Insider pressure group

Insider pressure groups are regularly consulted by government departments (e.g. CBI, NFU, BMA).The price of this privileged access is restraint: keeping confidences, making sure arguments are well-substantiated, avoiding disruptive tactics and “screening out” unacceptable demands.

Some insider pressure groups may be “Prisoners” i.e. dependent on government in some way (e.g. Welsh Tourist Board), some might be “Low profile”, concentrating on behind-the-scenes pressure (e.g. National Trust), and some might be “High Profile”, consciously using the media as well (e.g. The Royal College of Nurses, RCN).

There are three types of pressure groups:

Core Insiders - those with a strong two-way relationship with policy-makers over a broad range of issues (e.g. the BMA, the NFU)

Specialist Insiders – those who are granted insider status within a more narrow area of expertise (e.g. the WWF)

Peripheral Insiders - those who have insider status but are only rarely needed by government due to the nature of their interest/cause (e.g. the Dogs Trust)