Regulation of Lobbying
Lobbying is an important democratic right, which can benefit both sides. The rules, however, vary across the UK.

For many organisations, effectively engaging with government is a strategic priority. And the benefits run both ways: government bodies gain valuable insights and broader perspectives that can help them to make better policies and to implement them more effectively.

The rules and regulations vary widely in different jurisdictions. The UK Parliament’s Lobbying Register applies only to professional or commercial lobbyists. Scotland, on the other hand, has a more comprehensive system. It introduced the Lobbying Scotland Act in 2016, which regulates all face-to-face communications with members of the Scottish Parliament and senior Scottish civil servants – not just those involving professional lobbyists. Broadly, any organisation that engages in lobbying in Scotland should record this activity in the Scottish Lobbying Register.

Some organisations, especially those with complex corporate structures, find that complying with their legal obligations is not straightforward. We can provide strategic support, starting with helping them to establish what topics they wish to pursue, and to develop their positioning on those subjects.

We also provide clear, practical advice on how to ensure compliance with all of the lobbying regimes in the UK, including following the rules on political donations. Meeting transparency requirements can require making entries in public registers: we can provide advice, and draft these. We can also work with you to design appropriate compliance policies and procedures and assist in lobbying-related investigations.

Our expertise includes:

Advice on compliance with all of the UK’s lobbying regimes
Advice on political donations
Advising on, and drafting, entries in public registers
Defending investigations into failures to comply with lobbying rules

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Related articles and insights: Regulation of Lobbying

31 October 2023

Moveable transactions – Scotland v England: Round 1 – assigning receivables

Contributors:
Andrew Kinnes, Hamish Patrick

Scottish moveable transactions law is currently outdated and much less useful in practice than the law in England and Wales. The Moveable Transactions (Scotland) Act 2023 will bring Scots law up to date when it comes into force and will arguably move it ahead of the law south of the border. This article, first published in the October issue of the Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law, tests whether or not that is the case when assigning receivables.