Pressure groups and other influences

• Types of Pressure group

  • Sectional (interest Groups) = promote the interests of an occupation or another area in society (Trade unions): BMA
  • Cause = focused on achieving a particular goal or drawing attention to an issue (Greenpeace)
  • social movements = similar to cause groups but are loosely structured, single objective and usually politically radical (Camps for Climate Action Heathrow)
  • Insider groups = close links to gov., broadly In line with gov. views, (National Farmers Union, BMA)
  • Outsider groups = no gov. contact, Far outside the political mainstream, (Occupy London)
• Pressure Groups - Resources

  YES - large memberships that pay subscriptions have many more resources that can pay staff and organise publicity (RSPCA employ around 1600 people and can afford to take out large advertisements

  NO - Resources dont always mean success as BMA never achieved their full goal of banning smoking in cars and only gained half of what they wanted but the gov. banned smoking in cars with children.)
• Pressure groups - Tactics and Leaderships

  experienced and capable leadership is key to success having strong partnerships means more likely to have sucess (Friends of the Earth collab with the EU to push the gov. to clean up beaches)
• Pressure groups - Public support

  YES - groups whose agenda is in step with public opinion are usually more successful (The snowdrop campaign to ban handguns seen major success after the Dumblaine massacre in 1996)

  NO - Just Stop Oil has major public support but has seen very little success (The gov. implimenting the "Public order bill" to stop protests after Just Stop Oil blocked roads)

  (Johanna Lumly Ghurka Soliders)
• Pressure Groups - Gov. Attitudes

  YES - If the government likes the group and the causes it stands for it is more likely to gain success from gov. (National Farmers Union Badger cull 2013)

  NO - if the gov. doesnt agree for what you stand you are less likely to see success (Public Order Bill 2023 after JST protests)
• BMA Case Study

  • protects the interests of Drs.
  • helped ban smoking in enclosed spaces in 2007
  • gov. had no plans to introduce a ban on smoking in cars eventually just preferring to discourage by advertising health risks
  • did not secure all its objectives
  • used online lobbying to push for the ban on smoking in cars with children
  • ban came into force in 2015 after a lobby of the House of lords
  • attainable goal
  • used the parliamentary process to help
• Occupy London Case Study

  • Oct 2011, a group of protesters camped outside st pauls cathedral until they were evicted by the high court 4 months later
  • protesting corporate greed which they held responsible for social inequality
  • had some public support on the left (St pauls senior clergyman resigned in solidarity)
  • Failed to achieve long-lasting results
  • too broad goals
  • unwilling to work with politicians and authorities
• Think Tanks - What are they

  A body of experts brought together to investigate and offer solutions to economic, social, or political issues
• Think Tanks - Strengths

  • alternative source of ideas to the civil service
  • more time and expertise to carry out research
  • can have a definite impact on gov. = Center for Social Justice was set up by Iain Duncan Smith in 2004 who was then given a place in the coalition gov. 6 years later allowed him to put in place 'universal credit' = Adam Smith Institute played the role in the swing to right-leaning economonics in Thatchers Gov.
• Think Tanks - Weaknesses

  • less politically practical ideas ignored
  • lack academic rigour
  • often just used as a springboard into a political career
  • Don't have to be listened too
  • Milliband worked for centre-left TT Public Policy Research to eventually become advisor to Blair and hold many senior positions in New Labour Governments.
• Lobbyists - what are they?

  someone who is paid by clients to seek to influence gov. or parliment on their behalf, particularly when legislation iks being considered
• Lobbyists - Weaknesses

  • people dislike that influence can be bought by wealthy individuals
  • code of conduct bars MPs from accepting money to represent a certain viewpoint
  • expectation to self-regulate
  • 2014 made it a legal requirement for anyone lobbying on behalf of a third party to register if their activities included policy, legislation or contracts
  • didn't allay anxieties about more transparency however
  • No. 10 denied lobbying firms changed gov. policy under Cameron
• Lobbyists - Strengths

  • big business in the UK (employs an estimated 4000 people, and on average £2 billion is spent each year)
  • companies frequently discussed their concerns with the business department
  • regular consultation exercises to discover the impact of proposed legislation might have and may modify the response
• Corporations - What are they?

  Large Business organisations that can impact politics
• Corporations - Weaknesses

  • 'revolving door' process = senior politicians taking well-paid jobs in the private sector after leaving gov. service
  • suspicious that they use their knowledge and contacts to benefit the corporations
  • business leaders appointed to the HoL
  • Multinational Corporations operating in the UK tax affairs (in 2016 Google agreed to pay 130 million in tax dating back to 2005 but some disagreed this was not enough)
  • Not that impactful (the British Soft Drinks Association expressed opposition to the sugar tax but gov. persisted with the policy)
• Lobbyists - Strengths

  • big business in the UK (employs an estimated 4000 people, and on average £2 billion is spent each year)
  • companies frequently discussed their concerns with the business department
  • regular consultation exercises to discover the impact of proposed legislation might have and may modify the response