1. Lobbying and Woking with Parliamentarians
Shona McAlpine

2. Our representatives in Westminster, Scottish Parliament and locally.
What's happening behind the scenes
What can we do as a lobbying community
My focus is going to be on Scottish parliament but all levels work similarly

3. UK Parliament Scotland: 59 MPs (of 650 UK wide) Currently: SNP 35
Conservative 13
Labour 7
Lib Dem 4
Influence very difficult.
Very difficult for Scottish MPs to have a voice when not part of current government due to numbers.
Generally the larger lobby groups are larger and more financially capable of fully time lobbying.

4. Local Authority Powers
Note: All Local Authorities can work differently in terms of decision-making and scrutiny structures.
Education and Leisure Services - staffing, buildings, museums, pools and sports centres, childcare, psychological services, halls and community facilities, libraries
Social Work - community care, children and family services
Planning and Transport - roads, public transport, economic development, flood prevention, building control
Environmental Services - refuse collection and disposal, street lighting, weights and measures, food safety, health promotion, animal welfare, maintenance of parks and cemeteries
Housing - allocation and maintenance of public housing, homeless provision, rent collection, capital investment
Finance - annual budgets for managing income and spending, financial reports, collection of Council Tax and non-domestic rates
Information Technology
Can’t affect defence with planning but can use them to make things a little harder.
Civil defence

5. Local Authority - ALEOs
Arm’s Length External Organisations
Provide specific services, aim to take day-to-day running weight off council officials.
Elected members are on the boards of these but may not see all decisions being made… that’s how errors in judgment can be made such as Arms Trades being held in Glasgow.
They are now obliged to look at the ethical issues on decisions made

6. Scottish Parliament 129 MSPs
73 Constituency MSPs, 56 Regional MSPs (8 regions)
Currently:
SNP 63,
Conservative 31,
Labour 24
Scottish Greens 6
Lib Dem 5
Technically we have 8msps representing us.
Pointless fact: Lord Advocate and Solicitor General have a seat in the parliament although not a vote

7. Scottish Parliament Powers
Health and Social Services
Education and Training
Local Government
Law
Housing
Tourism and Economic Development
Transport
Planning and the Environment
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
Sport and the Arts
Powers over policing
Civil Devence
Can’t make policy on defence but can make opinion.

8. Scottish Parliament Committees
All parties are proportionally seated in Committees. They are key policy making.
Government or Private Member Bills are written then presented to committees.
Evidence is provided and argued.
By stage 3 its presented to whole parliament to be voted on (this will be whipped)
The Lord Advocate/Advocate General have 4 weeks to challenge.
Westminster committees work in same way. But have House of Lords to deal with too.
Queen gets involved at the end (royal assent) though is not likely to ever to step in and disagree with parliament.
That is how law is made.

9. Cross Party Groups
Provide an opportunity for Members of all parties, outside organisations and members of the public to meet and discuss a shared interest in a particular cause or subject. UK Parliament – All-Party Parliamentary Group
Bill ight say more about this

10. What’s going on behind the scenes?

11. Researchers/Staff
Remember the elected members staff will likely be the main/only contact you will have.
Lobbying tip: be nice to the staff… or your may disappear into a different filling location

12. However they can be useful to get our words into those responses.
Central Office
Press and Research
They will likely be the ones who write the responses lobbyist receive.
However they can be useful to get our words into those responses.
Meeting with them and having good relationship.

13. Whips Party Whip Party Policy
This is the biggest challenge for lobbying and debating in any parliament.
Party Policy
Usually decides the whips line
Branch or affiliated org put forward resolution
Pointless Fact: Term “3 Line Whip” meant you HAD to attend the vote, this came from traditionally being underlined 3 times for effect

14. Special Advisors
Government level staffers/researchers. They are party political although Government staff.
They will be a key point of contact along with civil servants.
Likely to be who lobbyist meet with at government level

15. What can you do? Motions/Early Day Motions/Resolutions
An elected member can write a resolution asking parliament to support an issue.
These can be then taken for debate (members debate).
Writing campaigns (postcard, , letters)
Effectiveness can vary.
I was more likely to respond to campaign than letters but varies. Hand written letters are usually a different sign of things.
Campaigns - Easiest for the staffer, but less personal are pre-written campaigns.
Meet your local representatives
Not always effective but they all hold advice surgeries where you can talk to them about the issue.

16. Useful Information writetothem.com www.parliament.scot/msps
All Committees and debates in the Scottish Parliament are open to the public and streamed live:
Most of your representatives will have Twitter/Facebook but DO NOT TROLL… also many will not be behind the avatar (refer to earlier slide on being nice to staff)

17. Lobbying and Woking with Parliamentarians
Shona McAlpine