Professional lobbyists, including former politicians, advisors and a former minister have met with Scottish Government representatives on behalf of clients 179 times since March 2018, The Ferret can reveal.
Scotland is home to dozens of public relations, think-tanks and consultancy firms, including several formed by or employing people who served in the upper echelons of government. Their lobbyists seek to influence Scotland’s lawmakers, some of whom are former colleagues, on behalf of clients like corporations, charities and industry bodies. We analysed Holyrood lobbying register data to discover which professional lobbyists most frequently met with ministers and special advisers (Spads) between March 2018, when the register was established, and June 2021.
Lord Duncan seen here before taking on work with Charlotte Street Partners IN a move which has been described as “simply wrong”, a lobbying firm has hired a sitting Tory peer as a consulting partner. The appointment of Ian Duncan (Lord Duncan of Springbank) by Charlotte Street Partners, announced last week, has come under heavy fire from industry bodies. Duncan, a former Scotland Office minister and Tory MEP for Scotland, now serves as Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords. The Association for Scottish Public Affairs (ASPA), a membership body for public affairs practitioners, has said the lobbying firm will be removed from their association in the wake of Duncan’s appointment.