Penny Mordaunt MP has urged charities to "keep the focus on practical things” that their charities do in the lead-up to the general election.

The Parliamentary under-secretary for the Department for Communities and Local Government was speaking at the Parliamentary reception for the launch of Acevo’s election manifesto, Free Society, which was published last year.

She said that while “charities have a right to campaign” they “need to do more than that to achieve their goals” and should “keep the focus on practical things”.

After reading Acevo’s election manifesto she said: “I am pleased to see the agenda still focused on that.”

Mordaunt added that pressure on funding meant she hoped that local authorities would see that they are “going to get more bang for your buck” by contracting services to charities.

Hilary Benn MP, Labour shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, said that he saw an “opportunity [for charities] to find new ways of providing services” although he conceded that: ”I know many of you might not see it like that right now when you are on the receiving end of bad cuts in really difficult times.”

He reiterated Labour’s commitment to repealing the Lobbying Act, and said: “We are only going to get these things right if we can have an honest conversation…It is really important that you are free to say what is happening.”

Big Society: bad name, good outcomes

Referencing the Civil Exchange report from earlier this week, which declared the Big Society initiative a failure, Mordaunt said that she disagreed with the sentiment.

“There is this move to trash the Big Society, I am not in that camp – it is a crap name but I believe in what it stands for,” she said.

Based on her experience of projects in her community which have made a difference, she said she preferred the phrase “community spirit”.

Regarding Big Society, Benn added: “As far as I am aware I have been living in one since the day I was born.”