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20GetinvolvedOBVNewsIssue5Summer2010Ifyou-oragroupoflikemindedindividuals-wantedtoraiseanimportantissuewithyourMemberofParliamentoraministerhowwouldyougoaboutitWouldyouwriteletterssendfaxesoremailsorevenvisittheirofcesintheHouseofCommonsIfyoux19veeverdoneanythinglikethatthenyoucouldeffectivelycallyourselfalobbyist.LobbyingiswhereindividualsandorganisationstrytoinuencetheopinionsofMPsandLords.Methodsvaryandcanrangefromsendinglettersandmakingpresentationstoprovidingbriengmaterialtoparliamentariansandorganisingrallies.AnyonecanlobbyParliamentincludingindividualmembersofthepublicgroupsofconstituentslocalbusinessescampaignersandcommercialorganisations.ThetermlobbyingtakesitsnamefromthelobbiesorhallwaysofParliamentwhereMPsandpeersgather.TraditionallypeoplewishingtoinuencetheopinionsofParliamentarianswouldfrequentthelobbiestopersuadethemoftheircase.NowadaysthetermlobbyingoftenreferstotheworkofprivatecompaniesknownaslobbyistswhichareemployedbyorganisationstorepresenttheirviewsinWestminster.IntheUKlobbyingorPublicAffairsasitisalsoknownhasgrownintoahugeindustryandwasestimatedtobeworth1.9billionemploying14000peoplein2007.RecentlyBritishgovernmentshaveincreasinglyhadtodefendthemselvesagainstaccusationsthattheywerenotbeingswayedasaresultofundueinuencefromlobbyists.InMarchamediastingexposedformerministersGeoffHoonStephenByersandothersforallegedlyshowingtheirwillingnesstousetheiraccessandinuencetolobbygovernmentinreturnforcash.IntheUnitedStatesPresidentBarackObamahasalsosoughttoreducethelevelofinuenceoflobbyists.Thedayafterhetookofcehesignedtwoexecutiveordersthatreinedinandlimitedtheinuenceoflobbyistsincludingmeasurestostoplawmakersimmediatelyfromworkingforlobbyinggroupsoncetheyhadleftpower.WhiletheUKlobbyingindustryismuchsmallerthanitsAmericancounterpartitremainsverycloseknitandisadifcultindustryforanovicetobreakintoanexperiencewithwhichFloydMillenisalltoofamiliar.MillenisthedirectorandfounderofthepublicaffairsthinktankYesMinister.Heexplainedx1cByvirtueofthefactthattheUKismuchsmallerthantheUnitedStatesitreliesverymuchoncontacts.Thereisasignicantamountofnepotismbuiltintotheindustry.Therearealotoforganisationsdoingpublicaffairsoracommunicationsrolebutitisverymuchax18closedx19industry.x1dWithahostofnewfacesenteringParliamentafterthegeneralelectiontheinuenceoflobbyistsisexpectedtochange.x1cTherearethoseenteringParliamentwhohavealreadyworkedinpublicaffairsandtheywillbringinthatinuenceandvestedinterestthattheyhavebuiltupovertheyears.WhileMPshavetodeclaretheiroutsideintereststheymaystillhaveaninterestthatmaynotbedeclared.x1dThisdesiretohavemoretransparencyhasledtothecreationoftheUKPublicAffairsCouncilUKPACanindependentbodyformedbythethreeorganisationsthatrepresentprofessionallobbyiststheAssociationofProfessionalPoliticalConsultantsAPPCWinningthecaseandinuencingMPsFindouthowlobbyingworksx13andhowyoucangetyourvoiceheardSunderKatwalaFloydMillen