The Guardian’s project examining the commercial interests of the House of Lords is vital (Watchdog investigates Tory peer over nuclear firm’s meeting with minister, 28 May). But the fact that identifying potential lobbying has fallen to a national newspaper demonstrates the frailty of Westminster’s Lobbying Act.
The 2014 Act, introduced in near-cosmic irony by the Cameron government – whose head ended up embroiled in the Greensill affair – sought to prevent lobbying becoming the next big scandal by creating an open register to allow the public to see who was seeking to influence whom.
More loophole than law, the act contains six key exemptions that serve to keep the overwhelming majority of activity off the register and out of public view. Indeed, when the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists watchdog investigated two of the incidents reported by the Guardian for suspected unregistered lobbying, one individual was found to be exempt from signing because they weren’t VAT registered and another hadn’t received payment.
Few would deny that lobbying is a vital part of democratic process, or that those in office shouldn’t hear the insights of businesses affected by their decisions. But still fewer would deny that lobbying ought to take place in the open – for it is in the dark where public mistrust foments even when activity is above board. It’s time we introduced a proper lobbying register.
Jon Gerlis
Head of public relations and policy, Chartered Institute of Public Relations
• Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
