PR Week

August 17, 2001

SECTION: EDITORIAL, Pg. 10

LENGTH: 186 words

HEADLINE: SCOTTISH PA CONSULTANTS WATCH OUT

BODY:

Attempts by the Scottish Parliament to restrain the activities of lobbyists are a knee-jerk reaction to the Beattie Media scandal.

The incident - in which public affairs consultants for the Glasgow-based firm were alleged to have peddled influence with the Scottish secretary in exchange for cash - has scarred the minds of those who sit on the Parliament's standards committee. It now seems unstoppable in its desire to tar all lobbyists with the same brush as was used on Beattie.

Constraints will probably be imposed, despite calls by the lobbying trade bodies - which PRWeek supports - to keep the self-regulation system in place. Self-regulation is seen by groups such as the PRCA and the APPC as a solid enough deterrent through its threat of peer group humiliation.

It looks bleak for PA consultants, but the constraints could be halted. The Human Rights act, which brought the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law, comes down hard on those who limit freedom of expression or restrain trade. The Parliament could find itself up against greater barriers than even it is proposing.

LOAD-DATE: August 28, 2001