'Ban lobbying' may look superficially attractive. But in fact, as you point out, it would penalise the committed but poor, while the rich and unaccountable would simply find other means of exerting influence, as they always have.
Obviously I should declare an interest since I'm sort-of in that line of business myself. I help governments which have insufficient diplomatic resources of their own to interact with the European Union. If my activities were banned, the people I work with would essentially have no means of talking to officials who are making rather important decisions about their countries.
I should also report that the vast majority of officials who I have had contact with actually welcome the chance to converse with lobbyists and other influencers. They are conscious that they work in boxes in their organisations with very few of their colleagues interested in what they are working on and with only limited access to information from the outside world. Often they also feel that interested members of the public have a right to have the development of policy explained to them. I think very few officials would want a ban on lobbying (there are some, but they tend not to be very good at their own jobs).
It is fair to demand that lobbyists and officials are transparent about what meetings have taken place and on what subject. It is absolutely right to demand that no public official should accept money or non-financial reward from a lobbying group (ie anything that looks like a bribe). It's certainly reasonable to scrutinise and expose the operations of those who are acting on behalf of the rich and powerful. But it's foolish to claim that the world would be a better place if it didn't happen.
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Date: 2011-10-31 12:54 pm (UTC)From:Obviously I should declare an interest since I'm sort-of in that line of business myself. I help governments which have insufficient diplomatic resources of their own to interact with the European Union. If my activities were banned, the people I work with would essentially have no means of talking to officials who are making rather important decisions about their countries.
I should also report that the vast majority of officials who I have had contact with actually welcome the chance to converse with lobbyists and other influencers. They are conscious that they work in boxes in their organisations with very few of their colleagues interested in what they are working on and with only limited access to information from the outside world. Often they also feel that interested members of the public have a right to have the development of policy explained to them. I think very few officials would want a ban on lobbying (there are some, but they tend not to be very good at their own jobs).
It is fair to demand that lobbyists and officials are transparent about what meetings have taken place and on what subject. It is absolutely right to demand that no public official should accept money or non-financial reward from a lobbying group (ie anything that looks like a bribe). It's certainly reasonable to scrutinise and expose the operations of those who are acting on behalf of the rich and powerful. But it's foolish to claim that the world would be a better place if it didn't happen.