Marcia Kia Simpson-James.
There has been serious concerns that lobbyists rule parliament and government ministers. Sharp practices, such as legislation being written and pushed through parliament by large companies represented by lobby firms are the usual form of business.
The very physical fabric of parliament tells every member of the public that they are not the employers of MP's but "Strangers". In both public galleries of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, are large sign informing us that we are "Strangers", and that it is "Out of Order" even to speak.
Taking notes is banned, "silence" is the order of the day.
As a member of the public, try to get your MP to come and talt to you in the lobby. I wish you luck if you are not some harmless old woman who has been invited to parliament to look at the building. Any Constitutent who has anything serious to discuss is actively discouraged from communicating with their MP.
Public Political participation is a no-no, and tracking legislation by a constitutent is unheard of. This coalition government is no better than any other formulation. Its politics as usual. All one needs, is a big expense account, a big lobby firm to 'lock' into a select committee member, a government minister or even a senior civil servant and Bobs your uncle.
Despite the practice being banned, the hiring of PR companies to advance and distribute government propaganda is a regular event. For example, Labour government minister, Ruth Kelly, contracted LLM Communications to push the Labour parties vision for social housing under a campaign called 'More and Better Homes'. LLM was set up by Labour supporter Jon Mendelsohn and think-tank Compass's head, Neil Lawson. The Department for Communities and Local Government gave LLM £40,000 .
Jon Mendelsohn later became Gordon Brown's Chief election fundraiser.
in 2010 the British government spent nearly £2 billion on consultants, who were of questionable value. In other words the UK government was run to a great extent by government bought 'consultants'. It cannot be a coincidence that many of these 'management consultants' are wives, husbands, friends, former work colleagues, former lovers, even rent boys and mistresses of these politicians.
Unwritten constitutions and secret gentlemen's agreements are no longer acceptable. Accountability is now required reading. My question to Cameron's government is "What happened to £2 billion pounds of public monies?" Lobby be damned!
