The article explores the impact of Conservative governments since 1979
on business representation, It concentrates on the trade association
- the most common form of business organization in the UK but one whic
h has been largely neglected in the discussion of business representat
ion. The results of a major survey of trade associations conducted in
1994 are reported and their significance assessed in the light of thre
e general propositions about the direction of business representation
since 1979.