The Charity Commission is reviewing its campaigning guidance, CC9 in order to "water it down" and charities face "serious trouble" as a result, Sir Stephen Bubb, chief executive of Acevo, warned yesterday.
Bubb told an audience of charity sector figures at the launch on the final report of the Panel on the Independence of the Voluntary Sector, that he was concerned by the Charity Commission’s review of CC9.
“Let us also remember what the Charity Commission are currently doing, which is reviewing CC9 which currently makes it clear that a charity can campaign politically but they have got to be unpartisan," he said.
"They are not reviewing CC9 because they want to strengthen it but because they want to water it down."
He referred to the Commission’s judgement on a complaint about Oxfam’s “Perfect Storm” tweet made by Tory MP Conor Burns which said that Oxfam “should have done more” to avoid being seen as politically biased against the government.
The Independence Panel said the Commission’s judgement on this had “muddied the waters”. It expressed concerns that the Commission is considering tightening up its existing guidance on campaigning.
Bubb said the Commission’s judgement on Oxfam had been “extraordinary”.
"If they carry that thinking in to a review of CC9 we are in serious trouble," he said.
Bubb also expressed concerns over the Commission’s political independence, as referenced in the report, and the Cabinet Office’s re-appointment of William Shawcross as its chair.
He said: “You are absolutely right on what you are saying in this report that we need a Charity Commission that is removed from the political process.”
“It cannot be right that the chair is appointed through a political process. It is simply wrong and it undermines what the Charity Commission is trying to do which is to maintain trust in the sector and this is why it is an important recommendation.”
A spokeswoman for the Charity Commission said the regulator had clarified its position last November.
Findings from our election case work, along with the impact of the Lobbying Act, will have to be reviewed after the election," the Commission said at the time.
"Such a review, and the consideration of other issues relating to the current guidance, may or may not recommend changes to the guidance. If we do consider revisions should be made to CC9, we will say so publicly and consult widely."
