Spin Watch unveils murky world of PR lobbyists
Article published: Wednesday, February 11th 2009
The Public Relations (PR) industry is undermining democracy by paying for access to Britain’s politicians, according to a new report by Spin Watch. The research, entitled “Spinning The Wheels”, condemns PR companies’ influence over government decision-making and calls for a compulsory register for UK lobbyists.
Spin Watch estimate that the PR industry, which employs 55,000 people, is worth £6.5 billion. But there is no way of knowing how that money is spent or how it impacts on policy. At the moment the practice is almost entirely unregulated, unaccountable and conducted in total secret. There is no way of knowing who is lobbying whom and for what purpose.
The study highlights the case of nuclear power. Five years ago nuclear power was out of favour with politicians, but the government has recently done a U-turn and now favours expansion of the industry. Spin Watch explains how several high-profile PR campaigns managed to change the political landscape. The PR company Weber Shandwick, for example, produced a report for British Nuclear Fuels that concluded nuclear power is essential in combating carbon emissions despite providing little evidence to prove it. In an interview with PR Week in 2006 BNF admitted they were spreading the nuclear message via third party opinion because the public would be suspicious if we started ramming a pro-nuclear message down their throats. By third parties they mean NGOs, MPs and academics – a technique commonly used by lobbyists and PR firms.
Campaigners say a register of lobbyists would make it easier to scrutinise policy decisions and hold the government to account. The list would make Westminster record who is lobbying, who they are lobbying, the issue they are attempting to influence and the amount of money they have spent on it.
Spin Watch is part of the 14-strong Alliance for Transparent Lobbying, which includes Campaign Against Arms Trade, Platform and War on Want. They are urging people to write to their MPs to ask them to petition Government to introduce a mandatory register of lobbyists. They say now is the time to act in light of recent allegations in the Lords over cash for laws and President Obama tightening the rules for lobbyists in the US.
The next print issue of Mule out April 2009 will focus on lobbying, nationally, internationally and in Manchester.
Spinning the Wheels: a Guide to PR and the Lobby Industry in the UK is available from www.spinwatch.org.uk
For help contacting MPs and more information on transparent lobbying see www.lobbyingtransparency.org
Tim Hunt
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