O/T DDay for Brexit..well sort of...

[ragingpup]

Take your point rp but

that's spend, not donations

Good point. In donations received in the 3 months leading up to the 2017 election:

Tories received £25 million
Labour received £9 million
Lib Dems received £4million

[harpo88]

Shut down the lobbying industry would be a start exile .

Ban MP's from having vested interests in company's would be another .

You need organisations to talk to Government otherwise they won’t have a clue what’s going on.

While in principle it’s open to anyone to become an MP (though I think the deposit needed to stand is £1000) what we could do with is more political education about what MPs really do and an outreach programme to get more people to get involved.

Oh and for anyone who thinks they’re just in it for the money, you could earn stacks more in the private sector with much less scrutiny and fewer working hours.

Has anyone on here ever stood for election or even got involved in local politics?

[Exiletyke]

Good point. In donations received in the 3 months leading up to the 2017 election:

Tories received £25 million
Labour received £9 million
Lib Dems received £4million

That's better
Hope KA's reading

[Exiletyke]

You need organisations to talk to Government otherwise they won’t have a clue what’s going on.

While in principle it’s open to anyone to become an MP (though I think the deposit needed to stand is £1000) what we could do with is more political education about what MPs really do and an outreach programme to get more people to get involved.

Oh and for anyone who thinks they’re just in it for the money, you could earn stacks more in the private sector with much less scrutiny and fewer working hours.

Has anyone on here ever stood for election or even got involved in local politics?

What a strange notion of lobbying you have
Lobbyists have one aim ie to try to influence the Gov't of the day
Never stood for election I'm too honest
I know two Mp'S from my area & have seen only one of them stand up twice in HoC in the last 2/3 years
He must be worn out with the exertion
My neighbours son is a lobbyist based in London so I know in talking to him on his visits home what sort of things & what sort of organisations he lobbys for [note I said organisations not me & thee]
Strikes me too much lobbying has been going on lately

[animallittle3]

You need organisations to talk to Government otherwise they won’t have a clue what’s going on.

While in principle it’s open to anyone to become an MP (though I think the deposit needed to stand is £1000) what we could do with is more political education about what MPs really do and an outreach programme to get more people to get involved.

Oh and for anyone who thinks they’re just in it for the money, you could earn stacks more in the private sector with much less scrutiny and fewer working hours.

Has anyone on here ever stood for election or even got involved in local politics?

Let's be clear Lobbying companies are paid persuaders who operate in the shadows for big corporations for the most part .

They represent big business because big business can afford to spend millions of pounds each year , clearly it must be effective or why would they spend such huge sums of money ?

Do you think they spend this kind of money to benefit the country as a whole or their profit margins and their share price ?

This is nothing more than millions of pounds buying you whatever you seek .

It opens doors that is denied to smaller businesses and the general public .

MP's too are more than complicit in this , private hospitality at Old Trafford perhaps to have a chat , what about the Opera or a nice little consultancy job once a month for 100k a year ?

The public have to be content with demos in central London on a given saturday , measure their effectiveness these days v Lobbying .

Don't forget too the electorate have to choose sides in a GE , the Lobbying industry does not .

I was once related through marriage to the former Barnsley MP Eric Illsley , he was at my wedding and obviously someone I knew very well .

I'll say no more on Eric other than once over he seemed a principled man until he started climbing the Labour Party ladder and I noticed a huge change in him and he finished up serving time in prison for fiddling his expenses .

MP's are vulnerable and doesn't the Lobbying Industry and big business know it .

[harpo88]

Let's be clear Lobbying companies are paid persuaders who operate in the shadows for big corporations for the most part .

They represent big business because big business can afford to spend millions of pounds each year , clearly it must be effective or why would they spend such huge sums of money ?

Do you think they spend this kind of money to benefit the country as a whole or their profit margins and their share price ?

This is nothing more than millions of pounds buying you whatever you seek .

It opens doors that is denied to smaller businesses and the general public .

MP's too are more than complicit in this , private hospitality at Old Trafford perhaps to have a chat , what about the Opera or a nice little consultancy job once a month for 100k a year ?

The public have to be content with demos in central London on a given saturday , measure their effectiveness these days v Lobbying .

Don't forget too the electorate have to choose sides in a GE , the Lobbying industry does not .

I was once related through marriage to the former Barnsley MP Eric Illsley , he was at my wedding and obviously someone I knew very well .

I'll say no more on Eric other than once over he seemed a principled man until he started climbing the Labour Party ladder and I noticed a huge change in him and he finished up serving time in prison for fiddling his expenses .

MP's are vulnerable and doesn't the Lobbying Industry and big business know it .

Federation of Small Businesses? Citizens Advice? Charities? All lobbyists, just depends on the interest involved. Manufacturers? How can Government set rules about products or services without talking to those who are in the know? It’s the Government’s job to review evidence and decide the best way forward. Many business owners or trade associations promote their products and services because they believe they are genuinely beneficial. Sure they’re trying to make money out of them too, but that’s capitalism isn’t it? The system means that money is a major (but not the only) driver.

I’m not saying there isn’t aggressive lobbying by some and that Government or individuals within it have their favourites, and that links between individuals and companies can be very mucky (a flick through any edition of Private Eye shows you that in a second) but ruling out all lobbying isn’t the answer.

Oh and the EU has a mandatory transparency register, the UK doesn’t...

[MillerBill]

Last night's stitch up in Westminster was a kick in the teeth for any future democratic vote.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

Last night's stitch up in Westminster was a kick in the teeth for any future democratic vote.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There was a time when our democratic system was the envy of the world.

Now tin pot banana republics are looking more democratic

[Brin]

They're all in it for themselves, they don't give a toss about the general public it's what they come out with in the end.

[great_fire]

There was a time when our democratic system was the envy of the world.

Now tin pot banana republics are looking more democratic

So were the police until "the long march through the institutions".