A lobbying register would strengthen Welsh public life

Rhodri ab Owen, Managing Director of Camlas, Wales’s largest independent public affairs company

This week’s Senedd debate tabled by Reform UK on a statutory register of lobbyists was an important one for Welsh democracy. It was also a debate that those of us who work in public affairs should welcome.

Lobbying is not always an easy word to defend. To many people, it suggests private access, quiet conversations and influence exercised out of public view. In a period when trust in politics is already fragile, it is not enough for those involved in public life simply to say that they are acting properly. The rules should help the public see that for themselves.

That is why Camlas supports the principle of a statutory register for Wales.

Public affairs done properly has a vital place in Welsh civic life. Our work at Camlas is to help organisations understand how Welsh politics and government operate, how policy is made, and how to engage with elected representatives and officials in a clear and responsible way. That includes businesses, charities, professional bodies and others who are affected by public decisions and want to make their case. Very often, the clients we support have limited staff numbers – with engagement part of a wider set of responsibilities. We ensure that they make best use of the time they have available.

The Senedd should hear from the organisations and people affected by the laws it passes and the decisions it scrutinises. Better policy is usually made when Ministers and Members are exposed to evidence, practical experience and challenge from outside government.

The difficulty comes when the process is unclear. If the public cannot see who is seeking to influence decisions, and on whose behalf, suspicion will inevitably grow. That suspicion is bad for politics, but it is also bad for those public affairs companies that already operate openly and professionally.

A register would help set clearer expectations. It would make visible the professional lobbying that is already taking place, and it would give elected representatives, clients and the public a more consistent understanding of what good engagement looks like. It would also help draw a line between legitimate public affairs work and any behaviour that falls below the standards Welsh public life should expect.

Public affairs should never be about implying special access. No client should be encouraged to think that hiring a consultant gives them a private route into government. The value of good advice lies in political judgement, understanding of the devolved system, preparation, evidence and honest counsel. It does not lie in creating an impression of influence that cannot be justified.

The debate also rightly recognised that professional public affairs is not the same as ordinary democratic advocacy. Constituents, small charities, community organisations, trade unions, campaigners and businesses all need to be able to speak to their representatives. A register should not make that harder. It should not deter people from raising issues with Members of the Senedd, nor should it wrap normal civic engagement in unnecessary bureaucracy.

Organised lobbying activity

The focus should be on professional and organised lobbying activity, especially where someone is being paid to represent a client’s interests. That is where transparency is most needed, and where a proportionate statutory framework would be most useful.

There will be detailed questions to settle. The Senedd will need to decide who should register, what activity should be declared, how often information should be updated, how in-house lobbying should be treated, and how any new system should sit alongside ministerial transparency, Members’ conduct rules and guidance on events held on the Senedd estate.

Those questions need careful work. They should not be used as a reason to let the issue drift. Wales has been discussing this for years. As a former Chair of Public Affairs Cymru, back in 2013, I’m very aware that this issue has been on the table for many, many years. Other parts of the UK already provide examples, including examples of systems that have proved too narrow or cumbersome. Wales has the chance to build something that fits its own political culture and the scale of its institutions.

The tone of this week’s debate was encouraging. Members came at the issue from different angles, but there was broad agreement that transparency in public life should be strengthened. That matters in a Senedd that is larger, more powerful and under greater scrutiny than at any point since devolution began.

Boundaries

The public affairs industry should be part of the work that follows. We should be prepared to explain what we do, how we do it, and where the boundaries should lie. We should also be willing to support clearer guidance for Members, Ministers, officials, lobbyists and clients alike.

At Camlas, we would welcome that. Our work is not underhand, and it is not unethical. It is part of the normal process by which organisations engage with democracy and seek to understand decisions that affect them.

A statutory register would not prevent lobbying. Nor should it. It would make professional lobbying more transparent, better understood and more clearly governed. That would be good for the public, good for the Senedd, and good for reputable public affairs companies operating in Wales.

The Senedd should now take the work forward.