Mar 14th, 2010
Lobbying – The Next Scandal?
By JohnnyChatterton
As reported in the Observer this morning, we’ve teamed up with the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency to challenge Prospective Parliamentary Candidates (PPCs) on their lobbying links and to urge all PPCs to pledge to support a statutory register of lobbying activity – so the public can find out who is trying to influence our politicians.
Get Involved – Take Action
Click on the links below if you live in the constiuencies highlighted to find out more and take action. If you don’t live in the constituencies listed you can still ask your PPCs to support lobbying transparency – just click here to get started.
Witham – Priti Patel (Conservative)
Priti hasn’t been completely transparent with voters about her links to lobbying. Priti works for global PR and political lobbying firm, Weber Shandwick. But her campaign website only mentions that she is a director of a company providing “business and communication strategy” advice.
Portsmouth North – Penny Mordaunt (Conservative)
Penny describes herself on her campaign website as a “healthcare consultant”. But according to official documents, Penny is also a director and minority shareholder of a London-based media and lobbying firm, Media Intelligence Partners (MIP), which she co-founded six years ago. The company boasts of its “excellent contacts among senior Conservative politicians”.
Redruth – George Eustice (Conservative)
George hasn’t been completely transparent with voters about his links to lobbying. George is a commercial lobbyist with a firm called Portland PR. But there is no mention of this on his campaign website.
Wolverhampton North East – Emma Reynolds (Labour)
Emma currently works for a commercial lobbying firm, Cogitamus, where she “plays a leading role… providing a contemporary understanding of the Whitehall and Westminster scene”. Until we contacted her, her campaign website, didn’t mention this job.
Contact your PPCs
If you don’t live in the constituencies mentioned above you can still get involved – just click here to ask all your PPCs to get pledge to support lobbying transparancy. It only takes two minutes.
The next big scandal?
