Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Monday, January 14, 2013

Why lobby the public?

While the nationalistic wing of the Conservative Party in the UK continues to argue that the United Kingdom is NOT part of Europe and only loses sovereignty and pride as part of the EU, one of the main lobbying groups in the country argues the other side.

Why is it that the CBI does its lobbying in public and not behind the closed doors of ministries or Downing Street?

Britain must carve out new trade role in world: CBI leader

John Cridland

Britain must carve out a new global trading role for itself as part of a new, rapidly-changing European Union (EU), John Cridland, director-general of the Conferderation of British Industry (CBI), urged on Monday…

In his message, he said a historic U.S. deal [between the EU and the USA] is vital to creating long-term, sustainable economic growth and job creation in Britain and the EU. It would eliminate tariffs, liberalize goods and services, harmonize regulation, promote investment and set benchmark standards for trade in the 21st century.

Britain could not afford to "miss out on opportunities to use the EU to help rebalance the economy towards exports and create new trade deals based on its world-class reputation - in particular in financial and professional services; pharmaceuticals; and creative industries."

The message comes as the CBI kickstarts a major project in the New Year to flesh out how the UK's global role should look in a new Europe. It will examine how the UK can remain a leading location to do business globally - expanding export markets particularly for high-growth small and medium-sized firms, without losing access to the Single Market. It will report in mid-2013…

"We need global trade deals to drive growth and create jobs, especially when the domestic economy is growing more slowly than required. Businesses don't want the baby thrown out with the bathwater - not with 50 percent of our exports heading to Europe."