1. ©
Influencing the Political Process
in Wales
Huw Edwards
WCVA Volunteering Conference
July 2014

2. ©
Huw Edwards
• Independent Training
Consultant
Parliament
Government
Legislation
• Member of Parliament
Monmouth (Lab)
1991-92 1997-05

3. ©
Origins of Lobbying
Washington or Westminster?
Willard Hotel in the 1860s
President Ulysses S Grant
refers to those seeking to
influence him as ‘lobbyists’
Central Lobby of the UK
Parliament where
constituents meet their MP

4. ©
Rationale for Lobbying
‘Lobbying industries
exist where there are
democratic
governments which are
open to external advice
and influence’
Lionel Zetter

5. ©
Why is lobbing necessary?
Why do companies,
charities, trade
associations, trade
unions, pressure groups
and professional groups
lobby government?
Because governments
represent either threats
or opportunities to
those organisations

6. ©
Threats
• Government could ban
or restrict a company’s
products of services.
• Or give their
competitors an
advantage
• What are the
consequences?

7. ©
Opportunities
• Government s can also
boost your
organisations’ principle
activity.
• Or that of your
competitors
• What are the
consequences?

8. ©
Threats and Opportunities
• In lobbying what is an
opportunity for you
may be a threat to
another organisation
and what is a threat to
you may be an
opportunity elsewhere.
• Both protagonists and
antagonists are
therefore likely to
deploy lobbying
techniques.

9. ©
Protagonists Antagonists

10. ©
Why should the politician support
you?
• Constituency interests
– Jobs
– ‘good local MP/AM’
– votes
• Support your strategies
• Agree with your values
–
• Personal interest or
expertise
• Opportunity for campaign
and publicity
• They are decent, helpful
people!
• Remember the opposite
of all this!

11. ©
Why are AMs important?
• Hold Ministers to account
– Questions - Scrutiny Committees - Short Debates
• Put your issues on the record
• Propose legislation
• Amend Assembly Bills
• Get access to Ministers

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Role in the Assembly
• Represent constituency
interests
• Initiate and contribute to
debates
• Sit on Committees: Scrutiny,
Legislation etc
• Propose, oppose and amend
legislation
• Raise national/local causes
• Support Cross Party Groups

13. ©
Politician’s Toolkit
‘I will make representation’
• Correspondence -
Ministers / WG, Local Authorities,
Health Boards etc
• Speaking in Assembly
Debates / Statements
• Ask PQs / Assembly
Questions – oral and written
• Meetings -
Ministers and others
Formal/Informal
• Seek Publicity

14. ©
Campaigning Role
• Politicians are bombarded with
lobbying material - briefings,
press releases, annual reports,
questionnaires etc
• Most goes in the bin
• 1001 Good Causes
• How do you capture their
interest and keep your material
out of the bin?

15. ©
Campaigning Role -
A Politician’s Focus
How does this affect my constituency and
constituents?
Do I believe in this cause?
Do I believe in it enough to be active in supporting it?
How can I help this cause?
Who will support me?
Who will oppose me?
Should I get publicity?

16. ©
Political Supporter
• Agree with your cause
• Meet with you
• Attend reception
• Ask a Assembly Questions
• Support private members
legn. Support amendments
to Bill
• Sign Statements of Opinion
• Get publicity for you
• Join All Party Group
• Be known as a supporter
• Low to Medium level of
commitment
• Who’s helping who?

17. ©
Political Champion
• Show strong commitment to
cause
• Take you to meet Minister etc
• Organise receptions
• Regularly ask PQs/AQs
• Introduce legislation
• Table amendments
• Table Statements of Opinion
• Organise All Party Group
• Get regular publicity
• Want to be identified as a
champion
• Medium to high level of
support
• Are they helping you help
the people you want to
help?

18. ©
Lobbying Politicians – Some Do’s
• Research their interests
• Identify ‘champions’
• Have clear campaign
objectives
• Provide clear, readable,
briefing material
• Offer support in terms of
expertise, research
• Provide opportunities to
have personal experience of
the campaign - visits,
meetings,
• Remember they have staff
who can assist
• Use cross party coalitions

19. ©
Lobbying politicians- Some Don’ts
• Don’t overwhelm them
or be over persistent
• Don’t believe your
cause is their main
priority
• Don’t disregard their
conflicting loyalties
• Don’t expect them to
have your expertise
• Don’t expect to win all
aspects of your
campaign at once

20. ©
The Minister’s Role
 Take executive decisions under
powers given to them in law
 Propose Legislation through –
Assembly Bills
 Develop policy and strategies
 Make Subordinate Legislation –
rules, regulations, orders etc
 Answer to the
National Assembly
through Statements,
Questions and Scrutiny
Committees

21. ©
The Civil Servants Role
• ‘Civil servants advise
Ministers decide’
• Advice is rational and based
on the facts but in
accordance with Govt’s
commitments.
• 3-4 options are put to the
Minister with ONE
recommendation
• In Welsh Govt civil servants
prepare 3 types of folder
(2-4 pages) for Ministers
– Submission Folder
– Legislation Folders
– Information folders

22. ©
‘The Box’
• Private office will place
official papers for
Ministers in ‘the Box’
• Usually done by
Ministers at the end of
the evening and at
weekends

23. ©
Into the box not the bin!

24. ©
Example: Organ Donation Campaign

25. ©
Manifesto Commitments 2011
• Labour
We will introduce an Assembly
Bill in order to move to an ‘opt
out’ system of donation, backed
up by a comprehensive
communication programme.
• Conservative
No ref
• Lib Dems
..focusing the attention of healthy
people on the importance of
organ donation and improving
the rates of donation by
establishing an opt-out
programme for organ donation.
• Plaid Cymru
We will complete the process of
legislating to introduce a system
of soft presumed consent for
organ donation.

26. ©
From Manifesto to Statute Book
The Human
Transplantation (Wales)
Act provides for an opt-
out system of organ
donation that would
improve the rates of
donation in Wales.

27. ©
And Finally...
• Essential to lobby on
issues important to you
• Good campaigning can
be successful
• Have confidence and
belief!