Evaluate the View That Pressure Groups, Lobbyists and Think Tanks Have Little Impact

Question 1

P1: Insider Pressure Groups Disagree

Answer 1

1.The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) had close links with DEFRA under the Conservative Party, providing expertise based on the importance of farmers to the UK economy.
2. In 2013, the NFU helped bring about a badger cull to control bovine tuberculosis, despite opposition from animal welfare groups like the Badger Trust and RSPCA.
3. In early 2024, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to protect British farming at the NFU’s annual conference, leading to the suspension of UK-Canada trade talks over food standards, benefiting the 55,000 farmers the NFU represents.
4.Insider groups can brief the government, help draft legislation, and give evidence to select committees due to their expertise.
5.Under New Labour, LGBT+ rights group Stonewall had insider status and helped equalise the age of consent to 16 in the Sexual Offences Act 2000, requiring the use of the Parliament Acts to bypass House of Lords opposition.

Question 2

P1: Insider Pressure Groups Agree

Answer 2

1. The government ultimately makes final policy decisions, even when insider groups provide expertise. Insider groups are most effective when broadly aligned with government policies and are unlikely to majorly shift policy direction. The NFU had influence under Conservative governments due to shared aims.
2. Insider groups are highly dependent on the political leanings of the government and can lose influence quickly if political conditions change. Trade unions had significant influence under Labour in the 1970s but lost it under Thatcher, who curtailed union power. After Labour’s 2024 election victory, the NFU lost insider status due to Labour’s weaker rural support.
3. The 2024 Budget introduced a 20% tax on inherited farming assets over £1 million; NFU President Tom Bradshaw criticised this as causing the “death of the family farm.” Despite NFU-led protests (including 13,000 farmers outside Westminster on 19 November 2024 and a “mass lobby” event involving 150 MPs), the government refused to reverse the policy.
4. Insider groups often do not publicise their successes to avoid offending government contacts, making it difficult to assess their true influence

Question 3

P2: Outsider Pressure Groups Disagree

Answer 3

1. Outsider pressure groups seek to influence government policy by mobilising public opinion through media, protests, and public campaigns.
   They can raise the salience of issues and pressure governments by showing strong public support, which can affect the government’s popularity and electoral prospects.
2. In 2020, Marcus Rashford led a successful campaign to extend free school meals during holidays, using social media, traditional media, and e-petitions to force a government u-turn on 16 June 2020.
3. Protests for a Gaza ceasefire throughout 2024, with over 100,000 attendees, helped pressure the Labour government to suspend some arms export licences to Israel in September 2024. Well-funded outsider groups also use legal challenges to reverse or halt government policies.
4. Care4Calais played a key role in challenging the UK government’s Rwanda deportation policy, arguing it violated the Human Rights Act, especially concerning LGBT+ asylum seekers’ rights. On 14 June 2022, successful legal action led to the cancellation of the first deportation flight to Rwanda via interventions by the European Court of Human Rights.

Question 4

P2: Outsider Pressure Groups Agree

Answer 4

1. Outsider pressure groups often struggle to impact government policy due to a lack of contacts and misalignment with government priorities.
2. Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) failed to secure compensation for 3.6 million women affected by pension age changes, as Labour rejected compensation in December 2024 due to its £10bn cost conflicting with their deficit reduction and growth goals.
3. Outsider groups can also struggle if their methods alienate public support. Just Stop Oil used disruptive tactics in 2022 (e.g., blocking roads, interrupting football matches), which alienated the public and made it easier for Sunak’s government to grant 100 new North Sea oil and gas licences in July 2023.
4. Disruptive methods were further countered by the Public Order Act (May 2023), which introduced stricter penalties, including offences like “locking-on” and disrupting national infrastructure, punishable by imprisonment or unlimited fines.
   In March 2025, the Public Order Act was used to prevent protesting farmers from blocking Westminster roads with tractors.

Question 5

P3: Think Tank Disagree

Answer 5

1. Think tanks are groups of experts that research complex issues and propose solutions, providing an alternative source of ideas to the civil service, often with political leanings.
2. The Centre for Social Justice (founded by Iain Duncan Smith) first proposed Universal Credit, which was later implemented by the Coalition government. Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng’s 2022 economic policies (deregulation and tax cuts for the rich) were heavily influenced by the neoliberal Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), with Truss’s senior adviser Ruth Porter formerly working at the IEA.
3. In late 2023 and early 2024, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change was reported to have considerable influence on Labour Party policy under Keir Starmer. The Blair Institute’s centrist, progressive advice influenced Labour’s shift towards pro-business stances and tougher policies on crime and antisocial behaviour, echoing New Labour approaches (e.g., increasing police numbers and supporting tougher sentencing)

Question 6

P3: Think Tanks and Lobbyist Disagree

Answer 6

1. Lobbyists are paid professionals who seek to influence MPs, Lords, and government departments on behalf of clients, often using clients’ economic importance and, potentially, money to gain influence.
2. Lobbying is a major industry in the UK, employing around 4,000 people and involving about £2 billion in spending annually. In late 2023, former Conservative MP Scott Benton was caught in a sting operation offering to lobby for a fake gambling company, proposing to ask parliamentary questions and leak confidential policy documents for up to £4,000 a month.
   Many lobbying firms hire former politicians due to their contacts and insider knowledge.
3. The Guardian reported in March 2023 that since 2017 over 170 former ministers and senior officials have moved into jobs linked to their previous policy areas, raising conflict of interest concerns. Former Education Secretary Gavin Williamson was paid £50,000 to advise RTC Education, a firm run by a Tory donor.

Question 7

P3: Think Tanks and Lobbyists Agree

Answer 7

1. Like insider pressure groups, it is hard to measure the real influence of lobbyists and think tanks, and ultimate policy decisions still lie with the government. Lobbyists and think tanks lack broad public support, meaning they can struggle compared to pressure groups that mobilise public opinion.
2. Corruption from lobbying shouldn’t be overstated, as breaches of the Ministerial Code would trigger serious media and public backlash.
   In April 2024, despite intense lobbying by the tobacco industry, the House of Commons voted overwhelmingly (383–67) to pass the Tobacco and Vapes Act, banning cigarette sales to anyone born after 2009.
3. However, the bill ultimately wasn’t passed before the 2024 general election due to timing issues — and it is arguable that lobbying pressure contributed to the delay. In March 2023, Parliament introduced new lobbying regulations: banning MPs from offering paid parliamentary advice/consultancy/strategy linked to lobbying, and requiring written contracts to confirm no lobbying duties are involved