Political campaigning can be core to charities' work, says Commission

Finance | Ian Allsop | 1 May 2007

The Charity Commission has published new advice on political campaigning that seeks to stop charities being 'unnecessarily cautious' about what they can and cannot do under the law. The guidance takes the form of a question-and-answer document in which the Commission responds to common questions asked by charities uncertain about what kind of campaigning activity is permissible.

The document is complementary to the work being done by the advisory group on campaigning and the voluntary sector, which is expected to recommend changes to CC9, the Commission's guidance on political activities and campaigning, when it reports at the end of April. The Q&A document does not recommend changes, but seeks to give clarity on what is currently allowed. Essentially, the advice says that as long as campaigning to change the law or government policy furthers a charity's objects, it is allowed, though such activity cannot be the charity's reason for existing.The Commission particularly seeks to clarify, mainly for the benefit of smaller charities, the confusion it admits exists around the part of CC9 that states 'political activity must be ancillary and incidental'.

The advice adds that where the Commission receives a complaint about a charity's campaigning and decides the complaint is justified, it is 'likely to give robust advice for the future as the most appropriate and proportionate response, rather than using remedial powers'. It also states that in an extreme case, it might remove an organisation from the register if it was clear that it was established for a political rather than a charitable purpose.

Directory: Charity Commission

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