Question: How and why was Which? first created?

Nick Stace: The first edition of Which? was published in October 1957 at a time when consumers were spending more than ever on products and services that were often of poor quality and at worse, life threateningly dangerous.

The impetus for Which? came from Dorothy and Ray Goodman who had come to rely on Consumer Reports in America.

They roped in Michael Young, who also founded the Open University, who really made it happen. Michael was convinced it was a winning idea even though Harold Wilson, the then president of the board of trade, dismissed it as a ‘hopeless idea’.

Fifty years on, Michael has been proven correct, Which? has been anything but hopeless in the achievements and benefits it’s delivered to UK consumers. We’ve grown from a garage in east London to the largest consumer organisation in Europe, second only in the world to Consumers’ Union in the US.

Question: Looking back on 50 years, what have been Which?’s greatest successes?

Nick Stace: I think the greatest success is the fact that Which? is still just as relevant to people’s every days lives in 2007 as it was in 1957.

As many subscription-based organisations, and political parties for that matter, struggle to maintain membership numbers, Which? is going from strength to strength. We launched a new family focused personal finance magazine this year called Money Which?, and have seen an increase in our subscriptions to over one million across our product range.

There have been many campaign successes over the years – too many to mention in detail.

Some highlights over the decades include: legislation introduced in 1967 to limit the amount of lead used in the paint on children’s toys; the creation of the first minister for consumer affairs in 1972 (who was Geoffrey Howe – now our president); the compulsory wearing of front seat belts which became law in 1983; scrapping of EU-wide rules which helped to keep UK car prices high in the 1990s; and more recently, success in our Move It campaign with the forthcoming mandatory ombudsman scheme for estate agents.

Another key area has been in product safety. In the 1950s, some electrical goods could literally cost you your life, now, thanks to independent and rigorous testing by Which?, consumers have been able to make informed choices and manufacturers have had to improve standards.

We’ve also put the consumer at the heart of government and regulators. I mentioned before about our successful lobby for a consumer minister within government. But it doesn’t stop there.

Another key success was the creation of the Food Standards Agency (FSA). We were determined that government and industry should learn from the lessons of BSE and deliver a consumer-led food policy and regulator which is enshrined in the FSA’s mission.

Question: What are the big issues for today’s consumers, and how do they relate to the issues of 50 years ago?

Nick Stace: Looking back through our archives and past editions, it’s struck me how many of the issues that matter to consumers in 2007 are no different. Take bank charges for instance.

We started reporting on the issues in the 1960s. Our survey in 1967 found that consumers paid 2d stamp duty on each cheque written. Charges were decided at the bank manager’s whim. Over the last year, we’ve had over 450,000 downloads of our template letter to help people challenge the charges set by their bank.

Question: How responsive has government been to consumer issues? How has this changed over 50 years?

Nick Stace: Successive governments have learned, often the hard way, that the consumer voice and interest must be at the centre of policymaking.

Many regulators now have consumer panels or consumer representation on their boards as the rule rather than the exception.

Increasingly, business and industry representatives, and their sponsors within government, have realised that those that offer the best deals with the best customer service are the most successful.

Question: What is the most bizarre product test that Which? has ever been involved in?

Nick Stace: I think the most memorable was our contraceptives supplement on best buy condoms, detailing testing and advice in 1963.

This was the first ever published critical comparative review of brands and methods. We tested a total of 21,600 condoms. This included filling each condom with a half pint of water and hanging it up for three minutes to see if it leaked. It was controversial stuff. The Daily Mirror refused to print it but fewer than 20 members cancelled subscriptions.

Question: How has the government affairs side of Which? developed?

Nick Stace: Our government affairs took off as our wider campaigning role developed in the 1970s. As well as calling for change via our magazine reports, we built a team to directly lobby government, politicians from all political parties and key decision-makers.

Our legal officer, David Tench, spearheaded our lobbying work in the early days. He was the first to get MPs backing on key issues such as conveyancing and unsolicited goods via Private Members Bills, which became law.

We’ve now got a six-strong public affairs team actively promoting our campaigns, securing support from cross-party parliamentarians and key decision makers within Whitehall and the devolved administrations as well as in Brussels.

Question: What impact has Which? had on consumer legislation?

Nick Stace: Our fingerprints are clearly on a raft of consumer legislation. Back in 1980, The Times London Diary credited us with having ‘filled more pages of the statute book than any other pressure group this century’.

From 1970 until the late 1980s, an average of one new consumer act was passed each year.

Which? played a key role in many of these. In fact, since the late 1980s, we’ve been quoted in Hansard an average of once every three sitting days.

But it hasn’t stopped there. In only the last year, Bills on issues such as pensions, legal services and estate agents have both entered and left Parliament with a strong mark of Which?

Question: What are Which?’s current campaigns?

Nick Stace: Our campaigns continue to reflect the key issues that matter most to consumers. On food, we’re continuing to give a voice to the majority of parents who want an end to the irresponsible marketing of foods to children.

We’ve just launched our new health campaign – Impatient for Change. We want to see a healthcare service that listens to and acts upon feedback from patients and their families and that puts the patient at the centre of the NHS. Personal finance is another of our key campaign areas.

Here we’re pushing forward with our campaign to ensure that consumers have access to an affordable pension they can trust. That’s why we’re campaigning for a personal accounts system which is simple and low cost and is run by an independent board.

These are just some of the issues we’re campaigning on. For more information, have a look at www.which.co.uk/campaigns.