Cameron takes on the lobbyists
Monday, 8 February 2010 3:11 PM
by politics.co.uk staff
Lobbying in Westminster has got out of control, David Cameron has admitted.
The Tory leader made reform of the current system of lobbying the centrepiece of his speech today on cleaning up parliament in the wake of the expenses scandal.
"When it's transparent, lobbying is a perfectly reasonable thing to do," he said.
"Lobbying can often make for better, more workable legislation. But I do believe it's becoming increasingly clear that it's getting out of control."
The Conservatives would prevent ministers from being employed by lobbying firms for two years rather than the present 12 months, he added.
The comments come just days after the Commons published details of which groups MPs had hosted in parliament.
The Tory leader is keen to establish his reforming credentials as the political parties frantically attempt to show leadership over the cleaning-up of parliament.
David Miller of the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency, said: "David Cameron is right to warn that corporate lobbying in parliament is 'the next big scandal waiting to happen'.
"He wants to be seen as a reformer, but to date has resisted supporting transparency in lobbying.
"If they are serious about listening to ordinary people, the Conservative party must pledge to introduce a mandatory register of lobbyists as soon as possible so that the public can see who is lobbying whom, and the extent to which national policies are being influenced by commercial forces."
Lobbying is a red-hot issue in Washington, where Barack Obama's commitment to clearing up the system was at the forefront of his election campaign.
But in the UK, where the problem is far less severe, it tends to receive little media attention.
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