Press release -
Parliament must ‘get its act together’ and hold Liam Fox to account – PRCA
The Public Relations and Communications Association’s (PRCA) Public Affairs Board (PAB) has urged Parliament to hold MPs to account following another high-profile breach of ethical standards.
According to the Observer, former Trade Secretary Liam Fox MP, wrote to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pressing for an export tax break that would benefit Global Britain Commission – a business group of which Fox is Chairman and receives remuneration.
PRCA Public Affairs Chair, Liam Herbert FPRCA commented:
“If these claims are right, Liam Fox’s actions were inexcusable. It is wholly unacceptable for parliamentarians to abuse their privileged positions for commercial gain.
“But we’ve been here before. Liam Fox joins a long list of MPs and Lords whose behaviour damages trust in our political system and misrepresents the reality of professional lobbying.
“The professional lobbying industry – represented by the PRCA Public Affairs Board – adheres to a stringent code of conduct and maintains high ethical standards. We need those in Parliament to do the same.
“It suits Parliamentarians to pretend there is a big problem with lobbying as a whole. There isn’t; the problem is that Parliament is apparently incapable of getting its own house in order. For the sake of building trust in our political system it needs to sort itself out urgently.”
The PRCA PAB has consistently campaigned for higher parliamentary standards and provided oral evidence to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) inquiry last year.
The organisation has set out its broader plan for lobbying, including raising standards for parliamentarians, in its 6 Point Public Confidence Plan.
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The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) is the world’s largest professional PR body.
Representing 35,000 PR professionals in 82 countries worldwide, we are a global advocate for excellence in public relations. Our teams across Europe, the Middle-East and Asia-Pacific work with professionals around the world to co-ordinate our operations across six continents.
Our mission is to create a more professional, ethical, and prosperous PR industry. We champion - and enforce - professional standards around the world through our Professional Charter and Code of Conduct. The Code compels members to adhere to the highest standards of ethical practice.
We deliver exceptional training, authoritative industry data, and global networking, and development opportunities.
We also manage the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) - the umbrella body for 41 PR associations and 3,000 agencies across the world. Additionally, we support the delivery of the Motor Industry Communicators Association (MICA).
