The Daily Telegraph has criticised environmental bodies for campaigning over the EU referendum, and called for there to be a register of charities' interests.
Today’s paper reports on the front page on the Charity Commission’s latest guidance, which reminds charities of the rules around campaigning in the lead-up to the European Union Referendum.
It singles out three charities - including two, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth which have non-charitable campaigning arms - and quotes Gina Miller of the True and Fair Foundation as saying that donors will be "infuriated" by the bodies' decision to use their money to campaign on the EU referendum.
It also quotes Bernard Jenkin, chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, which scrutinises charities, as saying his committee might investigate these bodies' campaigning.
In an editorial the paper suggests that any charity declaring a position on the EU should have to declare how much funding it receives from Brussels.
“Given that so much money hangs on the decision, the simple answer would be for the Commission to issue an outright ban on charities intervening. Some charities may have relevant facts to put before the public, however, and facts are what is needed in the EU debate. So is the answer for each organisation to declare its financial ties to the EU alongside any information it may give for In or Out?” it said.
“Charities have a long and noble tradition of operating in the interests of others. Do we not now need a register of their own?" it added.
True and Fair Foundation report published
The True and Fair Foundation report, Lifting the Lid, claiming that on average charity shops produce a 17 per cent profit margin and are more inefficient than their American counterparts and high-street retailers was published on Saturday, and reported in the Telegraph.
Draft copies of the report had been leaked on Friday and was widely criticised by sector bodies.
Gina Miller, founder of the Foundation, said: “I accept that we are raising issues which challenge the charity sector, but charities should always be driving to ensure as much as possible of their income is being spent on their charitable activities.”
“Sector responses tend to border on the hysterical, but the size of today’s charity sector, and the amount of taxpayers’ money going to it, directly or indirectly, warrants a much higher degree of scrutiny. We are not calling for charities to be prevented from conducting trading activities or running charity shops. What we are questioning is the levels of quality controls, transparency and accountability.”
“To us, it is unacceptable that some major charities do not spend greater percentages of their income on the purposes for which they were established. Our hope is that this report will encourage a wider debate leading to a sector inspiring greater confidence and trust.”
“I accept that this report is likely to upset those who benefit from the inefficiencies of the sector or who are part of the established order, but that is a price worth paying; for all charities big and small.”
