Legislation to introduce a register of political lobbyists is to be brought forward within the next few weeks, Downing Street revealed yesterday.
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The announcement comes in the wake of a series of scandals involving allegations that a Conservative MP, two Labour lords and an Ulster Unionist peer were prepared to exercise political influence in exchange for cash from undercover reporters posing as lobbyists.
The lobbying Bill, to be published before the House of Commons rises for its summer break on July 18, sparked immediate political controversy after it was revealed that it will also include measures which could make it harder for unions to take strike action or support candidates in election campaigns.
Labour denounced the package as a “shabby and panicked” response to the recent rash of negative headlines while the TUC accused the Government of “cynically trying to exploit a political sleaze scandal to crack down on unions”.
Meanwhile, there were signs of confusion within the coalition as deputy leader of the Commons Tom Brake – the Liberal Democrat minister leading for the party on lobbying – suggested that the provisions affecting unions had been announced “prematurely” and were not yet fully fleshed out.
Prime Minister David Cameron identified lobbying in opposition as the next big scandal to hit politics and the idea of a register was included in the 2010 coalition agreement.
But the PM faced criticism for failing to include legislation in last month’s Queen’s Speech, with Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg saying it had been impossible to reach agreement across the coalition and questions being raised over the influence of lobbyist Lynton Crosby, who was hired by the Tories as an election adviser.
The issue was forced back to the top of the political agenda by a rash of headlines over the weekend and the DPM yesterday made a public promise that the statutory register would become law before the end of the Parliament in 2015.