Bill for lobbyists’ register ‘on way before recess’

The announcement comes in the wake of a rash of lobbying scandals, which saw a Conservative MP and an Ulster Unionist peer resigning the party whip and two Labour peers suspended after it was alleged that they breached parliamentary rules.

The Bill creating a lobbyists’ register will also include measures to end self-certification of union membership and reform third-party contributions to election campaigns, said Prime Minister David Cameron’s official spokesman.

Under the new proposals, unions will be required to carry out an annual audit of their membership and demonstrate that the figures they produce are accurate. The Certification Officer will be given the power to conduct investigations into the numbers produced, which are vital when ballots on strike action are conducted.

And unions appear to be the main target of the proposed changes to third-party election campaign funding, which will apply to organisations affiliated to political parties as those making major donations of more than £100,000.

The reforms will ensure that the true value of activities such as leaflet-printing is reflected when judging whether parties have breached the £19m cap on campaign spending in the year before a general election, said No 10.

When calculating the campaign spending they must declare, organisations such as unions would have to include not only the cost of printing a leaflet but also overheads such as staffing and rent on premises – which could potentially inflate the figure considerably.

Any body paid to lobby on behalf of a third party will be required to put its name on the register, along with details of its client list. Financial penalties will be imposed on any lobbyists who refuse to take part in the scheme, said Downing Street.

Before the last election, Mr Cameron warned that lobbying would be the next big scandal to hit politics, and the idea of a register was included in the 2010 Coalition Agreement, but the Government was criticised for failing to include it in the Queen’s Speech.

The Lords’ standards commissioner has begun investigating the three peers in the latest lobbying scandal – ex-cabinet Minister Lord Cunningham and Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate, both suspended by Labour, and Lord Laird, who has resigned from the Ulster Unionists.