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- APPC Position Statement - Lobbying & a Statutory Register
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- APPC amends Code of Conduct
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APPC Position Statement – Lobbying Transparency
This week has seen new allegations about the conduct of a firm of professional lobbyists and the claims made by one of its representatives about that firm’s relationships with ministers and senior government officials. These allegations have once again brought the issues of lobbying transparency, ethical lobbying and governance into the spotlight.
Lobbying is a legitimate part of any democratic process. What's crucial, however, is that lobbying - regardless of who carries it out - is undertaken in an open and transparent fashion.
The Association of Professional Political Consultants (APPC) is committed to transparency in lobbying. All APPC members have voluntarily agreed to be bound by a Code of Conduct which demands openness and transparency of dealings with politicians, ministers, officials and government departments. For the last 15 years, APPC member firms have been required to declare their consultants and clients on a regular basis (currently quarterly) on a public register. Our members are proud to list their public affairs clients in this way and we believe it should be the norm for all those lobbying government in a professional capacity.
Secondly, it is vital that policymakers are able to make decisions based upon all the information being available to them. And Westminster needs to be able to talk to the real world, in all its guises. It is important, therefore, that individuals, organisations and businesses all have the same opportunity to make their case to those elected to act on their behalf and to expect that policy-makers will listen to and take account of all those views when formulating government policy.
It is right to call for greater transparency. It is, however, completely wrong to single out commercial interests as being either more or less important, or more or less legitimate, than other interests. So that means the planned statutory register of lobbyists MUST include charities, unions, lawyers, trade groups, consultancies, in-house practitioners and anybody else who seeks to put a case to government in a professional capacity.
6 December 2011