unicornnews: PRCA boss wants lobbying regulation

Staying with political communications, and the boss of the Public Relations Consultants’ Association recently called on key players in the lobbying sector to sign up to proposals for self-regulation. If they don’t, Francis Ingham warned, he believes any new Conservative government will deliver on its promises to introduce statutory regulation.

Proposals to increase transparency in lobbying through a register of interests and/or voluntary code of conduct have been much discussed in the public affairs industry, mainly because of moves by political types at both a European and UK level to force more regulation upon the sector. While some advocate voluntary regulation, some key players are still resisting any changes in current practice.

Writing on his blog earlier this month, the PRCA chief wrote: “Too many public affairs agencies out there still choose not to be regulated. They provide various excuses for this. They say that their internal codes of conduct are better than independent ones; that it wouldn’t be fair to their clients to reveal who they work with. What they really mean is that they’re free riders on the ethicality of their peers. That they are ashamed of who they work for. That they are incapable of adhering to proper codes of conduct”.

He continues: “Well, they now have a choice. If they continue to remain outside the pale of decent practice, then they will bring statutory regulation down upon not only themselves, but upon the public affairs industry as a whole. Their intransigence and obstinacy will inflict personal professional damage upon us all”.

Setting out his own plans in the area, he concluded: “We’ll be working over the next few months to extend our coverage of the industry, and to increase the already forty-plus public affairs agencies that are today members of the PRCA and already embrace self-regulation. And we’ll also be naming and shaming those companies – and their chiefs – that are putting our industry’s future at risk. Because it’s time they realised the threat they pose to the industry that they purport to love”.

You can read Ingham’s blog here.

Posted Thursday October 8 2009 by Chris Cooke

Related categories: Public Affairs Regulation