Scotland Lobbying Register launched

Last week The Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016 came into force with the launch of the Scotland Lobbying Register on 12th March 2018.

Scotland is an increasingly devolved nation with a separate Parliament and distinctive legislative programme which is grappling with the outcomes of the country’s elections and referenda occurring every year since 2014. The Scottish National Party will hold the Scottish Parliament until the 2021 elections, providing some degree of stability on most policy positions with their minority government.

In much the same way as local government in England is contending with devolution, so too must Scottish stakeholders and political influencers, not least with the prospect of what impact the drawing down of 111 devolved powers from Clause 11 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill 2017-19 will have on their sector. The Scottish Parliament also remains distracted in the same manner as Westminster: seeking out opportunities to influence Brexit negotiations, ironing out Local Government Finance miscalculations and scrutinising large-scale ambitions for the country’s growth through Town and City Deal strategies.

In the spirit of our Cratus Code of Conduct, Cratus Director Lauren Bennie will be responsible for monitoring our activities in Scotland.

Here at Cratus we are motivated by a desire to achieve the best possible outcomes for local communities. Our core set of values ensure we act with honesty and with integrity. Building relationships and working on strategic projects with the public and private sector can give rise to raised passions on all sides. We work to a protocol which supports our staff to ensure that everyone involved in the process: clients, councils and our staff, can demonstrate transparency and probity.

Based in Glasgow, with experience working in major cities including London, Edinburgh and Dundee, Lauren is a skilled public affairs and strategic communications expert with seven years’ experience advising politicians, elected members and clients in a range of sectors. Lauren has a particular passion for localism and has established solid roots in local and central government politics across the UK, including as a Community Councillor in the East End of Glasgow.  Lauren has also operated at the highest levels of government including supporting the Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sports through the delivery of the UK’s largest culture and sporting event, the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games.

Lauren advises clients on political strategy, designs and delivers engagement campaigns and provides corporate communications support and event management. A detailed understanding of complex local government politics and policy issues ensures Lauren achieves our clients’ varied political objectives, but always in a way that benefits local authorities and the communities they serve.