A new minister with responsibility for charity taxation has been appointed as part of prime minister Keir Starmer’s reshuffle.
As exchequer secretary to the Treasury, Dan Tomlinson will hold responsibility for the taxation of charities, the voluntary sector and gift aid.
Tomlinson was chosen last week to replace James Murray, who held the brief for the first year following the 2024 election but was promoted to a more senior role in the department.
The Charity Tax Group (CTG) welcomed Tomlinson, who previously worked for sector organisations the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Resolution Foundation, to the role.
CTG chair Richard Bray said: “His background identifies him with many of the causes that matter to us in the charity sector.
“That bodes well for developing a positive working relationship with him despite the harsh fiscal climate in which charities have to operate.
“For example, the cost to charities of the government’s national insurance increases has been estimated to be almost as much as charities claim in gift aid.
“That makes it more important than ever that we work constructively with the government to ensure that the voice of charities is heard.”
NGO body congratulates new foreign secretary
Elsewhere, Yvette Cooper replaced David Lammy as foreign secretary while Lord Khan stepped down as faith, communities and resettlement minister.
Meanwhile, both Lisa Nandy and Stephanie Peacock have retained their respective roles as culture secretary and civil society minister.
NGO umbrella body Bond congratulated Cooper on her appointment and urged her to stop the government from allocating its overseas aid budget to cover asylum and refugee housing costs domestically.
“People fleeing instability must be housed safely, but this should not come at the expense of an already diminished UK aid budget,” said Bond chief executive Romilly Greenhill.
“We also need to see an annual impact assessment of UK aid cuts, alongside a clear explanation of how these decisions align with UK aid’s intended purpose: supporting marginalised communities in lower-income countries.
“Right now, we have only a limited picture of the true impact on those bearing the brunt of these cuts.”
Greenhill also called for the government more broadly to support development “to tackle the root causes of poverty – such as the debt crisis, tax evasion and illicit financial flows”.
