Everyone has his price: politicians are cheap

Here's the shocking story of how the alcohol merchants got together with untrustworthy researchers and lobbyists to stop the Scottish government putting a minimum price and alcohol, despite the research showing that higher prices = lower consumption.

In case the politicians weren't sure they'd been bought and sold, SAB Miller rubbed it in by sending every opposition MP a gift:

When unit pricing was taken out of the bill, all the opposition MPs received a free crate of beer from SAB Miller.

I hope - but doubt - that they had the grace to feel insulted. But I bet they cracked open every can without a qualm.

Another stultifying politics post

Thanks to Kate, who sent me a petition about lobbying for the government to ignore. I don't know if you're aware that business groups, British and overseas, have an open sesame to government: anything they want, they get. They have meetings with ministers whenever they want, they lobby ministers and MPs to get laws weakened, and they second their staff to work in government (so that, for instance, the weapons procurement department of the Ministry of Defence is partly staffed by employees of companies selling weapons to … er … the MoD). The Business department seems to think that its job is to shill for the aviation industry rather than to govern in the interests of citizens. In return, failed ministers get nice fat directorships of companies dealing with the politician's former ministry. You and I will never be listened to with the same grovelling regard.

However, we might be able to reduce the influence these people have if there's a clear record of who's been lobbying. So here's a petition to sign.

I've just signed a petition to tell the government it's time to put a stop to lobbyists working in secret.

[http://38degrees.org.uk/page/s/lobbytransp]

Whether it's tobacco advertising, arms deals, GM food, or airport expansion, companies pay people to try to influence government. Currently we've no right to know what these lobbyists are up to.

A compulsory, public register would put a stop to that, and help clean up politics. The government has said it will make its mind up on this in the next few weeks: please sign now to help make sure they make the right decision.

[http://38degrees.org.uk/page/s/lobbytransp]