UK unveils plans for a statutory register of lobbyists

[smurfy]

[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23346037[/url]
[quote]Ministers have outlined plans for a statutory register of lobbyists, saying it would boost public confidence about outside influence on decision-making.

Under proposed laws, firms lobbying ministers and civil servants would have to declare who they represented.

Trade unions would be required to make their membership records subject to annual independent verification.[/quote]

[20k]

Holy crap, this is amazing

Of all the things I would have never thought would happen..

[Nerts]

I say we go one step further and make the politicians wear jumpsuits covered in the logos of their lobbyists.

[AngryChairR]

Financial lobbying should just be banned entirely. Parties should be funded proportionally by the state according to their sizes.

[hexpunK]

[QUOTE=AngryChairR;41510380]Financial lobbying should just be banned entirely. Parties should be funded proportionally by the state according to their sizes.[/QUOTE]

Whilst lobbying isn't good. I don't think your idea would work well either. Smaller parties would receive less funding than larger parties under this system correct? They aren't going to be able to compete with the larger parties with little funding. Eventually causing them to either shrink even more and receive less funding, or just stop running altogether.

[matt000024]

[QUOTE=AngryChairR;41510380]Financial lobbying should just be banned entirely. Parties should be funded proportionally by the state according to their sizes.[/QUOTE]

Or we could not only stop lobbying, but also eliminate parties so people will vote for candidates solely based on what they will do in their office.

[Rangergxi]

[QUOTE=matt000024;41510589]Or we could not only stop lobbying, but also eliminate parties so people will vote for candidates solely based on what they will do in their office.[/QUOTE]

That would require people to actually do some research into the individuals they vote for instead of listening to a single party leader's promises.