Kevin Craig, Managing Director of lobbying agency PLMR
“For the majority of agencies, who voluntarily publish their client lists on the APPC register every three months, the statutory register is not just inevitable; it is a welcome step forward. I wrote to John Cryer MP this week to say the same and to support his Register of Commercial Lobbying Interests Bill.
“We have nothing to hide, we are proud of who we work for and we are happy to share it with the world. I see nothing wrong with the Independent’s investigation and hope it will be the catalyst for others to become more transparent, including in-house teams, lawyers that lobby, charities and unions, all of which have an impact on public life. A statutory register is essential in order to change the status quo.
“As Managing Director of PLMR I firmly believe that if we are not prepared to declare a client, then we should not be prepared to work for them. After all, there is nothing to fear if there is nothing to hide.
“For too long some agencies have been operating behind closed doors and overly complex company structures, tarnishing the professionalism and validity of a sector which is a legitimate part of the democratic process and employs over 14,000 people in the UK. I hope that those organisations can prove they have done nothing wrong, but if they were open about their work in the first place they wouldn’t have to .”