Less than half of Conservative MPs believe charities should be able to challenge government policy, new research by nfpSynergy shows.
Of the Labour MPs surveyed, 86 per cent were in favour of charities challenging both government policy and that of political parties.
The survey of154 MPs, proportionally representative of the House of Commons by party, published today by the research consultancy, shows 46 per cent of Tories were against charities challenging the policies of political parties, with 37 per cent in favour of such campaigning.
It shows that more than a third, 38 per cent, of the Conservative MPs polled thought it unacceptable for charities to challenge government policy. Forty two per cent said it was acceptable.
When asked about state-funded charities challenging government policy, 71 per cent of Conservative MPs were against such campaigning and just 16 per cent supported it.
Of the Labour MPs surveyed, 86 per cent were in favour of charities challenging both government policy and that of political parties. And 73 per cent believe a state-funded charity should challenge government policy.
The MPs were happy with charities holding Parliamentary receptions to inform MPs about their work, with 91 per cent of Tories in favour of this and 86 per cent of Labour MPs.
And 68 per cent of Tories said they were happy with charities highlighting the effect of a policy on their beneficiaries, compared to 86 per cent of Labour MPs.
Tim Harrison, nfpSynergy’s head of professional audiences, said: “This research shows that things are never quite as they seem in politics. Last week Brooks Newmark upset the sector by saying charities should ‘stick to their knitting’ and stay out of politics, yet the vast majority of Conservative MPs believe that charities should hold parliamentary receptions and highlight the effects of policies on their beneficiaries.
“Although Labour MPs are unsurprisingly very supportive when in opposition, there is a fine line that Conservative MPs do not want to see charities cross. Any sight of challenging government policy or entering party politics is not acceptable to them. These are the rather narrow confines within which charities must operate when interacting with the current coalition government. It again highlights the need for neutral, evidence-based campaigns that can be shown to be based on fact, not politics.”
The Labour Party has said it would repeal the Lobbying Act if it wins the next election and will consult with charities before introducing a replacement.
Labour launched a consultation with the sector in June about key issues including charity campaigns, the Charity Commission, procurement and the Big Lottery Fund, which it said would inform it policies ahead of next year’s General Election.
