UK Politics: Pressure groups

Question 1

What are pressure groups?

Answer 1

-they seek to influence policy-making & decisions such as amending laws.
-wish for their concerns to reach higher on the political agenda.
-do not want to hold office but influence elected.

Question 2

What are some methods pressure groups use?

Answer 2

-lobbying
-protests
-disruption/riots
-campaigns
-committees
-court cases
-boycotting
-charities
-striking
-marches

Question 3

What can they root for?

Answer 3

Controversial issues (gay marriage) or resources (cancer research).

Question 4

How can you support a pressure group?

Answer 4

-find, donate time & campaign and get actively involved.
-many causes groups promote are not party political and instead often cross party (Animal welfare has support across politics).

Question 5

Causal/promotional group

Answer 5

Campaign for a particular issue or cause, often on behalf of others.More selfless and based on principles & not in direct self interest of members.
E.g. Human rights, nuclear disarming.

Question 6

Sectional/interest group

Answer 6

Defend specific interest of members & may be more selfish & justify it as being in the National interest.
E.g. Trade unions

Question 7

Insider groups

Answer 7

Have close ties & contacts with government. Often represent powerful & resourceful groups and offer specialist insight which is useful in govt legislation.

Question 8

Outsider groups

Answer 8

Lack links with govt & often represent marginalised or radical policy agendas & often use direct action to publicise their aims.

Question 9

Insider groups: National farmers Union (NFU)

Answer 9

Agreed to usually have more powerr & influence then outsider ones.
-NFU & BMA maintained close relationship with govt departments, civil servants & ministers.
-NFU successfully campaigned for ST seasonal work visas so fruit & vegetable growers could continue to hire seasons Labour from Eastern Europe, vital for livelihoods of growers.

Question 10

Insider groups: Flexibility & Trade unions

Answer 10

Said to have ability to move from insider to outsider status.
-Trade unions as sectional interest groups were often treated as insider groups before 1997, & consulted on aspects of industrial and economic issues when it came to policy formulation.
-Described as ‘beer & sandwiches at no.10’
-In the last 3 months of 2019, the Unite trade union donated over £4 million to the Labour Party.

Question 11

How did status of Trade unions as ‘insider groups’ change?

Answer 11

-Blair’s New Labour project was keen to distance himself from status of TU as insider groups.
-Corbyn wanted to reinstate close relationships.
E.g. 2019 manifesto promised to ‘repeal anti trade Union legislation’.

Question 12

D

Question 13

Insider groups: Represented by big businesses

Answer 13

-Confederation of British industry (CBI) & British Finance.
-in the aftermath of the banking crisis in 2008, the UK govt offered support including loads & temporary denationalisation to the tune of £850 billion.
-this support was championed & lobbied for by the BBA & other industry groups but it also reflected the vital National importance of restoring confidence in the banking sector & minimising wider damage to the economy.
-some might argue this party reflects power of banking & business lobby & its insider status, the govt had to deliver a hefty bailout.
-the collapse of major banks would’ve wiped out savings of millions.

Question 14

Core insiders

Answer 14

These groups, such as the NFU, have a long standing bilateral relationship with policy-makers over a broad range of issues.

Question 15

Specialist insiders

Answer 15

Have insider status but only within a specific area where their specialist knowledge is required.
-e.g. British Meat & Poultry Federation is only routinely consulted on issues specific to that sector of the farming industry.

Question 16

Peripheral insiders

Answer 16

Have insider status but rarely needed by govt due to the nature of their cause.
-e.g. Stillbirth & Neonatal Death society (SANDS) manger to get the definition of stillbirth lowered from 28 to 24 weeks in the Stillbirth Act 1992.
-Was clearly a specialised area & govt does not usually consult SANDS on wider child health issues.

Question 17

Prisoner groups

Answer 17

-Find it almost impossible to break away from their insider status, either because of their reliance on govt funding or because they themselves are a public body.
-e.g. Historic England (govt funded) via the Department for digital, culture, media & sports (DCMS).
-One of HE’s main wins is to promote conservation & preservation of historic buildings but its lack of independence from the state can make it hard to resist policy generated by other parts of the govt (transport projects like HS2 impacts landscape & buildings).

Question 18

Advantages of Insider groups

Answer 18

-Good communication with govt & Whitehall departments. Can enable informal lobbying before draft leg is drawn up.
-Usually well resourced & funded so hire professional lobbyists.
-Often invited to take part in & give evidence to select/public bill committees.
E.g. 2013, the respected independant health pressure group

Question 19

Disadvantages of Insider groups

Answer 19

-‘policy entrapment’ and unwillingness to speak out against govt i.e Historic England
-lose influence if party they are tied to are out of power.
i.e the strike act 2023 means if workers strike on trade union they could be forced to attend work/sacked
-outsider groups can also impact legislation
ie. the UK cladding action group provided evidence to the Communities select committee on inquiry about
Grenfell Tower.

Question 20

Outsider groups

Answer 20

• Lack links with govt & often represent marginalised or radical policy agendas & often use direct action to publicise their aims.
• campaigning style is more publicity seeking.
  ie. Plane stupid cut the perimeter fence at Heathrow and chained themselves to the runway - 25 cancelled flights + 13 arrests, fighting planned expansion of Heathrow.

Question 21

Outsider groups: Campaigns over the years

Answer 21

-Fathers4Justice= campaign for father’s rights after a divorce/break up, supporters often dress up as superheroes and perform public stunts.
-Greenpeace= taking action against environmental destruction, climate change and social injustices, draped black fabric over Sunak’s house in 2023 to speak out against his promise to ‘max out’ UK oil and gas reserves.
-BLM= intervene inflicted on black communities, estimated in June that 137,500 people attended protests in 2020.

Question 22

Outsider groups: Links with the political mainstream

Answer 22

-both the Howard League and the Prison Reform Trust(want voting rights for prisoners, wanted early release of some inmates in COVID) would normally get invited to govt inquiries into penal policy due to specialist knowledge.
-former director of public prosecutions, Ken McDonald, became president of the Howard League.
-Stonewall(gay rights group) was more outsider in 1980s when it was lobbying against Local Govt Act 1988, which prohibited promotion of homosexuality in schools, than 2019, where Ofsted head Amanda Spielman made a speech at a Stonewall conference.

Question 23

Outsider groups: Potential insiders

Answer 23

-seek to be insider but lack the experience and connections.
ie Gurkha Justice Campaign spent 4 years lobbying Blair/Brown govts to give equal rights to Gurkhas to, settle permanently in UK.
-they gained publicity when Joanna Lumley joined them in Nov 2008.
-in 2009, the govt conceded settlement rights to all Gurkha.

Question 24

Outsider groups: Outsider by necessity

Answer 24

-forced to operate as outsiders due cause or nature of their tactics(violent/law breaking).
-Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament organised rally to coincide with the Commons motion to renew the Trident missile weapon system.

Question 25

Outsider groups: Outsiders by choice

Answer 25

-some groups may choose deliberately to stay outside govt circles to maintain independence and the ability to critique policies.
-enhances neutrality and objectivity.
-ie Amnesty international, a human rights organisation, who claim to investigate and expose abuses, educate and mobilise the public, have received a Nobel peace prize for their work.

Question 26

Case study - Outsider groups: Extinction rebellion

Answer 26

-holocratic pressure group(rejects hierarchal eadership structures, power is dispersed) that aim to increase govt’s transparency about climate change, act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase participation with the creation of a citizen’s assembly.
-led many mass demonstrations i.e road/ bridge blocking i.e 11 day wave in 2019(gluing themselves to trains + London Stock Exchange building) led to around 500,000 commuters being disrupted.
-encourage mass arrests to waste resources and fill up cells.
-raised profile of environmental issues: 26% of voters named environment as one of top 3 issues in 2019 election + May announced in last speech that they aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
-propaganda stunts are highly disliked: ‘angry people shouting and throwing stuff-The independent.

Question 27

Advantages of outsider groups

Answer 27

-gain media attention which raise awareness and promote cause ie groups such as the Palestine Solidarity campaign + Stop the war coalition were the main organiser of marches of up to 100,000 in London.
-have the freedom to act and take policy stances without being constrained by ties to the govt.
ie. Greenpeace criticising govt
-can lead to policy changes/potential insider status.
i.e Gurkha Justice Campaign.

Question 28

Disadvantages of Outsider groups

Answer 28

-making media headlines about disruption could be off putting for govt ie 68% disapproved of Just Stop
Oil in YouGov survev 2023.
-taking direct action and facing prosecution could label cause as extremist.
ie. Heathrow arrests.
-generally less likely to lead to policy changes/alienated from govt ie Downing street issuing a blanket ban on all departments working with Greenpeace 2023.

Question 29

Are pressure groups good for democracy?

Answer 29

-Pluralist view= all groups should have equal opportunities to campaign, and can enable legitimate voices to be heard.
-Elitist view= groups with the greatest resources and best connections do better than marginalised sections of society.
-New Rights view= (associated with Thatcher) pressure groups in 60s, 70s were too powerful and interfered with democracy.

Question 30

Pressure groups promoting pluralism

Answer 30

-provide popular forums for campaigning and active political participation.
ie. Stop the War coalition took part in rallies in 2003 with around 750,000 people against the Iraq war.
-Social media has enabled groups with limited financial resourced to communicate their message to large numbers.
i.e BLM.
-strong representative function + many issues can cut across party divides ie Animal Welfare.

Question 31

Do pressure groups help democracy? Yes

Answer 31

-enable representation between elections through lobbying and campaign work + represent marginalised voices.
ie. asylum seekers
-increasingly have structures that are democratic
ie. trade union reforms in the 80s have regulated secret ballots for internal positions and industrial action decisions.
-provide specialist input that enables laws and regulations to be better
i.e 2013, The King’s Fund gave evidence to the Health Select Committee inquiry on emergency services and care.

Question 32

Do pressure groups help democracy? No

Answer 32

-large scale participation is not the norm, many are ‘chequebook members’ and general participation could be limited to e-petitions.
-may not be truly representative of public opinion.
i.e 49% British adults have negative view of XR.
-info put out by pressure groups is selective and can ignore other viewpoints.
i.e divisive issues like immigration and abortion.

Question 33

Nuances about Pressure group access

Answer 33

-criteria varies from group to group and some have more of a specific aim whereas some aim to stay on
‘agenda radar’.
-high degree of flexibility about what tactics are most likely to succeed.

Question 34

Pressure groups: Successes

Answer 34

-insider groups are more likely to succeed than outsider, a low profile approach of lobbying and meetings with ministers.
-campaigns that accord with the govts own priorities are more likely to be successful.
ie. trade unions.
-groups that can mobilise large numbers of supporters represent a higher degree of success.
-smaller factors: publicity stunts, celebrity endorsements.

Question 35

Reasons for pressure group success: Acheiveablility of aims

Answer 35

-clear, achievable popular aims get further than countercultural/extreme ones.
ie. protests & disrupting fuel supplies to Yorkshire, North West England, and the Scottish Borders demanding that the government reduce fuel taxes succeeded in getting govt to drop plans regardless of 2 bill pounds lost in revenue.

Question 36

Reasons for pressure group success: Insider status

Answer 36

-close links with policy-makers enable success as they are often consulted on bills or formulation of new regulations to deflect later criticism.
ie. the Police Protection and Powers been in the 2019 Queen’s speech was partly due to lobbying by the Police Federation.

Question 37

Reasons for pressure group success: In tune with public opinion

Answer 37

-govts are keen to be seen as in touch and responsive to public opinion.
ie. following 1996 Dunblane shooting, The Snowdrop Campaign put pressure to change law on private ownership of guns-} Firearms Act 1997.

Question 38

Reasons for pressure group success: Large membership

Answer 38

-widens representation of a group so less likely to be alienated as a minority by govt.
ie. National Trust BUT maybe because they are predominately white and middle class, they’re more likely to be listened to.

Question 39

Reasons for pressure group success: Financial resources

Answer 39

-able to run publicity campaigns, employ lobbyists and commission research.
ie. Greensill Scandal & Cameron.

Question 40

Reasons for pressure group success: Celebrity endorsement

Answer 40

-this support can increase publicity & legitimacy.
ie. Joanna Lumley & GJC.

Question 41

Reasons for pressure group success: Media support

Answer 41

-raise profile and shine positive light on them on a wider scale(bad media attention can lead to negative/harmful publicity).
ie. Howard League for Penal Reform was able to overturn ruling to ban sending books to English prisons with support from media.

Question 42

Reasons for pressure group success: Legal challenges

Answer 42

-may use courts to secure change of policy.
ie. the Joint Council of Welfare of Immigrants won a case against UK govt to end the ‘right to rent’ scheme(landlords must check immigration status of tenants) with help of pressure groups like the Residential Landlords Association.

Question 43

Reasons for pressure group success: Extreme objectives in political climate

Answer 43

Ie. trade union strikes like Aslef(railway union) are in direct opposition of anti-strike laws and ‘minimum service levels (lessen impact of strikes by controlling number of ppl etc).

Question 44

Reasons for pressure group success: Association with violence & disorder

Answer 44

-ie. Extinction Rebellion have led 11 day wave in 2019(gluing themselves to trains + London Stock
Exchange building) led to around 500,000 commuters being disrupted.
-encourage mass arrests to waste resources and fill up cells.

Question 45

Reasons for pressure group success: Weak links to government

Answer 45

-ie Downing street issuing a blanket ban on all departments working with Greenpeace in 2023.

Question 46

Reasons for pressure group success: Hostile political climate

Answer 46

-i.e regardless of Stop the War Coalition’s huge rallies, Blair still enjoyed majority in Commons and cross party Tory support.

Question 47

Reasons for pressure group success: Strong countervailing forces

Answer 47

-i.e the Coalition for Marriage(resisted same sex marriage) faced considerable opposition from Stonewall.

Question 48

What are pressure participants?

Answer 48

-seek to influence policy without formal structures and membership.
ie. corporations, lobbyists, think tanks, media.

Question 49

Corporations

Answer 49

-big businesses are constantly in consultation with govt departments.
-can threaten to move factories/jobs out of UK ie motor manufacturers lobbied for retaining single market in Brexit and used this as a trade(though unsuccessful).
-can also be pressured by environmental/ethical groups.
ie. Barclays announced intention to be a ‘net zero’ bank following shareholders like CofE.

Question 50

Lobbyists

Answer 50

-firms hired to effectively target a group’s message + provide advice about communication strategies with officials.
-many former ministers go on to work with lobbying firms(revolving door) but must get permission from ACOBA(advisory committee on Business Appointments).
-register of MPs who are also lobbyists established after 2015 ‘cash for access’ scandal.
-lobbying firm Morgan Roberts worked with Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust to introduce policy about immunisation programme.

Question 51

The Greenshill lobbying scandal

Answer 51

-2020, David Cameron attempted to persuade ministers to allow Greensill(who employed him as an adviser) to join the Corporate COVID scheme which would have allowed the company to issue loans from govt to help firms through pandemic.
-according to BBC, payed around 10 mill dollars for 2 & 1/2 years.
-sent 45 emails, texts and Whatsapp messages and even invited Hancock for ‘private drink’ to discuss a new payment scheme for NHS staff.
-‘actions were not unlawful’ according to Cabinet Office review.
-Labour Deputy Angela Rayner deemed lobbying rules ‘unfit for purpose’.

Question 52

Think tanks

Answer 52

-set to undertake policy research which is published and used to push certain policy positions, often funded by pressure participants.
-Lord Sainsbury donated £260,000 to Progress, centrist Labour Thinktank.
-mostly have highly ideological standpoints ie the Institute of Economic Affairs(pro-free market).
-some are non-political i.e Centre for Social lustice created in 2004 by former Tory Leader, lain Duncan Smith.
-published report in 2018 ‘A Woman-Centred Approach’ which called on govt to scrap plans for 5 new women prisons and replace them with community-based alts.

Question 53

3 examples of Thinktanks & their Political ideologies

Answer 53

-Institute of Economic Affairs= Right-wing & focuses on free market economics.
-Policy exchange(leading think tank)= Right wing & focuses on better delivery of public services.
-Centre for social justice= independent/centre-right wing, focuses on social policy.

Question 54

Media

Answer 54

-most national newspapers are politically aligned.
ie. The sun famously boasted in 1992 that ‘It’s The Sun Wot Won It’, referring to Tory victory
-2019, The Sun Here’s why Corbyn is unfit for Number 10’.
-circulation of national newspapers had roughly halved between 1992 and 2018 due to rise of social media.
-change in ownership + editor can bring political shift.
i.e trad right wing Daily Express is now owned by Labour backed Daily Mirror.
-newspapers often prefer to back winners.
ie. bulk of national news supporting Blair 1997-2010.

Question 55

Change in media

Answer 55

-rise of social media is far less controlled in conventional sense by proprietors.
-space for political advertising, trending topics, fake
news.
-i.e 2019 campaign, Twitter accused Tories of misleading public by rebranding one of their official party accounts to make it look like a fact checking service during ITV debate.

Question 56

Link between pressure groups, parties, govt & media

Answer 56

-pressure groups are part of ‘policy web’ which have some close ties to parties.
ie. Labour affiliated unions while many maintain political neutrality
-govts seek to engage with key insider groups
-pressure groups seek to attract positive media attention but media can give negative publicity.
ie. Tory leaning newspapers show less sympathy for striking public servants/ labour leaning ones show less sympathy for VAT on school fees.