Parliament and pressure politics - Michael Rush

Pressure-group activity in Parliament has increased in recent years, perhaps most obviously in the marked growth in the number of professional political consultants. The House of Commons in particular has demonstrated its concern about this development, not least by establishing a Register of Members' Interests and, more recently, by investigating and debating the position of Members, journalists, and Officers of the House in relation to pressure group activity.;In this book, experts in the field examine the activities of pressure groups in relation to individual MPs, legislation, select committees, party and all-party subject groups, political consultants, and the House of Lords. The essays adopt a broad definition of the term to include groups such as trade unions and business and professional organizations, in addition to those bodies specifically created to exert political pressure. A major feature of the study are the results of a questionnaire circulated to more than 250 organizations.;This book not only provides a picture of pressure-group activity in relation to Parliament but also places it firmly within the wider context of pressure politics in Britain today.