lobbyists from accessing government agencies, buildings and staff, and has the second smallest maximum financial penalties available.
The latest report complements previous CIPR research, which found that ORCL imposed civil penalties in just 4% of its investigations into suspected unregistered lobbying, raising questions about whether the watchdog has the tools necessary to police the sector.
The CIPR has published No Rules Britannia? as part of its ongoing Lobbying for Good Lobbying campaign to replace the 2014 Lobbying Act. It is calling for:
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The registering of:
- all lobbying activity (oral, written or electronic communications with the objective of influencing, and in relation to government or parliamentary functions);
- who carries out the lobbying activity;
- who has been lobbied (Ministers, MPs, Peers, Regional Mayors, Senior Civil Servants, and special advisers);
- ORCL to be expanded into the Office of the Registrar of Lobbying (ORL). The Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists should become the Registrar of Lobbying;
- Technological/digital solutions to be explored to minimise any administrative burden on the registration of lobbying activity or the publication of diaries.
Alastair McCapra, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, said: “Our report throws into sharp relief the lack of transparency that surrounds the UK lobbying industry. If we lived in France, Canada, Ireland, or many other countries, we’d know much more about who is trying to influence our government. You could almost say that by an accident of birth, British voters are often left in the dark about who is whispering behind the throne.
“Even as the Lobbying Act was passing through Parliament it was clear that the Register it would create wouldn’t be fit for purpose as it would be blind to the overwhelming majority of activity. More than a decade on and the chickens have come home to roost with a never-ending string of scandals – from Cameron to Paterson to Benton – having rocked public confidence in the political system.
“The problem is that the UK’s Lobbying Register only captures consultant lobbyists, who are a small minority of lobbyists in the UK. The public is essentially glimpsing the sector through a keyhole.
“We urgently need reform and a Register that captures all lobbying activity. The best time to act was more than a decade ago. The second-best time is right now.”