The UK risks “joining the nations in the world famous for repressing civil society” if it produces more legislation like the Lobbying Act, an audience of charity sector leaders heard yesterday.

John Low, chief executive of the Charities Aid Foundation, told the Acevo Gathering of Social Leaders in London that if the government “continues to implement regressive legislation limiting the freedom of civil society” then the UK “risks finding itself in undesirable company”.

Low appealed to the government not to produce further legislation limiting the sector.

“The majority of the British public support the campaigning work of the sector,” he said. “Don’t make it harder for us to do so, or we risk joining the nations of the world famous for repressing civil society.”

The Lobbying Act, which became law earlier this year, places several strict limits on political activity by third parties in the run-up to an election, which will reduce charities’ freedom to campaign.

Labour has pledged to repeal the Lobbying Act if it gains power next year. This week it appointed Baroness Sherlock to review the Lobbying Act. 

Constituency limit 'was starting point of the bill'

Liz Hutchins, senior campaigner at Friends of the Earth, told the conference that the Liberal Democrat party had driven the creation of the bill because it was concerned about the power of charity campaigners in marginal seats.

She said one of the most worrying aspects of the bill was a limit of £9,750 on how much a campaigning group could spend in each seat.

“This constituency limit was the starting point of the bill,” she said. “The Liberal Democrats were concerned about the influence of organisations like 38 Degrees and Friends of the Earth in marginal seats.”