The government's ethics and integrity commission has called for a fundamental overhaul of transparency laws, requiring all lobbying of government ministers, aides, and senior officials to be publicly declared. This includes communications via WhatsApp, meetings at party conferences, and other informal channels.
Key Recommendations from the Review
The review, led by Doug Chalmers, head of the ethics and integrity commission, proposes a new register that would detail who is lobbying, which policies they seek to influence, and who in government they meet. The overhaul would require major legislation, but Chalmers stressed it is crucial to restore trust in the standards system.
Among the recommendations, the commission calls for mandatory registration for any individual or organisation conducting lobbying activity, with disclosure of communications with special advisers, directors general, and other senior officials—expanding beyond current laws covering only ministers and permanent secretaries. Loopholes that exempt VAT-exempt lobbyists or those with 'incidental' ministerial contact would be closed.
AI-Powered Transparency Platform
The review suggests developing an AI-powered platform to enable easy searching of the register alongside records of ministerial and official meetings with third parties. Ministers and officials would be required to turn down meetings about policy or legislation if the third parties are not on the lobbying register. They must also declare any lobbying through informal channels, such as WhatsApp or casual meetings at party conferences.
Disclosures should record the lobbyist, date, recipient, method, subject matter (including specific legislation or regulation), client represented, ultimate intended beneficiary, and details of how the organisation is funded. The maximum civil penalty for offences under the Lobbying Act, including unregistered lobbying, would be significantly increased.
Background and Context
The review was ordered by Keir Starmer after the Peter Mandelson affair, in which Mandelson retained a stake in a lobbying firm while serving as US ambassador. The current register covers only 4-6% of lobbying activity due to loopholes, according to the commission. Previous lobbying scandals, such as David Cameron's attempts to influence government for Greensill Capital after his premiership, have further eroded public trust.
Chalmers stated: 'The current UK lobbying system fails to deliver the required level of transparency and, in doing so, falls short of meeting the Nolan principles.' The seven Nolan principles require public office holders to be accountable, open, and transparent.
Industry Reaction
The proposals were welcomed by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). Chief executive Alastair McCapra said the changes would 'fundamentally reshape the relationship between lobbyists and Westminster.' He added: 'The suggestion to finally do away with a register that only provides a thin glimpse of lobbyists and replace it with a comprehensive activity-based lobbying register is critical and warmly welcomed.'
McCapra noted: 'Public trust in Westminster has taken a battering over the last decade thanks to what has felt like an endless carousel of lobbying scandals. To most voters, lobbying has almost become synonymous with sleaze despite being an essential part of the democratic process.' He concluded: 'Mistrust foments in the dark, and sadly that’s where the overwhelming majority of lobbying currently occurs.'
