Paper 1
Evaluate the extent that UK pressure groups are effective in changing government policy (30)
Look at factors including Insider status (ideological compatibility with government
&expertise); wealth(resources); celebrity leadership (popularity) ; social media; direct action
Pages 24-29
Introduction:
Insider Status: Depends on the government of the day.
If political decision makers consider that it Whether a pressure group can claim insider
is to their advantage to consult with a status is determined by political
pressure group, then the groups influence circumstances. In 1970s, trade unions in
will be guaranteed. Britain were so powerful that Jack Jones, the
general secretary of the Transport and
As a result of their specialist knowledge, General Workers’ Union (TGWU), was
groups such as the British Medical once called the ‘most powerful man in
Association (BMA), the Confederation of Britain’ for the influence he wielded with
British Industry (CBI) and the National prime ministers.
Farmers’ Union (NFU) can all be called
upon to supply governments with The interests of the Trades Union Congress
specialised information to help them reach (TUC) remain closely aligned with those of
informed decisions. the Labour Party, so they are much more
likely to exert influence under a Labour
Similarly, the House of Commons government.
Environmental Audit Committee regularly
consults with the Green Alliance, which Conversely, pressure groups that represent
provides advice on environmental big business, such as the Institute of
protection. Directors, or those that endorse tax cuts and
small government, such as the Taxpayers’
The developing consensus in favour of Alliance, are generally more influential
LGBTQ+ rights has provided pressure under Conservative governments.
groups such as the LGBT Foundation with
increased influence within government, As such, the UK pressure groups are not
though trans people are still more effective in changing government policy, as
marginalised. In 2021, for example, the governments simply align with pressure
Scottish government announced that it was groups that follow their agenda.
consulting with LGBTQ+ groups over its
plans to ban conversion therapy by 2023.
As such, UK pressure groups are effective in
changing government policy, as they are
frequently consulted and supply
governments with information.
,UK pressure groups with insider status are able to effectively change and influence
government policy, however a pressure groups ability to be an insider depends completely
on the government of the day
Celebrity leadership: Depends on media.
If a pressure group is connected to a famous A pressure group connected to a famous
name this will help it to achieve popular name will only be prosperous if it is spread
recognition and therefore influence in the media. A 2006 study showed that
government policy. there were over 7,800 pressure groups. With
that number undoubtedly having increased,
One of the reasons why Live Aid (1985) and it is up to the media to highlight groups that
Live Eight (2005) were so successful was fit in line with their own bias.
because they were very closely associated
with the singer-songwriter Bob Geldof. For example, ITV recently made a drama
about the Post Office scandal. This
Actor a writer Stephen Fry provides a public highlighted to the masses that between 1999
face for the Mind mental health campaign and 2015, hundreds of workers were
for LGBTQ+ rights. wrongly accused of theft, fraud, and faulty
accounting. Many involved went to prison,
When schools closed during the 2020 others had to make large pay-outs as a result
lockdown, children on free school meals and some former workers took their own
were deprived of this provision. This lives.
naturally put an added financial burden on
the poorest families. Manchester United Similarly, the media can also amplify the
footballer Marcus Rashford worked with the voices of pressure groups that they agree
charity FareShare to provide free meals and with in the form of interviews and news
used his Twitter account to advertise segments.
businesses that were offering free meals.
Consequently, the government announced
that it would provide a £120 million ‘Covid
summer food fund’, and a £170 million
‘Covid winter grant scheme’ for vulnerable
families.
However, with the increase in use of social media, celebrity leaders such as Marcus
Rashford can bypass the media establishment. As such, a media’s biases do not matter
Direct Action Antagonises the public.
Some pressure groups can choose to engage Direct action violates the human rights of
in civil disobedience to achieve their aims. others by taking away such freedoms as
their right to privacy or their enjoyment of
For example, in March 1990, the their property.
extraordinary violence of the poll tax riots in
Trafalgar Square further undermined an Despite its ability to attract the media, direct
already weekended Margret Thatcher, action is also counter-productive and hinders
contributing to her resignation in November the cause that it is meant to promote. The
and to her successor, John Major, swiftly hostility that the disruption provokes in the
abandoning the tax. general population leads to a belief that the
cause is an extremist one and not worthy of
, In 2021, refuse workers in Glasgow support.
achieved maximum publicity and disruption
for their cause by having their eight-day Indeed, in a 2022 YouGov poll, 49% of
strike coincide with the COP26 conference. British adults stated that their opinion on
Extinction Rebellion were either ‘very
Trade unions also deploy industrial action negative’ or ‘fairly negative’.
such as limits on overtimes and strikes.
During the Christmas period in 2022, rail As such, pressure groups that use direct
and postal strikes together with the biggest action are ineffective in changing
strike by nurses in the history of the NHS government policy.
were responsible for widespread disruption,
demonstrating the continued significance of
industrial action.
As such, pressure groups that use direct
action are effective in changing government
policy.
Direct action antagonises the public too much to be effective
MAKE sure you look at arguments on how pressure groups threaten democracy and how
effective are Think tanks and Lobbyists.
How pressure groups threaten democracy:
Rights Bill of Rights
Representation XR has been criticised for its lack of
diversity + lobbyists.
Participation Ensures people focus on alt forms rather
than blah blah + think tanks
MUST HAVE knowledge of methods, influence, success of at least 5 pressure groups (CBI;
BMA; LIBERTY; AMNESTY; EXTINCTION REBELLION/JUST STOP OIL;
GREENPEACE; VOTES AT 16;RMT, NFU; HeForShe; BLACK LIVES MATTER; MIND;
HS2; STOP THE WAR COALITION; AA &RAC; MARCUS RASHFORD) Pages 24- 31
2. Evaluate how effectively (civil) rights are protected in the UK (30)
Look at Human Rights Act 1998; Freedom of Information Act 2000; Equality Act 2010
Pages 32-37
Look at examples Amnesty; Liberty and arguments for a British Bill of Rights pages 36-37
, Introduction:
Human rights are protected in the UK Human rights are not protected as the
because of the Human Rights Act 1998 Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) can be
(HRA). overridden by Parliament and it has
limitations.
The Human Rights Act 1998 – the most
significant development in the protection of The HRA had limitations, demonstrated by
human rights in the UK since the Bill of the government’s decision to declare an
Rights 1689 - incorporates the European exemption from liberty and security in cases
Convention on Human Rights 1950 fully of suspected terrorism. Additionally, the
into British law. The Act entered into force introduction in 2005 of control orders
in 2000. allowed authorities to limit the freedom of
movement of terrorist suspects, highlighting
The convention was made binding on all the unentrenched nature of the act.
public bodies, including the government.
UK courts were also given the power to The HRA is not different from any other Act
enforce the convention whenever it became of Parliament in that it can be suspended or
relevant in any case coming before them. repealed. It does not, therefore, represent a
As a result, British citizens now possess a higher law.
clear statement of their civil liberties, which
is enforceable in British courts. While this does allow for Parliament to
remain the supreme law-making body, it
Human rights are more protected as a result also allows Parliament to enact legislation
of the HRA because prior to the HRA, UK even if it is in conflict with the European
civil liberties were grounded in specific Convention on Human Rights on the
statute and case law. This meant that the principle that no parliament can bind its
rights that British citizens could claim were successor.
not widely known or understood. By clearly
establishing the positive rights every British For example, the Supreme Court recently
citizen has, rights are able to be better ruled that, due to Rwanda’s poor human
enforced. rights record, sending immigrants there
would violate the ECHR. However, due to
the ECHR and HRA simply being an act of
parliament, Rishi Sunak announced plans to
introduce ‘emergency’ legislation to
Parliament which would designate Rwanda
as a safe country. This emergency
legalisation is currently in the House of
Lords.
The Equality and Human Rights
Commissions stated that ‘the Humans
Rights Act (HRA) has significantly
improved human rights protections for
everyone in the UK, but the Safety of
Rwanda Bill undermines the universality of
human rights by disapplying core provisions
