MPs not taking lobbying ‘seriously enough’, say professional body

MPs are not taking problems with lobbying seriously enough amid mounting concerns by the public over a number of high-profile scandals, the professional body for lobbyists has said.

A report by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations said little had been done to strengthen laws on lobbying thanks to MPs “not consistently beating the drum”.

The report’s analysis found only a quarter of MPs had mentioned lobbying since the last general election, with interest spiking after major scandals and then dying down again to just nine mentions a month.