Politics: UK Pressure Groups
3 advantages/features of insider pressure groups
1. Frequent contact with Government and civil service
2. Better resources (financial)
3. Formal Consultations
Insider groups - frequent contacts with government and civil service?
British Medical Association (BMA)- briefs mps on health policy, meets with ministers and responds to consultation prior to drafting bills
Insider groups - better resources (financially)?
Superior funding allows pg to employ professional lobbyists and situate offices around the country
Insider groups - formal consultations?
Whereby groups give evidence to select/public bill committees
3 advantages/features of outsider pressure groups
1. Mass membership, large online/influence political decision making from outside
2. Working towards insider status
3. Direct action
outsider groups - influence political decision making from outside?
Many pgs aim to build mass membership and a large online communities to show the extent of their support - ER
Outsider groups - work towards insider status?
As they lack experience and connections to achieve this
Outsider groups - direct action?
advantage as it show the extent their supporters go to in order to voice their issues
National Trust - Insider pg
Founded - 1895 with over 5 million members.
Aims- preservation of nation's countryside and historical properties.
- Owns castles, wilderness countryside, industrial heritage sites and 780 miles of coastline
- Lobbying the government on preserving the green belt, climate change, spending on the arts & culture
Methods - petitions, speak out publicly, insider benefits
Failures - Elitist - majority of members are middle class white civilians
- many of its paid members join mainly for services it offers such as free parking and coastal sites. Few take part in active campaigning - cheque book membership
Extinction Rebellion - Outsider pg
Aims - government must tell truth by declaring climate and ecological emergency
Success - raised public awareness and pushed climate change up the political agenda.
- 26 & 45% of 18-24 yr olds put it in their top 3 issues before 2019 gen elec
Failures - extreme publicity stunts - fake blood on treasury building using fire engine, sticking themselves to transport. First major action was in 2018 blocking roads on trafalgar square.
Tactics - to encourage mass arrests and thereby completely fill up police cells. October 2019 protests - 1828 arrests
Failures - failed attempt to spray treasury building with fake blood created controversy in newspapers
3 ways pressure groups can influence government
1. Insider status
2. Historical ties to political parties
3. Legal challenges
pg influence on government - insider status?
pg use insider status to directly influence government policy - bma smoking ban.
pg influence on government - historical ties to parties?
unions have been part of the labour party since its formulation and make essential financial contributions
pg influence on government - legal challenges?
pg may use court to secure change in policy/reverse if they feel it is harmful and requires judicial review
why are some groups more successful than others?
1. status of groups
2. lack of resources
3. political context e.g. trade unions
4. public mood e.g. environment, ER aims on dealing w climate change is approved by public especially 18 - 24 year olds
How do pressure groups promote pluralism/elitism
- joining a pg demonstrates committment to a cause
(further emphasised through direct action)
- groups who have membership in the millions
demonstrates democratic intentions. However large
membership doesn't always mean members are fully
committed to a cause. e.g greenpeace = chequebook
membership - a hierarchical group with an undemocratic
structure dominated by internal elites. Also Nat Trust
- parliamentary process provides opportunities for interest
group activities. e.g legal challenges, trade unions. Trade
Union Act 2016 = prevented unions from striking with
low
internal support. = required minimum 50% turnout for
ballot
strikes and 40% support for emergency services. These
ensure strikes have a democratic mandate from their
members. However not all groups "have the ear" of policy
makers. e.g insider status being able to influence
legislation before publically revealed