What is the role of interest groups in contemporary British politics?

Like the Trade Unions, other Sectional groups can prove a very important role in today’s society.  These are still interested in mainly economic values, but whereas the TUC is fighting to bring about policy on a very general basis on behalf of its 71 affiliated members as “The voice of Britain”; other Sectional groups deal with individual professions, such as the British Medical association, and the National Union of Students. This is where they can prove incredibly powerful. For both have especially high proportions of members, the British Medical Association for example has 80 percent of doctors as members, and so is a powerful voice if it is to lobby parliament. These groups are classified as ‘Protectional’ as only certain people can join (i.e. only teachers can join the National Union of Teachers).

One problem affecting some sectional groups is they have to compete against other similar Unions. As I have just mentioned the greater density of members the better chances of putting your message through and serving ones members in the most efficient way. “A group representing practically all its possible members (e.g. The British Medical Association (…)) is in a stronger position than a trade union with a 50 percent density.” (Budge, Crewe, McKay, Newton, (2001) p 282) But the BMA is in a privileged position; teachers belonging to the NUT for example are competing with other unions such as the ATL. Their role becomes more complicated because if they are in any disagreement over a key issue, the government may find it difficult to take a stance on one unions ground. If the groups are to be successful then it is imperative they agree, otherwise their role, as an interest group is jeopardised.

As we can see, trade unions have over the past century, not only been the major interest group concerning British Politics, but also the one holding most potential political power, in their association with the Labour party. But many groups try to be as un-political as they can. They require support from government to further their cause, and if they are supporting a Conservative party who at the moment are not in power then they would struggle to affect policy making and new legislation passed by a Labour government. This is the main difference between political parties and pressure groups, one strives for governmental power the other only accesses a political stance when it has to. “The Rambler’s Association becomes involved in politics only when access, walking and the countryside are involved” (Budge, Crewe, McKay, Newton, (2001) p 271).

These groups are known as ‘Cause Groups’ as they are often involved with one matter. Another factor about ‘cause’ groups is that often they will battle on the behalf of something or someone that may not affect its members directly. For example the Royal Society For Protection of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), and the National Society for Protection from Cruelty for Children (NSPCC). They are not societies for animals and children, but of them. (Andrew Heywood, 2002, p272)

Many ‘Cause Groups’ classify themselves as ‘Outsider groups’. This entails that they have no authority in government. Unlike the Trade Unions who have massive political backing, they struggle for representation. For example, if the government of the day is proposing to build a bypass through a stretch of green belt famous for its badger population, it will not seek advice from Friends of the Earth, or the famous ‘tree people’ from the Newbury Bypass. (Budge, Crewe, McKay, Newton, (2001) p 271). It knows full well their response would be negative and if every interest group were consulted on their rallying point then Politics would be stationary.

Having now looked at the differences between Cause and Sectional Interest Groups, and what they do to influence governments, it now interesting to consider what else Interest groups bring to British Politics. In the media today it does not take long to see the interest within the population (assuming the media is a fair representation of the populace) of interest groups. At the time of writing this essay a demonstration on the London Underground leads the front page of the BBC website, as members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) decide to cause disruption by driving their trains at 25mph, a day in which thousands of people are expected to be in London to welcome home the England Rugby team. Because of the attention Interest groups gain from the media, individual’s knowledge of various issues is brought out into the public. Interests Groups “strengthen representation by articulating interests and advancing views that are ignored by political parties, and by providing a means of influencing government between elections” (Andrew Heywood, 2002, p277). When Prime Minister Tony Blair decided that Britain would join a US led attack on Iraq, he didn’t ask for the understanding of the nation, yet as part of a ‘Stop the War’ campaign thousands marched on London this November with banner being displayed on national news stating ‘war on terror? War is terror’, it was an entirely different view to the one that he has had to adopt as leader of the country, but the Stop the War Campaign has brought about a counter argument, and with such publicity from the media they have been able to promote their debate “thus creating a better informed and more educated electorate, and improving the quality of public opinion” (Andrew Heywood, 2002, p277).

In conclusion the role of Interests groups in contemporary British politics is important on many fronts. While some ‘cause’ groups such as the NSPCC, strive to persuade legislation to be passed in government they also have the added benefit of working as a charity and raising vital money to help children in distress. Interest groups become a “channel of communication between government and people” (Andrew Heywood, 2002, p277) maintaining political stability. Interests groups are also fundamentally democratic, they are one of the things that make Britain a democratic state and for that they play a decisive role in politics. Reiterating Abraham Lincoln’s  “Government of the people, by the people and for the people”, if people are to be concerned in politics then an interest group is an excellent way in which they can be involved. “As such the people cannot be responsible for running the country, of holding positive power” (Barry Holden, 1993, p101), i.e. direct individual access to dictate politics is difficult in a nation that has 60 million residents, but an Interest group can give them that access, be it on just one issue. “Groups effectively articulate the specific demands of their members and, in the model, all citizens are at least potentially members of pressure groups, or are catered for by them” (Barry Holden, 1993, p110)

Ultimately interest groups are there to influence government not replace it; they are there to promote the interest of their members on a national level. It is often when the groups become incohesive, representing a minority of the public, that problems occur. Mrs Thatcher was the one of the first to exclude certain groups “claiming they represented their own narrow interests and not the national interests” (Budge, Crewe, McKay, Newton, (2001) pp286-7), the role of the interest groups is diminished when these smaller groups overwhelm government. “Group Politics in Britain has produced hyper-pluralism, ungovernability and overload”. (Budge, Crewe, McKay, Newton, (2001) p287). Influence is crucial, which is why large unions such as the TUC will always have support in government. They are too big an organisation to upset, representing so much of Britain’s industry. Not every group will have, or ever have governmental influence but Pressure groups enhance democracy and they play a vital role in contemporary British Politics.

 

Bibliography

Bill Jones (ed.), Dennis Kavanagh, Michael Moran, Phillip Norton. 2001, Politics UK, Harlow, Pearson Education Limited

Ian Budge, Ivor Crewe, David McKay, Ken Newton. 2001, The New British Politics (2nd Edition), Harlow, Pearson Education Limited

Andrew Heywood 2002, Politics (2nd Ed.) Basingstoke, UK, Palgrave

Barry Holden. 1993, Understanding Liberal Democracies (2nd Edition), Hemel Hempstead, Harvester Wheatsheaf

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