Pressure Groups Are Fundamental to Understanding the British Policy Processes

LUDO MOYO

PRE-ENTRY COURSE

NEIL MCGARVEY

�Pressure groups are fundamental to understanding the British policy processes’. Discuss.

The way social and institutional change has reshaped the way government and Westminster operates .The government now make room for interest representation. People who share the same interests, or when they feel strongly about a belief and try to influence the government on certain issues of policies, they are referred to as a pressure group. �Pressure groups are voluntary organizations formed to defend a particular interest in a society or to promote cause or political position.’ Some pressure groups may be more important to the British policy process than others. I will discuss the role and influence they have to a democratically elected government on implementing policies.

There are two types of Pressure groups in Britain thus promotional groups also known as Cause groups, this group usually campaigns for a cause, RSPCA and the Farmer’s union are examples. The other one is Sectional groups also known as interest groups whose cause is’ usually maintenance of the status quo irrespective of the implications for the community.’ This group represents a section of society and most of them call themselves trade unions, they usually arise out of the modern economic division of labour, for an example teachers and lawyers. One may argue that this type of group is vital to the Government because they tend to be wealthy and have the ability to inflict economic and political sanctions on government by withdrawing cooperation.

Pressure groups are not political parties but they merely try to influence the policy makers. Sectional pressure groups enjoy the privilege of having direct access to the government, for example the Law Society is part of the board of advisors within the higher position, and is therefore referred to as one of the �insider groups’. A great number of groups don’t have this position and are therefore referred to as �outsider groups’. This group usually try to influence the government by protesting and organizing mass rallies.

The existence of pressure groups can challenge the authority of a democratically elected government, we see everyday on TVs people marching on the streets and conducting rallies everywhere in the world. It doesn’t mean the government listens to these groups, but they get their message across .Perhaps that is why the British �government make concessions to pressure groups because of the validity of its argument, it maybe because the group is able to demonstrate that the proposed policy is unworkable or would damage the economy, or perhaps the group’s argument have moral force.

The BMA is an example of how these groups can be integral to the government�s implementing of policy into effect as well as getting the issue into the political agenda. They have the expertise and legitimacy in the medical field to support and improve the policies of the British government. They also monitor the policy and give a feedback to the government. This usually result in changing policy accordingly, which some people do not approve of .Political Science claims that pressure groups undermine democracy in British policy process ,since they are not elected but rather have vested interests concerned only on certain stance in society, which may result preventing a particular implementation of policy.

The other group thus promotional or cause group which I have made an example of the RSPCA usually tries to influence the public opinion or policy of animal welfare. They play a big role in delivering public policy especially welfare policies. It is not just the one I have mentioned above who campaign for welfare but the list goes on, these groups seek to establish their issue on the political agenda to obtain political action. Both