London,
03
April
2014
|
19:41
Europe/London

CIPR comments on The Labour Party's commitment to repeal the Lobbying Act

The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), the professional body for Public Affairs practitioners in the UK, has responded to today's commitment from the Labour Party to repeal the Lobbying Act if voted in to government at the 2015 General Election.

Commenting in a release on The Labour Party website, Angela Eagle MP, Labour’s Shadow Leader of the Commons, stated that “in the next parliament, we will introduce a universal register of all professional lobbyists backed by a code of conduct and sanctions."

Phil Morgan MCIPR, Director of Policy and Communications, CIPR
Since this bill was first introduced the CIPR, alongside the other representatives of the lobbying industry and transparency campaigners, have called for a universal register of lobbyists as being the only viable solution if the aim is to increase public confidence in decisions made by their elected representatives. We welcome The Labour Party's commitment to repeal a poor piece of legislation that would not serve the public interest and we will actively seek a meeting with the party to discuss their proposals for a code of conduct. Alongside proposals to make lobbying more transparent, they must also address the conduct issues in parliament that have given rise to the most recent scandals in public life.
Phil Morgan MCIPR, Director of Policy and Communications, CIPR

Find out more about how the CIPR has actively campaigned on this issue since a Statutory Register of Lobbyists was brought forward by the Cabinet Office in January 2012.

Notes to editors

Notes to editors

About the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)Founded in 1948, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is the Royal Chartered professional body for public relations practitioners in the UK and overseas. The CIPR is the largest membership organisation for PR practitioners outside of North America. By size of turnover and number of individually registered members, we are the leading representative body for the PR profession and industry in Europe.

The CIPR advances professionalism in public relations by making its members accountable to their employers and the public through a code of conduct and searchable public register, setting standards through training, qualifications, awards and the production of best practice and skills guidance, facilitating Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and awarding Chartered Public Relations Practitioner status (Chart.PR).