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Nick Harvey MPStanding up for North Devon since 1992 |
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CHANNEL 4 PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON POLITICAL LOBBYING
March 25, 2010 4:03 PM
Nick Harvey, MP for North Devon, says, "Channel 4's Dispatches programme recently highlighted the clear risks of unregulated political lobbying. This industry reportedly employs 14,000 people, is worth £1.9bn and is self regulated through the Association of Professional Political Consultants (APPC).
"MPs are not blind to the influence of the lobbyists as a whole and last year the Public Administration Select Committee produced a report 'Lobbying: Access and Influence in Whitehall' examining the impact of the industry."
This noted: 'Lobbying is about influence, and influence is impossible without access.' It went on to observe: 'Lobbying should be - and often is - a force for good. But there is a genuine issue of concern, widely shared and reflected in measures of public trust, that there is an inside track largely drawn from the corporate world. … A further issue of concern related to access and influence is the transfer of staff in both directions between Government and (predominantly) the business world - the revolving door.'
"What is clear from this report and the one produced by Channel 4," concludes Nick, "is that reform is needed. Ethical behaviour needs to be promoted as well as sanctions brought in if the rules are broken. My understanding is that the PASC will be seeking to push ahead these reforms after the General Election."
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