Transparent lobbying gives power to the people

Power2010 Blog

// All Entries »

Transparent lobbying gives power to the people

25.01.2010 // by Chris Jordan

With the unofficial election campaign now in full swing, organisations around the country are busy looking for ways to make British politics more democratic, transparent and just.

Here at ActionAid, we want to make sure that the people who created the global financial crisis pay their fair share to fix it.

Stopping multinational companies from dodging the taxes they owe, together with a tiny new tax on the banks who created the current mess, would raise billions extra each year. This would protect funding for vital services like hospitals and schools - both in the UK and in developing countries. In the long term it would mean poor countries wouldn't have to be depended on international aid to fund their development.

But make no mistake; powerful vested interests are lobbying hard against these solutions, desperate to maintain ‘business as usual'. Improving lobbying transparency, so it's clear who gets access to decision makers in parliament, would help ensure the deals that get done benefit everyone, not just the rich and powerful.

That's why we think that lobbying transparency should be a key focus for Power 2010's campaign to make sure democracy works for us all at this election. You can vote for the proposal here - or (in true democratic style) any of the other ideas that people have come up with to clean up politics.

Chris Jordan is a Campaigner for ActionAid