A lobby system not fit for purpose

Mace | 22nd April 2026 | Comment
Photo by FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Photo by FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

CIPR's latest poll of 250 public affairs professionals makes clear that there is majority backing for radical reform of lobbying rules to make the profession more transparent.

The UK lobbying system is broken. Thats's the official line being taken by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), whose latest poll of 250 public affairs professionals makes clear that there is majority backing for radical reform of lobbying rules to make the profession more transparent, with tighter and ‘tougher’ controls.  Nearly two-thirds of lobbyists canvassed had reservations that the current lobby reporting regime was able to “identify and act upon breaches”, with 81% noting the impact on public trust in politics. All a time when the Global Counsel and ever-rolling Mandelson saga  – which has already seen the resignations of Starmer’s former chief of staff and director of Downing Street comms- has turned a spotlight on an industry that was already in the last chance saloon.  “It’s clear from our survey that the lobbying industry speaks with one voice when it says that the 2014 Lobbying Act is fundamentally broken and needs to be overhauled” is McCapra...

Subscribe to The Mace

Join the member community shaping British politics and stay ahead of what's really happening in the world of politics and public affairs, with expert analysis, breaking news, and insider insights from Westminster and Brussels. The Mace is the leading news source and resource for the government affairs industry, offering required reading and lobby intelligence for professionals.

To see what you are missing out on by not subscribing to The Mace, click here to download our full membership info-pack. This includes having no paywall on op-ed content or profiles/interviews, allowing professional profiles to be read with maximum impact and visibility by government, special advisers, MPs, peers, civil servants, and policy and political decision-makers.



Are Meghan and Harry about to undergo a PR makeover?  

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | August 20, 2026

Could the Sussexes’ shock UK return finally bring peace with the royals - and the British press?

Burnham is trying to fix Whitehall, but will the political machinery change?

Mace | August 7, 2026

Andy Burnham is shaking up government with more changes than by any incoming prime minister in memory. But, asks Sir Bernard Jenkin MP, does he understand why the

Dame Antonia’s key civil service reforms are ready to be supported by Whitehall, says Jonathan Freeman

Mace | August 1, 2026

The Civil Service is ready to support Dame Antonia Romeo's flagship changes to government machinery - notably relating to AI and devolution - under new prime minister Andy

Experts warn more government support needed to help UK aviation meet net zero by 2050

Mace | July 30, 2026

UK aviation can decarbonise while meeting growth ambitions, but urgent government action is needed to prevent costs increasing for passengers and the sector losing its competitive edge.

Don’t rule out an early election as Burnham may see an opportunity to kick Reform, says Fred de Fossard

Fred de Fossard | July 28, 2026

With the new Prime minister championing policies which go beyond Labour’s very confined 2024 manifesto, an early election is not illogical.

Despite promises of radical change, Labour’s culture of ruling political families remains entrenched

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | July 28, 2026

Andy Burnham's inner circle appears to perpetuate Labour's long-running culture of nepotism, and is doomed to cause frustration among backbenchers.

Kemi’s true blue purge, with help from Sir Philip May

William Cash | July 26, 2026

The news that former Home Secretary Sir Grant Shapps has failed to make the new Tory candidate list has put fear into dozens of former Conservative MPs. Whether

Why Burnham’s energy VAT cut will make a difference

Mace Magazine | July 25, 2026

Cameron Brown, a former special advisor to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, explains why Burnham's VAT cut on energy bills is a measure people will actually notice.

If Burnham wants growth, he must start by backing AI and Tech founders and risk-takers, says Liam Houghton

Mace | July 23, 2026

New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has an opportunity to make Britain the best place to start and scale a business, argues CEO Liam Houghton.

The continuing political Whydunnit of the murder of Ann Widdecombe

Mace Magazine | July 23, 2026

The strangely guilty way that the media, and some politicians have reacted to Widdecombe’s shocking death shows the double standards that can operate when a politician of the