黑洞社区

How to make friends and influence parliament

In 2002, Andy Pearson wrote that the construction industry had finally worked out how to get its voice heard in parliament via the 鈥渂lack art of lobbying鈥�. If it thought it had a struggle on its hand then, that was nothing to wading through the shifting sands of government today and trying to work out who might still possess an effective voice in six months鈥� time.

So, here are some lobbying tips from those innocent days (spoiler: they don鈥檛 include giving an acting MP a plum job).

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 win an MP鈥檚 support by saying you don鈥檛 agree with the government鈥檚 agenda,鈥� said Rudi Klein, legal adviser to the CLG. 鈥淚nstead, sell your agenda as a way of enhancing the government鈥檚.鈥� He also suggests spoon-feeding politicans with facts to make it simple for them to take the case forward.

Communications experts predicted one surprising element of lobbying might be in danger because of its high costs - the lobbyists themselves. 鈥淭hings are starting to move over to digital campaigning,鈥� said one expert.

Luckily for them, by 2017 lobbyists have also learned to use the internet.

To read the full article from 22 March 2002, download the PDF below.