CIPR_No_Rules_Britannia - Flipbook - Page 8
Summary
A detailed comparison with similar countries lays bare the full
extent of the limitations of the UK’s Register, with the US registering
10 times more lobbyists per million than Westminster.
Broken down further, the report reveals that:
• 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 also 昀椀nds that Westminster’s
lobbying regulations are less transparent than comparator
countries about the type of activity that counts as
lobbying and that it is the only register that requires
payment to join.
Moreover, Westminster’s Lobbying Register sanctions are
among the least strenuous in terms of barring lobbyists
from accessing UK Government agencies, buildings,
and staff. Previous research has shown, moreover, that
although ORCL has the power to impose civil penalties,
exemptions within the Lobbying Act have meant that
the overwhelming majority of investigations into
suspected unregistered lobbying found no wrongdoing
had occurred.
The need for lobbying reform is recognised cross-party. In
order to make the system more effective and transparent,
the CIPR is calling for;
• The registering of:
1. all lobbying activity (oral, written or electronic
communications with the objective of influencing,
and in relation to Government or Parliamentary
functions)
2. who carries out the lobbying activity
3. who has been lobbied (Ministers, Senior Civil
Servants, and special advisers)
• The Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists
(ORCL) to be expanded into the Office of the Registrar
of Lobbying (ORL).
• Technological/digital solutions to be explored to
minimise any administrative burden on the registration
of lobbying activity or the publication of diaries.
It is clear that Westminster has narrow and ineffective
lobbying regulations, making it the international outlier.
This regime undermines trust in our political system and
leaves it open to scandal.
It is clear that Westminster has narrow and
ineffective lobbying regulations, making it
the international outlier.
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CIPR / No Rules Britannia?
