Pressure groups, lobbying and think tanks
The nutshell
A pressure group is a group of people who join up to push for a cause, like cleaner rivers or better schools. Lobbying means trying to persuade people in power to back a cause. A think tank is a research group that studies problems and suggests ideas.
Every fact on this page comes from official guides and non-partisan research. Each source tag — like Parl — opens where a fact comes from.
The basics
What a pressure group is
A pressure group is a group of people who join together to push for one cause. A cause might be cleaner rivers, safer roads or more money for schools. A pressure group does not try to run the country. Instead, a pressure group tries to change what the people in charge decide.
What lobbying is
Lobbying means trying to persuade a person in power to back a cause. In the UK, that can mean writing to an MP, meeting a government minister — a politician who runs part of the government — or asking a member of the House of Lords for help. UK Parliament says the groups that lobby include businesses, charities, pressure groups and trade unions.Parl
The rules on lobbying
Some people are paid to lobby the government on behalf of clients. A person paid to lobby ministers for a client is called a consultant lobbyist. The Transparency of Lobbying Act 2014 says a consultant lobbyist must sign a public list called the register of consultant lobbyists.HoC The register must show which clients each lobbyist worked for, updated every three months, and anyone can look at it online.ORCL
What a think tank is
A think tank is a research group that studies how the country is run. A think tank looks at a problem, such as housing or health, and suggests ideas to fix it. One example is the Institute for Government. It describes itself as an independent think tank that studies how government works, and it publishes who funds it.IfG
- Pressure groups give people a way to push for a cause together between elections
- UK Parliament's guide says lobbying is generally seen as good for democracy, bringing extra views and expertise to decisions
- Think tanks add research and fresh ideas to debates about how the country is run
- Only lobbyists paid to contact ministers for a client must join the public register, so a lot of lobbying is not listed there
- Groups or people with more money can pay for more access, which raises the worry of louder voices than the public has
- Not every think tank publishes who funds it, so the backing behind an idea is not always clear
The deep end6 min
Three ways to shape decisions between elections
A general election happens every few years. Between votes, people can still try to shape what the government does. Three common routes are pressure groups, lobbying and think tanks. A pressure group brings people together around a cause. Lobbying is the act of asking a person in power to back that cause. A think tank produces research that feeds into the debate.
How lobbying is regulated
UK Parliament describes lobbying as a normal part of politics, used by businesses, charities, pressure groups and trade unions.Parl The main law is the Transparency of Lobbying Act 2014. It created a public register of consultant lobbyists, a list of people paid to lobby ministers on behalf of clients.HoC A consultant lobbyist must sign the register before lobbying, and must list every client each quarter. The Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists keeps the register, and anyone can search it online.ORCL
What the register covers and what it misses
The register covers only consultant lobbyists, meaning people paid to lobby ministers for a client. It does not cover in-house lobbyists, who lobby for the organisation that pays the wage. It also does not record lobbying aimed at MPs rather than at ministers.ORCL Because of these limits, the public register shows only part of all the lobbying that happens.HoC
The case each side makes
Views differ on whether these routes help or harm democracy, and UK Parliament's guide sets out both. On one side, lobbying is described as good for democracy, because it brings extra views and expertise to the people making decisions, and it shows how strongly a cause is supported. On the other side, the same guide notes a worry that people with better access to ministers can win results that may not match what most of the public wants.Parl
Think tanks and the question of funding
Think tanks add research and ideas to political debate. A think tank is not part of the government and does not answer to voters. The Institute for Government, itself a think tank, says it is independent and non-partisan, and publishes who funds it.IfG Not every think tank is as open about naming its funders. Because the people who fund a think tank can shape which topics it studies, knowing who pays for the research helps a reader weigh it.