I consider the principle of legislative transparency to be very important. I do not approve of secret meetings with lobbyists, and I seek to hear a range of views, from a range of sectors, on important issues.
I strongly support the transparency register, which requires lobbying organisations to list their clients and other interests before they seek to influence European institutions and before they can access Parliament.
Meeting lobbyists
Lobbying of politicians plays an important part in maintaining a healthy democracy, as long as it takes place in an atmosphere of openness and honesty.
I have two guiding principles which help me decide when to meet representatives of lobbying organisations in Parliament:
- I and my staff will only agree to meet with these organisations if they are on the transparency register.
- I will publish details of all my meetings with these organisations on this website.
If I am approached by a lobbying organisation which is not on the register, or if its representatives refuse to allow details of their meeting to be published, I will politely decline the meeting request.
Meeting constituents
I am happy to meet with constituents from Yorkshire & Humber who want to raise personal issues with me, and I will of course honour confidentiality in these discussions. For more information about the kinds of issues MEPs can and can’t help with, read the advice on my Contact me page.