Democracy in the UK is not perfect and there are several shortfalls — election turnouts being called into question, the electorate losing trust in MPs when they do not make good on their promises and people not feeling their beliefs align with the main parties. Pressure groups provide a number of vital functions which are necessary to aid democracy. These include offering an alternative way for people to be involved in politics, providing muchneeded expertise for legislation, ensuring those in power are held accountable and protecting marginalised groups. From this, it is clear that the influence of pressure groups only enhances the democratic process in the UK.
There are pressure groups that exist for an array of different issues. Often there will be a group which is ‘for’ an issue and another which is ‘against’. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) and Right To Life UK both campaign about abortions (BPAS being pro-choice and Right To Life UK being pro-life) — but they have opposing views. The existence of opposing groups means a plethora of information is provided, covering each side of the debate. This can stimulate healthy discussion, meaning the public and those in power are able to make informed decisions. It also means the quality of public policy should be enhanced due to the amount of expert information available, which is clearly a major benefit for democracy in the UK.
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