HOW PRESSURE GROUPS ARE CHANGING

There have been a number of important changes in relation to pressure group activity during the 1980s and 1990s.


Increase in the number of pressure groups

Although it is difficult to quantify exactly, there is little doubt that the number of pressure groups has increased significantly in the last two decades and the number of people who are members of pressure groups has also increased. Within the overall increase in the number and significance of groups generally, there has been a particular increase in cause groups, especially those connected in some way with the environment.

Reasons suggested for this trend have included:

> increased leisure time, both in terms of the shorter working week and more early retirement, has increased the number of people with time to devote to such activities

> higher educational standards have increased the numbers of people with the organisational skills to contribute to pressure groups.

> changes in gender roles have removed many of the barriers to participation by women in pressure group activity.

> membership of political parties has declined. It has been argued that this reflects the failure of the political parties adequately to reflect the needs of different groups of people in society, and that cause groups offer a more promising route for bringing about political change.

> when most material needs have been met, as they have for many people in the consumer society, then some people become more concerned with wider issues such as the environment.


The end of 'corporatism'

'Corporatism' refers to the close relationship between the government and economic interest groups (trade unions and employers' organisations) in decision making on economic matters. This was specifically rejected by the Thatcher government, and contacts with trade unions virtually ceased in the 1980s, while contacts with the CBI also declined. The new Labour government has begun to develop closer relationships with business, though it is still keeping the unions at arms’ length.


An increase in professional lobbying

Professional lobbyists are people who, usually for a large fee, will act on behalf of companies or organisations by lobbying ministers, civil servants and MPs to get their views and interests known. The numbers of such lobbyists has increased and by the early 90s there were more than forty firms trading as parliamentary consultants.

This practice has raised a number of issues and concerns:

> there has been concern expressed about the purchase of influence by those with the resources to do so.

> this has been counter-balanced somewhat by fact that much lobbying is expensive but ineffective, often focusing on those with relatively little influence.

> the major concern has been about the role of MPs in the professional lobbying business. Many MPs, mostly Conservatives, were paid parliamentary consultants, acting for a variety of organisations or lobbying groups. Some used their positions as MPs to gain information that was commercially valuable to their clients and some even accepted "cash for questions" (and were later disciplined by the House of Commons).

> The Nolan Committee was established to make recommendations on the conduct of MPs. This has now prevented MPs from acting as consultants for lobbyists and requires detailed registration of interests.


Increased importance of Europe

With the creation of the Single European Market in 1992 and the steps towards integration taken with the Maastricht treaty, the most important decisions in many key areas of policy are now taken in Brussels. These include trade policy, competition policy, environmental policy and agricultural policy. Many decisions are now taken by qualified majority votes, so that Britain no longer has a veto in these areas.

As a result, many sectional groups and some cause groups (if they can afford it) have begun to find ways of exerting influence on decisions taken in Brussels. This includes working with Europe-wide organisations looking after their particular area of concern or direct lobbying in Brussels. Some cause groups are also using the European courts to advance their own particular case.