An MP has lifted the lid on how corporate lobbyists are buying influence in Parliament using opaque ‘special interest’ groups of MPs.
Scottish National Party MP Alison Thewliss spoke exclusively to openDemocracy about how she rejected an approach from a public relations firm to set up an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) to be sponsored by the drinks industry.
Thewliss said transparency was crucial: “Knowing who is paying for [the APPG], knowing where that influence is – if you don’t do that, then it is very hard to pin down who is pushing the agenda behind the scenes.”
