‘Significant decline’ in high-risk charity campaign activity this General Election, reports Commission
Melanie May | 14 August 2024 | News
The Charity Commission has published a report of its casework during the 2024 General Election, revealing that out of more than 170,000 registered charities, it opened 34 new compliance cases to assess concerns, and responded to 35 advice requests between 22 May and 4 July this year.
The figure relates specifically to activities around General Election campaigns. 14 of these were high-risk cases, which is less than half the number seen during the 2019 election, which the regulator says represents a positive and significant 60% decline.
The cases opened came from a variety of sources, such as complaints to the Commission, charities proactively reporting incidents via the Commission’s Serious Incident Report process, and monitoring by the regulator.
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The regulator identified three key themes in its engagement with charities during this period: charity leaders expressing support for a political party or candidates; visits to charities by prospective candidates; and charities’ use of social media in campaigning.
The casework report reveals that there was a rise in proactive efforts by charities to seek advice from the Commission, and features case studies relating to the RSPB, the Big Help Out, the Trussell Trust, Age Concern Wolverhampton and British Alevi Federation.
The report also includes reflections from the regulator on how charities can speak up for causes they serve whilst engaging in debate lawfully in line with its guidance on campaigning and political activity.
Commission Chair Orlando Fraser KC restated the sector’s right to campaign with a reminder that this right is enshrined in charity law, and commented:
“A General Election is a critical moment for charities which provide vital insight on how to address issues facing our society. From the outset, we’ve highlighted the valuable role of charities. I have also set out our expectation that they take the lead in encouraging debates that are held with respect, tolerance and consideration of others at a time when, sadly, this is not always the case in public discourse.
“This election has seen some of our lowest case numbers which is true testament to the constructive and lawful way the sector has engaged with debates on the issues they champion. Many charities have effectively used their voices with confidence while following electoral and charity law – supported by our published advice and guidance. We will continue to use our voice to explain charities’ right to campaign lawfully.”
The Commission’s guidance on campaigning and political activity can be found here.
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.