180 pages of campaign wisdom . Des Wilson. Pressure: The A to Z of Campaigning in Britain.

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Book Review. Des Wilson. Pressure: The A to Z of Campaigning in Britain. 1984
I received this classic book as a generous gift on Thursday and finished reading it this morning.
The great campaigners and lobbyists I’ve worked with and learned from all spoke about the campaigns of Des Wilson.
He wrote this   ‘how to’ book for those who want to bring about change.

Written in 1984, the advice remains relevant today. The advice will work in Brussels.

It is one of the classics about successful political campaigning and lobbying.
It is only 180 pages long and full of practical advice – some of which I’ll mention below.
And, whilst written for citizen activist pressure groups, the best practice is as valid for industry-based interests.
If you are an apprentice, journeyman, or expert in the trade of campaigning or lobbying, you’ll find the reminders of the fundamentals useful.
For the many who shun reading anything more than 30 words and believe expertise is secured by consuming TikTok videos, many of the points and anecdotes from a genuine master craftsman will be lost.
However, for those of you who want to master the art of campaigning and lobbying, your time will be repaid a thousandfold.
As I read it, I sensed that many NGOs would benefit from reading and applying this best practice.
If you think that ‘the mere presentation of facts will lead to action’, you need to read it.
The book is also interesting to see how familiar criticism of NGOs involved in campaigning to change laws and government policy was back in the 1980s.
7 Principles 
If you want to succeed, these 7 Principles are good ones to follow.
  1. Persistence. Wilson notes, ‘To achieve any change in Britain takes time’. The same is true here. As a rule of thumb, it takes around 10 years in Brussels.
  2. Professionalism.
  3. Perspective. Wilson notes an ‘effective campaigner avoids at all costs becoming a fanatic’.  The lack of perspective in Brussels is grim when people speak of their issue in terms of as important, if not of greater importance, than  WWIII, you are entering crank territory.
  4. Reflect on your behaviour that mirrors your broad ideals. Practice what you preach.
  5. Be positive—campaign for something, not against something.
  6. Remember who the enemy is. Avoid infighting and petty squabbles.
  7. Where you can meet needs along the way. Try and solve real issues.
Be Clear What Your Aim Is
Before you take any action, you need to set a clear and realistic goal. If you set an unclear or unrealistic objective, you’ll predetermine failure.
So, you’ll need to answer the following questions:
  1. What do we want to achieve?
  2. What part of that objective is actually achievable?
  3. How are you going to bring about change?
  4. When do you want the change to happen?
  5. How much is this going to cost
For example, if you want to introduce a new EU-wide law on issue X, which is to take effect by 2026, and it is not within the Commission’s purview, your goal is likely to fail. It won’t be included in the 2026 Work Programme (which is to be decided soon) or the Omnibus recalibration exercise. There is not enough time to prepare, adopt, and pass the proposal in time. It can’t be done. Your will alone will not be enough to get it done.
Many campaigns and lobbying efforts appear to overlook this initial step. They decide they want something and go for it. I’ve never known it  to work.
How to Begin: The Importance of Research
Wilson recommends a logical sequence of steps to take from the beginning.
First, establish clear and realistic objectives.
Second, determine the correct strategy and tactics.
The only way to do this is my ‘research and planning’. Wilson mentions several months of in-depth research on his successful campaigns.
During this time, you will:
  • research the problem
  • settle your objectives
  • put together your organisation
  • prepare your case
  • find those who will support you
What’s the right route
Wilson notes, “A crucial part of the planning process is to determine the route to the decision you wish taken.
  • Where does the decision lie? … Wherever the final decision lies, this is your target”.
  • Having fixed your target, you then ask: what is most likely to influence that target? What’s the vunerability?
  • Are there subsidiary targets
  • Is it a ‘corridors of power’ campaign or a public campaign? Corridors of power campaigns will be chosen where there is a possibility of achieving your objective by behind-the-scenes persuasion, by pulling strings, or by getting the right people to lean on the right people.
Start with the research
Wilson notes, “In my view, the research is so important to the nature of the campaign itself, to its message and themes, that you do not even consider your objectives, targets, or campaign plan, let alone the design of your material or the way you intend to put it across until the research is complete, and you are able to study it and its implications in depth. Research is not just about the information to support your case – it is also about the choice of arguments and the presentation of the case itself”. (p.116)
Failure is likely  if you opt for
Too often, this vital step is skipped. Failure is expected if you opt for any of the following:
  1. Ignore the results of the research. When you conduct the research, you may discover that you have no valid case. You may as well know at the very beginning that spending scarce time, resources and cash on what you want has a low to no chance of success.
  2. If your research is from the likes of Erhardt Von Grupten Mundt, you’ll end up being called out.
  3. If your research comes from the Academy of Tobacco Studies, your chances of getting a win are low.
  4. If your case is so clear and obvious, and of course, you have plenty of evidence but still can’t find it or put it in the public domain.
  5. If you choose not to do the necessary research because you may not like the results, in my limited 28-year experience, the weak point will be identified on day one.
If you skip the research and proceed anyway, your campaign is likely built on sand.
This poses a basic challenge for a political consultant when they receive an RFP. Has a potential client conducted the necessary research before contacting you? How can you make a proposal that will help deliver the potential client’s aims if you don’t have access to this research? During my limited time in Brussels, I discovered that most of the assumptions made at the start of a campaign, when no research had been done, were incorrect.
I spent some time re-launching campaigns that had flopped. Why did they flop? They had not done the core research.  When the research was done, the re-launch went well.
I recall a group telling me that they had excellent relations with the Ministers in each country and met them often. This was good news. I took a piece of paper out and asked them to write down the name of the Minister, their Mobile Number, and the name of their key advisor on the paper.  When the paper came back, it had two names on it and no phone numbers.  One name had been out of government for a year.
I recalled being asked to join a meeting to hear about a group’s likely success on an issue. Fortunately, I had spoken to the lead Commission official on the matter the day before over lunch. The group’s very positive take on how well connected they were with the people who held the pen and the expected proposal seemed not to make sense. I texted the person holding the pen to see if they, or their boss, had ever met this group, and the sense of the proposal coming out of the door was accurate. The text message came back. Neither official nor their boss had ever met this group or any of its members, and the sense of direction was not aligned. Again, no research at the start was the vunerability.
Checklist for 8 questions you need to answer 
Wilson provides a helpful checklist :
  1. What are your objectives?
  2. Who are the decision-makers? Who is the target? How should you approach them: should it be a corridors-of-power campaign or a public campaign?
  3. Whose help do you need to achieve your objective?
  4. What research do you have to undertake?
  5. In what form would you like to present your case?
  6. What resources,  money, and skills do you need for the campaign?
  7. When is the best time to launch, and where and how should it be done?
  8. What are the various activities that you intend to undertake, over what period of time, in what order, and with what objectives?
I’d also recommend the How to Books:

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