Only 23 per cent of Conservative MPs think that charities should be protected from spending cuts compared to 65 per cent of Labour MPs, a Charities Aid Foundation report shows.

The report, Under the Microscope – Examining the future of charities in Britain, says that of the 150 MPs it surveyed, over three quarters of Conservative MPs don’t believe that voluntary organisations should be protected from spending cuts.

It also found that Labour and Conservative MPs have very different views on when charities should be able to speak out about government policies. 93 per cent of Labour respondents said that charities should be able to speak out when a government policy negatively impacted on the public, compared to just 33 per cent of Conservatives. The public’s response to this question sat in the middle, with 63 per cent of respondents agreeing.

More than 2,000 voters were also surveyed. Some 55 per cent of Tory voters agreed that money charities receive from the government to run public services “should not be a focus for spending cuts”. 

Public trust in charities falls by 10 per cent

The report also shows that public trust in the voluntary sector has fallen by over 10 per cent in the last 12 months, with 57 per cent of respondents agreeing that charities are “trustworthy”. This is down from 71 per cent of positive respondents to the same question in a Charity Commission survey in 2014.

The report attributes much of the loss of public trust to the Olive Cooke case and subsequent media and public outcry that enveloped fundraisers.

According to the report MPs are more likely than the public to view charities positively. 73 per cent of MPs agreed that charities were trustworthy, while 86 per cent said that charities created a “more vibrant community life”.

John Low, chief executive of CAF, said: “Amid controversy about fundraising, charities must act together to ensure they continue to earn and rebuild public trust. But at the same time, we need to protect their vital role in society. 

"Charities have seen government funding to deliver public services cut, while at the same time demand for their support has increased.

“Politicians work closely with charities and see first-hand the difference they make. It will be vital that this makes its mark on government policy.

"If charities bear the brunt of savings not only would it be bad for most people’s quality of life, but it would also damage the public purse, which benefits hugely from the work of volunteers and not-for-profit organisations.”