Pressure Groups and other influences

• Types of Pressure groups

  • Insider Groups: consulted by MPs on specific policy areas e.g. National Farmers Union, Confederation of British Industry
  • Outsider Groups: not consulted by government and don't have regular contact with them. E.g. Fathers4Justice, Just Stop Oil
  • Sectional Groups: only represent one area of society e.g. BMA (represent 160,000 doctors)
  • Causal Groups: have one specific cause that they promote. E.g. Stop HS2, Greenpeace
• Examples of Pressure group direct action

  • BMA 2018 unsuccessful lobbying over junior doctor conditions
  • 2019, extinction rebellion sprayed 1800g of fake blood on treasury office
  • 2019, people vote march demonstration (1 million in support of second referendum)
• Examples of pressure groups success

  • 2020 Rashford on FSM
  • BMA campaigned for ban on smoking in public spaces
• Functions of Pressure groups

  • Government scrutiny
  • Enable important debates to happen
  • Increase political representation
  • Influence policy
  • Alternative political participation
  • Political education
• Factors which impact success

  • Membership size
  • Resources
  • Public support
  • Tactics
• Think Tanks


  Adam Smith Institute, Centre of Political Study, Fabian Society

  • Institute of Economic Affairs advised Liz Truss and Kwarteng into a recession
• Lobbyists

  • £2 billion is spent on lobbying
  • Raptor Alliance, Lord v Commons pigeon race in 2018 to stop killing of pigeons
  • Cash for access scandal
• Corporations

  • bernie Ecclestone donated £1 million to Labour in1997 to make F1 exempt from tobacco advertising