Big banks, oil companies, and tech firms lobby at Labour’s business day — More than 500 lobbyists, executives flock to access ministers at £3,000-a-head event
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/sep/23/big-banks-oil-companies-and-tech-firms-lobby-at-labours-business-day
Posted by marketrent
18 Comments
Pretty sure most political conferences have these, but it’s interesting the Guardian are the ones pointing it out. Starmer must have really pissed them off.
>The event was more transparent than in previous years and those at the Conservative party conference, with delegates given the chance to question Reeves, Starmer and Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, in hour-long sessions in front of an audience.
>One delegate expressed disappointment that there were “no roundtables where you get the chance to raise things with ministers” – unlike at the Conservative conference – and that businesses were finding it difficult to secure meetings with ministers.
>“We don’t really have the feeling that we are being listened to and there isn’t much of a chance for one-on-one chats with ministers,” one business representative said.
>Another lobbyist said: “They talk a good game about being pro-business but we are all nervous about what we are going to see in the budget and what the workers’ rights package will end up looking like. That’s what we are all talking about here.”
Labour hosts event to speak to business leaders. Charges entry. Speaks to audience as a part of panels.
I particularly love this quote:
>“We asked for it as quickly as possible but we still don’t know what it is, or who is leading it,” said one senior industry representative.
“We asked a new Government to do something for us as quickly as possible but they haven’t done it yet”
OK?
>Others said they expected to learn little from the event before the chancellor’s budget next month. “We didn’t get anything new, did we?” said a representative of one leading industrial company.
‘We wanted the Government to leak policy to us ahead of it being announced but they didn’t’
Good?
Excerpts from [article](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/sep/23/big-banks-oil-companies-and-tech-firms-lobby-at-labours-business-day) by Rowena Mason and Richard Partington:
*[…] Another lobbyist said: “They talk a good game about being pro-business but we are all nervous about what we are going to see in the budget and what the workers’ rights package will end up looking like. That’s what we are all talking about here.”*
*Delegates were also grumbling about the “stale sandwich” buffet lunch and lack of top-tier cabinet ministers in attendance at the “networking” section of the event.*
*The event has doubled in size from last year, when Labour was in opposition, and it raised the cost for attendance by almost 50% to £3,000 a seat.*
*There were more than 100 executives in attendance, from companies including Uber, the private equity firm Blackstone and the oil companies ExxonMobil and Shell, as well as the banks Citi Group and JP Morgan Europe.*
*Many of the questions from the floor pressed for more details on the government’s planned industrial strategy, its approach to taxation and how it would implement its package on workers’ rights. […]*
I will take it back. I said that nothing will change with the ecbomy with labour in power. Thebinky thing that can be done is the the toey sleaze will be rolled back….
Wow. How wrong i was. They just queued up for more of the same. We are fucked.
Establishment politics…standard stuff, I’m afraid.
Not a new story – most MPs of the Government and Opposition have staffers who are placed by Special Interest Groups and Lobbying Businesses into their office. Mainly Conservative and Labour.
Well yeah, businesses will attend a business event.
Did they bring dresses, Mrs starmer likes dresses, and glasses for Kieth so he can gaze upon her beauty. Ange wants a free holiday if anyone has anything going. After all, the Tory scum did it, so why shouldn’t she. Now I see why starmer knifed Corbyn in the back, can’t see old Jeremy putting up with this champagne socialism. /s
God forbid the government communicate with businesses when we’re in an economic pit.
I’ve been a member of this sub for years. Don’t remember regular daily posts about cronyism when the conservatives were literally destroying the economy for personal gain 🤷♂️
>Another lobbyist said: “They talk a good game about being pro-business but we are all nervous about what we are going to see in the budget and what the workers’ rights package will end up looking like. That’s what we are all talking about here.”
lobbying = bribing
how do we rid politics of it? no government is going to do it voluntarily, labour’s comments this week confirm that “everyone does it”
Well, it won’t be too challenging for them, all they need to do is give the ministers free laptops as gifts
This is what is wrong with our political system. These lobbyists get the ear of the people running our country because they can afford it.
The average person never gets the ear of them unless it election time and even then it’s lip service.
Businesses attend business event. Businesses are irked that business event does not give them unfettered access to senior MP’s. Businesses moan that they’re not being listened to/given the time of day.
The Guardian/this sub: “OMG THEYY ARE BASICLY TOREYS”
This furious round-the-clock media attack on Labour is getting exhausting…
Is it shocking that a party that promised economic growth needs to interface with business and industry lobby groups? As long as it’s public and transparent surely it’s right
Is it shocking that MPs from donor-funded parties receive gifts from donors – and more so when they come into power? As long as it’s public and transparent surely it’s within the rules
Is it shocking that a Treasury trying to fill budgetary holes will look to cut costs by means-testing a huge untargeted handout? As long as it’s clear they’ve spread the burden broadly then surely it’s fair
Goes to show that being a moderate or centrist party just pisses off the people on both sides.
Feel like sometimes the British public enjoys being upset with the government
We should all club together and hire some lobbyists ourselves, might actually get something we want that way
Shows you how much media control the Tories have in the UK.
Never this amount of scrutiny in 14 years. Suddenly papers are on a crusade.