A cross-party committee of MPs has described the government's lobbying reforms as 'flawed' and called for the bill to be withdrawn for six months while improvements are made. The Political and Constitutional Reform Committee said the legislation had been 'unnecessarily rushed'.
The Transparency of Lobbying, non-Party Campaigning, and Trade Union Administration Bill would create a statutory register of lobbyists and introduce a £390,000 cap on spending by organisations – excluding political parties – during elections. However, the committee argued that the register would exclude in-house lobbyists and most third-party lobbyists, while the definition of spending 'for electoral purposes' was likely to cause confusion.
Committee chairman Graham Allen said the bill was 'an object lesson in how not to produce legislation', citing a lack of consultation and pre-legislative scrutiny. He added that the bill was being rushed through Parliament, reflecting 'a lack of respect for Parliament'.
A Cabinet Office spokesman defended the bill, stating it would 'create even greater transparency' and boost public confidence in politics. He confirmed the government would consider the committee's findings carefully.
The House of Commons gave the bill a second reading on Monday, with a reduced government majority of 309 votes to 247.
