Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Bill — New Clause 3 — Political Campaigning by Charities — 26 Jan 2016 at 16:15

The majority of MPs voted against making clear charities can undertake political campaigning.

MPs were considering the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Bill^[1].

The proposed new clause rejected in this vote was titled Power to make representations and stated:

• “(1) A charity may undertake political campaigning or political activity in the context of supporting the delivery of its charitable purposes.
• (2) A charity may campaign to ensure support for, or to oppose, a change in the law, policy or decisions of central government, local authorities or other public bodies.”

During the debate the MP proposing the new clause stated^[2]

• New clause 3 would enshrine in legislation the right of charities to undertake political campaigning activity. We are clear that this is a direct attempt to challenge the unfair and poorly applied Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014, commonly known as the gagging Act.

The act referred to introduced a register of lobbyists and increased regulation of campaigners who are not standing, or putting up candidates, in general elections.^[3]

• [1] Parliament's webpage on the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Bill
• [2] Anna Turley MP (Redcar, Labour), Official Record, House of Commons, 26 January 2016
• [3] Vote on declining the second reading of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill, 3 Sep 2013, PublicWhip

Debate in Parliament | Source |