# ‘Influence is no government’ (George Washington)

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2007/05/29/039influence-no-government039-george-washington/
- Published: 2007-05-29T14:51:31+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**The latest copy of PF arrived at our office this morning and I suspect that I,
like many others, have been reading with the usual degree of interest, amusement
and bemusement, the PF 50 Most Influential Poll.**

Interest, because with anything of this kind it is great fun to see who our peers
and colleagues have voted for, and which people you know that have made it onto 
the list.

Amusement, because with anything of this kind, it is great fun to see who has provided
a photo of themselves that is clearly from the previous millennium (or worse – in
Michael’s Newsome’s case, he now appears to be younger than his own children).

## Advertisement

And bemusement that only twelve actual fundraisers made the list, three of those
from the NSPCC. That is less than one quarter of the total.

Being outnumbered by Agencies and Consultants (17) I kind of understand. After all,
ensuring and maintaining a high-profile image is an essential part of ‘new business
development’ and while I am a little dubious sometimes as to the truly useful impact
of some of this breed (and after all I am one myself), there are people in there
who certainly deserve their place.

But I reserve my greatest bemusement for the politicians. Ed Miliband, I can understand
given his remit, but Gordon Brown and Tony Blair at numbers 8 and 30?

My guess is that, in reality, and given their other probable priorities, they couldn’t
be less interested in fundraising if they tried.

Using the kind of logic that it seems people must have employed to vote them in,
surely their roles would dictate that they would appear in just about every ‘Most
Influential’ poll for every business sector that bothers to hold votes.

So unless Mr Blair has taken some time off to personally develop a radical new Major
Donor strategy for his party:

Ah, on reflection perhaps I have missed something.