9 February 2010

Ephraim Hardcastle writes in today's Daily Mail on Cameron's proposed clampdown on political lobbying firms: "Does he mean outfits like Huntsworth," Hardcastle asks, "which describes itself as 'a world class communications group with public relations as its core'? Its chief executive is Lord Chadlington, aka Peter Gummer, 67, president of Cameron's constituency party. He helped bankroll Dave's leadership campaign."

The Huntsworth Group has a number of lobbying firms under its wing including Grayling, Citigate Dewe Rogerson and Quiller Consultants. The first two companies come clean about who they are being paid to lobby for – they declare their clients under the current system of self-regulation; Quiller does not, in fact it seems to pride itself on keeping quiet: "We understand the importance of discretion, and of being able to give independent advice from a position of trust," it says.

Not quite up to the standards set by David Cameron, who just yesterday said: "I believe that secret corporate lobbying, like the expenses scandal, goes to the heart of why people are so fed up with politics... It is the next big scandal waiting to happen".

To fix this 'Broken Politics' as Cameron puts – his solution to the problem of hidden influence – the lobbying industry "must regulate itself to ensure its practices are transparent – if it does not then we will legislate to do so."

What this means is that the industry needs to make the current system of self-regulation work or the Tories, if they get in, will impose a statutory system in the form a compulsory register of lobbyists. A statutory register would force all lobbyists to reveal who is lobbying whom, about what and preferably, how much money is being spent in the process of influencing government. As Cameron says, 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."

Yet, under the current system of voluntary self-regulation, Huntsworth can register two of its companies but keep one – Quiller – outside and able to keep its lobbying secret.

Which leaves Dave with a dilemma. 

What to do about such firms that make a mockery of self-regulation by choosing to opt out, of which there are many. Will Dave be on the phone to Peter Gummer to urge him to bring all his lobbying firms into the system of self-regulation – will the president of Cameron's constituency party come clean about which companies have hired Quiller to influence policy-makers? What about another Conservative peer involved in the lobbying industry, Lord Bell who heads up Bell Pottinger Public Affairs, a company that believes "the public has no right to know" who its clients are.


"We don’t know who is meeting whom. We don’t know whether any favours are being exchanged. We don’t know which outside interests are wielding unhealthy influence. This isn’t a minor issue with minor consequences. Commercial interests – not to mention government contracts – worth hundreds of billions of pounds are potentially at stake... We must be the party that sorts all this out," Cameron said yesterday.



Given that it's his people that are intent on keeping the information on who is lobbying whom hidden from public view, inside his own party is probably a good place to start.