Less than one in 20 lobbying attempts in Westminster is currently declared — and the government’s ethics watchdog has now demanded a complete overhaul. On Thursday, Doug Chalmers, the head of the ethics and integrity commission, published a review calling for a new mandatory register that would cover every form of lobbying, from WhatsApp messages to party conference meetings.
The review was ordered by the outgoing prime minister, Keir Starmer, after the Peter Mandelson scandal, in which the former Labour peer retained a stake in a lobbying firm while serving as US ambassador. Documents released after the affair highlighted concerns over the relationship between senior Westminster figures and corporate interests.
“Ethics watchdog demands all lobbying be publicly declared after Mandelson scandal exposes transparency failures.”
Under the current system — established in 2014 — only consultant lobbyists are required to register with the Office for the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists, and only when they directly contact ministers or senior civil servants. Analysis by Transparency International UK found that this captures just 4 per cent of all lobbying activity. Chalmers said this was failing to deliver transparency: “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 watchdog’s report now calls for an “activity-based” register that would require in-house public affairs professionals, charities and think tanks to log every lobbying effort. Special advisers — described by the commission as “gatekeepers” with significant influence — would also be brought under the rules. The EIC’s 37 recommendations, it said, should be implemented before the next general election, due by 2029.
Lobbying scandals have long troubled Westminster. David Cameron, after stepping down as Conservative prime minister, lobbied the government for his employer Greensill Capital, which later collapsed.
The proposals were welcomed by a leading public relations body, which said they would “fundamentally reshape the relationship between lobbyists and Westminster”.
But the decision now falls to Andy Burnham, expected to become prime minister on 20 July. Burnham has already signalled his stance, saying in the aftermath of the Mandelson affair: “People have lost faith in a Westminster system which puts private vested interests above the wider public interest and concentrates too much power in too few hands.” Whether he will legislate for the full shake-up — which requires major new laws — remains the final unanswered question.