Tory candidates work for lobby companies

Friday, 25 September 2009 12:00 AM

By politics.co.uk staff

Almost thirty prospective Conservative parliamentary candidates are working for lobbying and PR firms that seek to influence their party.

The news, revealed by The Times today, shows that some of the candidates had been involved in putting their clients cases to senior members of the party.

Increasingly, many lobbying firms are targeting the party, which they see as a favourite to win the next election.

In all, over a fifth of the 150 new Conservative candidates have done public affairs work, although some have now left the industry.

Last week shadow cabinet minister Francis Maude called for statutory regulation of the often shadowy world of lobbyists.

"Greater openness and transparency is needed to help ensure high standards in public life," he said.

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