Skip to main content

To be political or not to be political?

Compassion and Christmas go hand in hand. The work of wonderful charities, made possible by remarkable volunteers, can be relied upon to bring warmth to the festive period in ways our weather naturally fails to. But yesterday something rather chilling happened which undermines our season of goodwill and warrants some reflection.

The Charity Commission ruled that a tweet sent earlier this year by Oxfam linking benefit cuts to poverty could have been "misconstrued as party political campaigning". The tweet in June referred to a "perfect storm" caused by zero hour contracts and high prices. A complaint was lodged by Conservative MP Conor Burns who said he was "shocked" by how "overtly political" it was.

Politicians, especially Conservatives, are somewhat confused about what charities exist for. A poll of MPs carried out by nfpSynergy found that 78% of Conservative MPs said it is a negative trait for charities to "be political." This compares with 38% of Liberal Democrat MPs and 16% of Labour MPs.

It must be noted that charities are perfectly within their rights to campaign on political issues which support their charitable purposes. In the same survey 58% of the general public agreed that charities "should be able to campaign to change laws and government policies relevant to their work." Only 10% disagreed.

The paternalistic outlook of too many politicians effectively goes like this: charities should be seen and not heard, they should sweep up the symptoms of poverty whilst saying nothing of their causes. This proposition is sadly reflected in what become known aptly as the 'Gagging Bill.'

A prerequisite to the free and good society is a campaigning spirit - one which challenges injustice without fear or favour. We need to be clear that "being political" and "being party political" are not the same thing. Ironically it is the complaint itself which was made with party political motives.

Something has gone profoundly wrong when charities are told to walk by on the other side. They mustn't, we mustn't. It just isn't very Christmassy. Be political.











Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Don't be poor

Following the Spring Statement in March, the Resolution Foundation published analysis estimating that another 1.3 million people would be pushed into poverty next year. Professor Michael Marmot has warned of an impending “humanitarian calamity” and argued that to deprive citizens of basic material needs robs them of their dignity. In place of a policy response to the poverty pandemic there is a void. Cue the Health Disparities White Paper (currently being drafted in the new Office for Health Improvement and Disparities). It could be out as soon as May or June, so the influencing window is narrow. The priority given, by the public and politicians, to tackling the elective backlog in the NHS is understandable. We can see it, right here and right now. However, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has also acknowledged the link between poverty and poor health and outlined his ambition to address the ‘social backlog’. Both are essential and both are connected. The Preve...

Charities, politics and pragmatism

This blog considers the parameters and possibilities for charities seeking to influence policy in the context of a looming general election. There are two broad questions for charities to think about when developing their approach to public affairs. One relates to legalities and the other pragmatism. I will briefly reflect on each in turn.  I wanted to start by making a statement that should go without saying. Attempting to improve public policy is a noble pursuit. Many undermine and belittle it, often driven by ideological or commercial interests, however this activity is vital to a thriving democracy. It should be prized; and pursued without fear or favour. It is entirely proper for charities to argue for changes in policy, regulation, law and spending. Guidance from the Charity Commission makes clear that "campaigning and political activity can be legitimate and valuable activities." Although it should not be the sole purpose of a charity and must be undertaken "only...

Beyond the roadmap

I recently returned from a COVID-secure holiday (as far as is possible) to Scotland. Preventative measures included: a private cabin on a sleeper train from London to Inverness, staying in a ‘pod’ on the Isle of Skye, eating lots of salmon (aids physical distancing), travelling by ferry (on deck) and walking and cycling (huge thanks to Andy Bike ) around North Uist (recently made famous by the Channel 4 documentary The Scottish Island that Won the Lottery ) which has a world-beating natural ventilation system (the wind) and where you are more likely to come into contact with a lamb or a loch than a human. International travel is unlikely to take off over the summer months. We all have a unique opportunity to explore Britain’s stunning coastline, countryside and cities in a safe and respectful way. This will provide a lifeline to the tourism and hospitality sectors and remind us of the adventures available closer to home. Enjoy it.  Of course, it would be naïve to romanticise the Hi...