A press release from the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency (ALT) calls for a radical tightening of the system that monitors the revolving door between Westminster, Whitehall and business, following revelations about former health minister Lord Warner’s extensive involvement with the medical industry.

The Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) has lost an appeal to keep secret its meetings with business lobbying group the Confederation of British Industry. John Oates discusses the implications.

David Miller reports on the ‘Open Stormont’ campaign in Northern Ireland – and the lobbyists’ response.

The ALTER-EU report "Secrecy and corporate dominance - a study on the composition and transparency of European Commission Expert Groups" reveals that industry controls a number of the Commission’s most controversial Expert Groups, including advisory groups on issues such as “biotechnology”, “clean coal” and “car emissions”.

The European Transparency Initiative, set up to improve the transparency of lobbying of the EU, is in danger of creating a lobbying register that would achieve nothing of substance, write the the steering committee of ALTER-EU in an open letter to EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barrosso.

Lobbying is much more widespread than is recognised, suggestsDavid Miller. Only a mandatory system of disclosures can help to put an end to it.

Simon Basketter looks at the links between political lobbying, the ‘free’ market and corruption.

Tamasin Cave on the first session of the Select Committee Inquiry into lobbying, which kicked off on Thursday morning.

Dominic Kennedy reveals how Government ministers conspired with mobile phone companies to keep prices high for international calls.

The British lobbying industry is on the defensive as a government committee prepares to investigate its activities. The Public Administration Select Committee’s inquiry is the first to probe lobbying in Westminster since 1991 and may result in recommendations for regulation of the industry. Chris Grimshaw reports.