Parliament has finally got round to publishing the list of pass-holders and their various sponsors. Tory Mark Garnier has given one to the nice lady who organises his dining society. For his life Guido can not work out why Labour’s Anne McGuire would need to give unfettered access to a US Embassy ‘Political Analyst’. Sounds very spooky…

Matthew Ball is a lobbyist, and a not bad one at that. He’s the director of the Westminster Bridge Partnership. They lobby on behalf of the Co-Operative group mainly. How nice then of Andy Love, a Co-Op MP, to give him a pass. All day Ball can wander around Parliament pressing flesh on behalf of his clients, keeping it all in the Co-Op family.

Guido is bemused at how, despite clear guidelines on lobbyists being in Parliament, the rules can be broken so blatantly. How about Rosemary Hadow who works for the Lighting Industry Federation, representing a niche but lucrative industry. Conveniently she does a bit of work for the All-Party Parliamentary Lighting Group and hey presto she can have a pass from Tony Baldry. Perfect for spreading the word about the fight against compulsory maximum wattages on light bulbs and other campaigns over drinks on the Terrace eh?

And what about those forgotten lobbyists, pushing for the special interests of a minority. Well seventeen Labour MPs have given a parliamentary pass to trade union political officers, with no fewer than five for Unite.  The list is long – could co-conspirators help crowd source the cross referencing of lobbyists and passholders. Have a look through the list yourself and email Guido with any names you might recognise or that stick out…