Pressure Groups

Pick a pressure group, fully explain its actions, whether it is a insider, outsider, sectional or promotional and whether it is or was successful and why?

An outsider pressure group is a type of pressure group that has little or no contact with decision makers, this is usually down to ideological disagreement with the current government in power. It could also be in relation to illegal activities they sometimes participate in due to their want for taking direct action. 

An example of an outsider pressure group would be Fathers for Justice (F4J), F4J fight for the equal rights of fathers and mothers. On estimation around 200 children lose their fathers in courts everyday due to their being an injustice in the system. F4J say that:  “F4J is a lone voice swimming against a current of vested interests”. This emphasises that F4J are an outsider pressure group with little/no support from the government.

Contrasting with my previous point of outsider pressure groups having very little support from the government. “Since 2008 the group has been committed to the political process, having won the support of 104 MPs from all parties in the last Parliament.” Now on their website they have a manifesto, so are they now a political party or a high profile pressure group?

On the 29^th of November 2015, a protest occurred on the gallery roof of Buckingham Palace, staged by a copy cat group of F4J. After their protest in September 2004 when a protester dressed as Batman scaled the building. This emphasises the chain reaction one single pressure group can create, and result in a worldwide movement.  

F4J is a very successful pressure group gaining support from thousands of people, F4J was initially funded by money from it’s founder Matt O’Connor when it was established in 2001. Since then it has become a successful self-funding model generating income from registrations and merchandise sales. The organisation refuses to take money from government, solicitors or other organisations that might compromise the integrity of its campaign. Therefore confirming it’s status as a pressure group still.

F4J say that “when democracy fails, by breaking old laws you make new ones” in an attempt to explain their illegal demonstrations, in order to “restore and balance justice in society”, using the Suffragettes and Tolpuddle Martys as a example to follow by.