MP Philip Collins, perhaps the former Gensis drummer
writing in the Times newspaper, said, essentially, lobbying is harmless,
but he forgot to mention
that he's a nobody and that he doesn't even get invited to
the right parties, and gets all the left-over hookers.
So, how can he comment on the obvious lobbying that goes on?
Unless the British government exists solely for the enrichment
of the oligarchy, like a reverse Robin Hood. Only that would
explain what's going on with the banks, alone.
IshitUnot: some choice quotes, Times, 9 December, 2011
(cigarette lobby) "on the way out we got a packet each to take home." [and the cancer-stick lobby got what in return?]
"it's a legal product that's highly regulated." [perhaps it shouldn't be legal because it adds billions to the NHS bill?]
"Tim Collins (lobbyist) ... has been caught bragging about all the people he knows in the Government"
"Most (choice of words)of what lobbying companies do is not a nefarious conspiracy to subvert democracy. Hiring a lobbyist is really no more scandalous than taking on a lawyer or an accountant."
"so companies are well advised to employ an organisation with good political antennae" (that often get stuck up a politician's backside)
lobbyists "watch vigilantly for anything in London or in Brussels that might be a threat to their clients" (gee, I wish I could get that.)
"in the five years I spent running a think-tank...and the three years I spent as chairman of one...I can remember only one occasion when a potential funder demanded a specific recommendation as the price of their support. We declined at once, of course." (you're clean friend, but obviously you're a nobody)