Policy blog

Do you seek to influence or lobby MSPs, Scottish Ministers, Scottish Special Advisers or the Permanent Secretary? If so, then by early next year you will need to register any ‘regulated lobbying’ with the Scottish Parliament’s lobbing register. If you are coming to this new, read... Read more

It’s only as the Guidance is being drafted that the full horror of what has been passed into law is being revealed. The Scottish Lobbying Act is a pretty toxic mix of thoughtless good intention and bungling incompetence. It will undermine participation in our democracy. The Act... Read more

As we progress further and further with the Lobbying (Scotland) Act, I thought now would be a good time to tell you when you can give your notepad / laptop / other memory aid a rest, knowing that you do not need to record the names of who you spoke to and what you said. There are... Read more

Official guidance for the Lobbying (Scotland) Act is currently being created - what do you need to see in it? Read more

What practical steps should you take now to be ready for the Lobbying Act? Read more

New regulations expect too much of charities, and offer little public benefit Read more

We share the latest information on Scotland's Lobbying Act. Read more

A look at who'll be affected when new Lobbying (Scotland) Act starts. Read more

See what Jenny thinks about the Stage 2 committee session on the Lobbying (Scotland) Bill – which held some surprisingly good news for the sector. Read more

New rules on Lobbying will affect charities in the run up to May 2016 Read more

Legislation is negative for the Scottish third sector, especially smaller organisations Read more

If politicians want greater transparency on lobbying, then they need to make the first move Read more

Hi! For those of you who don’t know me, my name’s Felix and I work in the charity sector.  And as we all know, that means that the only thing I am good for is knitting. Read more

If the proposals to introduce a lobbying register in Scotland go ahead the positive relationship the third sector has with the Parliament will be at risk. This would be a worrying development that runs counter to the participative principles the Scottish Parliament was founded... Read more