Britain’s transport policy has been bedevilled for more than 50 years by the strength of the road lobby.
Railways were marginalised by a very effective spin machine that diverted vast amounts of taxpayers' money into the dead-end policy of road building.
Now the results of that distortion of transport policy are clear for all to see in traffic congestion, pollution, road crash victims and inefficient energy use.
The rail industry has recently had to denounce publicly claims from the Taxpayers’ Alliance and the Drivers' Alliance.
Network Rail said the figures they presented were highly misleading, and that motorists should welcome investment in Britain's railways as one of the best ways to reduce congestion on the roads.
Many other government policies have been affected over the years by lobbying from big business and multinational companies.
The latest examples are the Digital Economy Bill, plans for a new runway at Heathrow, tobacco advertising, arms deals and financial regulation.
The Government has promised to introduce a register of lobbyists at Westminster, although the proposal was not mentioned in the Queen’s Speech on 25 May 2010.
But the lobbying industry has indicated it will fight the proposal for a statutory register.
Spinwatch, a member of the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency, is urging the Government to introduce the new rules as soon as possible.
Spinwatch says 19 of the 143 newly elected Conservative MPs worked as lobbyists, compared to 11 new Labour MPs and no new Liberal Democrat MPs.
Former Tory MP Julie Kirkbride landed a lobbying job days after being forced to quit the Commons following the expenses scandal.
Her former MP husband Andrew Mackay, who was also embroiled in the expenses scandal, is now international consultant to the lobbying giant Burston-Marsteller.
More information: Spinwatch