Friends of the Earth’s chief executive has written to David Cameron to express concerns about yesterday’s EU referendum guidance from the Charity Commission and the way it was distributed in the media.

The charity was one of three environmental organisations to be criticised on the front page of the Telegraph yesterday morning.

In a letter seen by Civil Society News, Craig Bennet (pictured), chief executive of FotE, said: “I am writing to you to express Friends of the Earth’s concerns about how new guidance from the Charity Commission may inhibit charities from playing the full role you envisaged in the EU Referendum debate”.

He also said that he has concerns that “it appears that the guidance was preferentially shared in advance with media outlets on one side of the debate, ahead of charities themselves”.

A separate letter has also been sent to Paula Sussex, chief executive of the Charity Commission, asking why the guidance was shared with the media ahead of with the sector and suggested that by doing so the regulator put FotE in a position where it could be criticised.

In a statement on the charity’s website, Bennet said that his organisation had contacted the Commission on 4 March to ask about guidance “to be told it would be available later this week”.

He said that: “Friends of the Earth first started considering what a Brexit might mean for the environment three years ago and we have followed a diligent process, in line with Charity Commission guidance, including commissioning independent research from a leading academic which shows a Brexit would be devastating for our environment.

“After reviewing this evidence very carefully, the trustees of Friends of the Earth unanimously agreed in April 2015 that campaigning for Britain to remain in the EU was essential to support the delivery of our charitable purpose, and failing to do so would be contradictory to this.”

A Commission spokesman defended its actions. "It is normal practice to issue publications under embargo," he said. "The guidance was issued under embargo to a wide selection of media outlets at 12 noon on Sunday, and subsequently published at midnight.”

Yesterday representatives from NCVO, the Directory of Social Change and Bates Wells Braithwaite expressed concern about the tone of the Commission’s guidance.