UK Pressure Groups

Question 1

What are similar characteristics between all pressure groups ?

Answer 1

They seek to influence policy making and decisions, some times this case be short term and precise such as passing or amending of a particular law or keeping open a local hospital

Question 2

Define politcal agenda ?

Answer 2

The issues that are the subjects of decision making and debate by those with political power

Question 3

What are the difference between political parties and pressure groups ?

Answer 3

Unlike political parties, pressure groups do not seek to run or hold political office instead they seek to influence those elected and other institutions of government such as government agencies

Question 4

Why do pressure groups campaign ?

Answer 4

Pressure groups campaign for their cause in the face of competition and opposition

Question 5

Is there always opposition for pressure groups ?

Answer 5

Sometime there are groups on both sides of a controversial issue for example those who support gay marriage and those who are opposed to it

Question 6

How do pressure groups offer opportunities for political participation and representation ?

Answer 6

Supporter can give money, donate time to campaigning and get actively involved

Question 7

How do pressure groups complement the representative function of political parties ?

Answer 7

-many of the causes groups promote are not party political but often cross-party, animal welfare for example has support from those on the right, left and centre of UK politics

Question 8

Define insider groups ?

Answer 8

Pressure group that have close ties and contacts with government, they often represent either powerful, well resourced groups such as those associated with business or industry or offer specialist knowledge and insight that can be useful when government are drawing up legislation

Question 9

Define outsider groups ?

Answer 9

Pressure groups that lack strong established links with government, they often represent more marginalised or radical policy agendas and frequently use direct action to publicise their aims

Question 10

Define interest groups ?

Answer 10

Pressure groups that exist primarily to defend and advance the specific interest of their members e.g trade unions

Question 11

Define promotional groups ?

Answer 11

Pressure groups that are sometime termed casual groups and set out to achieve a specific set of aims that are not in the direct self interest of their members e.g human rights or nuclear disarmament

Question 12

What insider groups tend to have more power and influence over outsider groups ?

Answer 12

Bodies such as the National Farmer’s Union and the British Medical Association have long been views as having privileged access to the corridors of power

Question 13

With who have this insider groups maintained a close relationship with ?

Answer 13

Traditionally maintained a close relationship with government departments, civil servants and individual ministers

Question 14

Name an example of the NFU ?

Answer 14

-NFU especially maintained an important presence in Brussels, as many details concerning agriculture policy such as farm subsidies were made at European and not national level
-with the advent of Brexit, the NFU campaigned successfully for short term seasonal work visas so that fruit and vegetable growers could continue to hire seasonal labour from Eastern Europe, vital to the grower livelihoods.

Question 15

How are pressure groups flexible ?

Answer 15

Groups can move from insider to outsider status or vice versa, depending both on the government in power or the particular issue at stake

Question 16

Name an example to this shift ?

Answer 16

-For example, under labour government especially before 1977 trade union as sectional interest groups were often treated as insider groups
-They were widely consulted on aspects of industrial and economic issues and carried considerable weight when it came to to policy formulation

Question 17

What were this trade unions and Labour government often nicknamed ?

Answer 17

‘Beer and sandwiches at No.10’ was a popular term used to describe this close relationship

Question 18

What did this relationship reflected ?

Answer 18

It reflected both the formation and history of the Labour Party but also the basis of much Labour core working class support

Question 19

Show an example where trade unions provided large amount of funding

Answer 19

-for example during the last 3 months of 2019 the Unite trade unions donated over £4 million to the Labour Party nationally while the Unison union contributed in excess of £500,000

Question 20

Under which PM has the status of trade unions as insider groups changed in recent time ?

Answer 20

Tony’s Blair, ‘New Labour’ project was somewhat keen to distance itself from such ties

Question 21

Under which PM was Labour Party and trade unions relationship reinstated ?

Answer 21

Jeremy Corbyn leadership reinstated those close relationships, especially with the Unite unions whose general secretary was Len McCluskey, a key Corbyn supporter

Question 22

Name an example of pressure groups exerting influence on a political party ?

Answer 22

For example part of labours 2019 manifesto promised to ‘repeal anti-trade union legislation including the Conservative undemocratic trade union act 2016, this represents a clear example of a powerful pressure group exerting influence on a political party

Question 23

Which non-party political groups had enjoyed close ties with Parliament through involvement with All- party Parliament groups ?

Answer 23

Royal Society from the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal

Question 24

Name an example when the RSPCA has helped in some years with the funding of cross-party groups ?

Answer 24

It contributed £16,500 in 2017 to APG for animal welfare

Question 25

What did the RSPCA gain in return ?

Answer 25

In return such group raise issues and promotes causes that reflect their wider aims, for example in 2019 APGAW provided oral evidence to an inquiry on abattoir provision in the UK and went on to draft a report with a set of key recommendation for the department for environment, food and rural affairs (DEFRA) to review. The group also wrote a letter that year to the Chinese’s ambassador about the dog meat trade, urging for it to be banned

Question 26

Which insider groups are represented by big businesses ?

Answer 26

-organisations such as the confederation of British industry and British finance ( a merger in 2017 of several banking and finance associations including the British banker association)

Question 27

What did the UK goverment do in the aftermath of the banking crisis in 2008 ?

Answer 27

The UK government offered support including loans and some temporary renationalisation to tune of £850 billion

Question 28

What does this example reflect ?

Answer 28

This support was championed and lobbied for the BBA and other industry groups but it also reflected the vital national importance of restoring confidence in the banking sector and minimising wider damage to the economy

Question 29

How do people argue in opposition to this reflection ?

Answer 29

Some might ague therefore they while his partly reflects the power and influence of the banking and business lobby and its insider status the government in reality had little choice but to deliver such a hefty wipeout. The complete collapse of major banks would potentially have wiped out the savings of millions of ordinary people and caused economic havoc.

Question 30

Name the insider gorups that are divided in smaller subdivision ?

Answer 30

-core insiders -specialist insiders -peripheral insiders -prisoner groups

Question 31

Explained core insiders

Answer 31

These groups such as the NFU have a longstanding bilateral relationship with policy making over a broad range of issues

Question 32

Explain specialist insiders and name an example ?

Answer 32

These groups have insider status but only within a narrow and specific areas in which their specialist knowledge is required. For example the British Meat and Poultry Federation is only routinely consulted on issues specific to that sector of the farming industry

Question 33

Explain Peripheral insiders and name an example ?

Answer 33

-These group have insider status but are only rarely needed by government due to the nature of their interest/cause -For example the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society managed to get the definition of stillbirth lowered from 28 to 24 weeks in stillbirth act 1992 -This was clearly a very specialised area the government does not routinely consult SANDS on wider child health issues

Question 34

Explaine prisoner groups and name an example ?

Answer 34

-These groups find it almost impossible to break away from insider status, either because of their reliance on government funding or because they are themselves a public body One example is Historic England which if government funded via the Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport

Question 35

What is the Historic England main aim ?

Answer 35

Is to promote the conservation and preservation of historic buildings and sites, but its lack of independence from the state could make it harder for it to resist policy generated by other parts of the government such as major transport projects including the HS2 that impact both the landscape and historic buildings