Why are some Pressure Groups more successful than others?

Why are some Pressure Groups more successful than others?

Pressure groups are often sources of media attention in the UK, for many, their strikes and protests are widely covered and some even gain government responses. However are many pressure groups really that successful in influencing government policy and actions? If so why and is any specific group more successful than another?

To begin with lets look at an example of a relatively successful pressure group, the British Medical Association, this pressure group supports and fights for the rights of NHS doctors as well as junior doctors. It has tens of thousands of members with in the UK and holds great influence over the government to this day, and in recent times has succeeded in changing the governments actions. One reason as to why this sectional pressure group has seen success is due to its status as an insider pressure group, this means that the group works and hold talks with the government (Mainly with the Health secretary). The fact that the group works with the the state reveals that the government knows the power this group wields, recently the government buckled under the pressure of the BMA and gave into threats of a strike. They opened into negotiations as they feared the strike of thousands of doctors could potentially cripple the NHS. Another reason why this group may see success is the fact that the public greatly supports this pressure group, protests are often made up of regular civilians as well as doctors, making the group that much more intimidating.

Generally insider groups can have a greater impact on the government when compared to an outsider group, pressure groups which are promotional and insider can be some what assured that it will have the opportunity to influence the government whilst still gaining support. Promotional groups, which are open to all members of society, have a greater chance at influencing the government through protests , as their large numbers an sway the government. However its the need to be an insider group that is important, this gives you some what frequent meetings with government to discuss your ideas on their legislation and actions. If your pressure group is outsider and fights for an extreme ideology its likely, that not only will you lack support from the people, but you're very likely to be ignored or opposed by the government and Parliament. 

Finally the methods used to influence the government can impact the successfulness of a pressure group. Some examples of methods commonly used include : Strikes, protests, rallies, lobbying, e-petitions and boycotts. The aim for a large majority of these is to disrupt a certain aspect of society, however almost all modern pressure groups go about achieving this in a non-violent manor. When done with a large number of people media attention can be gained , this increases peoples awareness of your cause , in turn giving you additional support from the people and even some MPs. Violent protests or rallies can end up loosing you support and the government is unlikely to want to negotiate with you. So aim to be peaceful, disrupt everyday life and try to work with the government to succeed as a pressure group.