“A pressure group’s chance of success will be largely influenced by the nature of its core aims” Discuss

All pressure groups that are available for the public to access offer unique, varying views on specified topics. They get their opinion/aims known to the public by using access points, these are methods of gaining the groups soul objectives. Some of the access points are more controversial than others though and so each group forms a kind of ‘media image’.

One group that uses more controversial access points is P.E.T.A who are fighting for animal rights across the globe. They have been known to break certain laws in order to free animals, or just to make a statement. These actions often get the group media attention and publicity, but not the kind that will make people empathise with their opinions as their actions can be seen as unjustified, and so the public often tend to avoid associating themselves with the group making negotiations with those in power very hard.

Insider pressure groups, such as the Nation Farmers’ Union (NFU), however use more legal and formal access points to make their core aims and opinions heard. This means that the public are more likely to trust them on the whole, and also it means they can have influence within the government when they are consulted as they offer specialist knowledge. The media may not take much interest, only when they are consulted which is the downside to being an insider group, although they do also operate as an establishment outside of formal politics.
There are of course one or two groups that defy this trend and gain sympathy from the public and still operate outside of the law, one of which is Fathers 4 Justice. This group get themselves a lot of publicity as they form protests in costume at places like Buckingham palace and so on. Actions like this make the public see that the group feel strongly