Tamasin Cave and Isabel Hardman Chaired by Stephen Law

Author and campaigner Tamasin Cave and political journalist Isabel Hardman debate whether the lobbying industry is corrupting political life?

Are lobbyists a force for good – allowing different interest groups to gain the ear of political decision-makers? Or are lobbyists for other nations and for big business often working against the interests of the UK? In A Quiet Word, Cave argues that the voice of public interest is being drowned out by the word in the ear from the professional persuaders of the lobbying industry. And if you have never heard about them, that is because the most effective lobbying goes unnoticed.

Cave is author of A Quiet Word: Lobbying, Crony Capitalism and Broken Politics in Britain and a campaigner with Spinwatch. The Mail on Sunday called A Quiet Word ‘a timely account of how voters are conceding power to a silent industry’.

Hardman is a political journalist and the assistant editor of The Spectator. She was named Journalist of the Year at the 2015 Political Studies Association’s annual awards. She is the author of Why We Get the Wrong Politicians.

Discussions are chaired by Dr Stephen Law, philosopher, editor of The Royal Institute of Philosophy Journal Think – Philosophy for Everyone and author of The Philosophy Gym and The Complete Philosophy Files.