Good lobbyists don’t need to lurk in the shadows

Three great British institutions have had their reputation destroyed in recent years. The behaviour of some individuals in Parliament, banks and newspapers have rightly seen their occupation hauled over the coals, dissected and exposed for failure, dishonesty and shady practice.

Whilst the idea of ‘cleaning up’ the institutions that effectively run our country is noble, and may still yet yield significant returns in the march towards a higher moral standard, we must be careful not to get too excited every time the opportunity for a witch-hunt arises.

David Cameron once said that lobbying was the next big scandal – a prophecy which may soon be fulfilled. But feeding the public’s thirst for institutional scandal and fetish for outrage could, without checks and balances, be misguided. Some forms of lobbying are a vital part of our freedom and democracy, others are a direct challenge to it – picking the right battles is key to successful reform.

The ability to ask our Government and elected representatives to vote in a certain way, or influence them through advocacy and debate are vital – not just for individuals but for worker groups and industry bodies. As a Public Affairs professional (sorry….’lobbyist’) for a trade association I have never needed to lurk in the shadows. No bungs, no Michelin-starred dinners, no nods and no winks. All I need to do a good job is have a fair hearing and a quality debate.

When I lobby, I argue that my sectors (shipping, ports and maritime business) contribute £26.5bn to GDP, support 531,000 UK jobs and provide £8bn in tax receipts every year. I argue that 95% of the UK’s international trade is moved by sea and that if the trade deficit is to be closed and economic prosperity to be returned, then Government and industry needs to work hand-in-hand to find solutions to the legitimate problems that exist.

It is a technique used by Trade Unions, charities, businesses and pressure groups too. Explain why you should be listened to, and make an argument for what you need. They will either listen, or they won’t, but it is reasonable to allow every citizen, organisation and company to have their say on the issues that affect them, and to have the opportunity to make their case to legislators. They should be allowed to influence Government if the arguments they make are valid, and governments should allow themselves to be influenced in return. That is what we mean by ‘listening and learning’.

The significant moral questions that arise from lobbying are not to be found here. They are to be found in the practice of cash-for-contacts. Indeed, and the public affairs consultancy world won’t thank me for this, in most cases the quality of the contacts on offer can be grossly exaggerated. The unspoken truth in lobbying is that nobody has the Prime Minister on speed dial. The idea that the Prime Minister will make a major policy announcement out of pure loyalty to an old chum is absurd. Quite simply, many lobbyists lie about just how well connected they actually are, and earn substantial monetary rewards from clients who fail to realise that lobbying simply doesn’t work like they think it does.

Spin and scramble is the name of the game for those operating in the murkier corners of public affairs. They spin to win the business, and scramble to achieve some kind of result afterwards. When genuine influence is held over a politician that is devoid of real argument or due process, that is when we have a real problem.

Whilst in many ways our dislike of ‘special interests’ has been borrowed from our American cousins, we don’t actually have the same problems as them. There, lobbyists really do have an appalling control over politicians – the National Rifle Association, for example can fund a Senators’ re-election campaign to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Should the Senator in question then fail to do as they’re told, the funding will be withdrawn and offered to their rival candidate. That isn’t lobbying, it’s corruption. It’s bribery.

Preventing such corruption from coming here is vital, and it is right that a light be cast into those dark corners were wrong is undoubtedly being done. If corruption is at play let’s expose it and prosecute. If consultancies are making ludicrous and implausible claims as to the influence they have, let’s expose it and ridicule them. But most importantly, let’s remind ourselves that every time a shady lobbying practice takes place, damage is done to all those individuals, businesses, charities and organisations that feed expertise, information and ideas into the political process. Moral lobbying can deliver results, we should celebrate it, and protect it from the changes that lay ahead.