A number of former ministers go on to work for lobbying firms (often known as the 'revolving door), although they must seek permission from civil service body ACOBA (the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments) in advance
They publish magazines and organise conferences as ways of communicating their ideas
Some are more non-political, such as the CentreforSocialJustice, which was established in 2004 by former Conservative leader lain Duncan Smith to seek effective solutions to poverty and social issues in the UK
Some, such as Chatham House, specialise in policy research in international relations
The leading think tank, Policy Exchange, claimed credit for a number of policy ideas later taken up by government, which included directly elected police commissioners and the pupil premium
While it has not performed an editorial U-turn, it strongly backed Boris Johnson in 2019, ending the influence of its previous proprietor, Richard Desmond, whose staunch Euroscepticism led the Express to back UKIP in the 2015 election
The biggest change in the media has been the rise of social media, which is far less controlled in a conventional sense by proprietors and opens up a whole new world of political advertising, trending topics and fake news
Campaigning for fathers’ rights after a divorce or relationship breakdown:set up in 2001 by Matt O’Connor. Many protests have involved supporters donning superhero costumes to make the point that fathers are superheroes.
outsider groups campaigning for minority causes:
Groups calling for penal reform, (the Howard League and the Prison Reform Trust), often take up causes that may not reflect the public mood. These have included voting rights for prisoners and the early release of some inmates during the COVID-19 pandemic. these groups have links with the political mainstream. In 2020, Lord Ken MacDonald QC, a former director of public prosecutions, became president of the Howard League. Being an outsider group does not always preclude involvement with political insiders
the Gurkha Justice Campaign - potential insider
spent 4 years lobbying the Blair and Brown governments to give equal rights to all Gurkhas to settle permanently in the UK. gained a much higher profile when the celebrity Joanna Lumley joined the campaign in 2008. In 2009, the gov conceded settlement rights to all Gurkhas.