Andrew Lansley has been sent out by the government to defend the already badly wounded Lobbying Bill this morning. He seemed to admit some flaws on Today, though insisted “we are the most transparent government you have ever seen”. In the interests of transparency, Guido thought he would publish a particularly honest extract from Lansley’s letter to Tory MPs last night:

“I will stand up for the role of lobbyists; they do an important job, representing wide views to Government to assist informed and considered policy making… it is not my job, nor the job of Government, to control the lobbying industry; nor to create a burdensome and bureaucratic monster.”

When people are accusing your bill of not actually doing anything to tackle lobbyists, saying you are going to stand up for them probably isn’t the best idea. Lansley also provided colleagues with a helpful “myth-buster”, which seems to serve only to confirm the large number of lobbyists exempt from the bill. It’s going to be yet another awkward debate for the government…