The Charity Commission has published a report of its casework during the 2024 General Election, revealing a significant decline in serious concerns about a charity’s campaigning activity compared with previous elections.
The regulator praises the sector for its conduct during the UK General Election, with its Chair, Orlando Fraser KC, restating the sector’s right to campaign and reminding all that this right is enshrined in charity law.
The report found a rise in proactive efforts by charities to seek advice from the Commission and a 60% decline in high-risk cases compared to the 2019 election. It features illustrative case studies relating to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Big Help Out run by The Together Initiative, the Trussell Trust, Age Concern Wolverhampton and British Alevi Federation.
The law is clear about the right of charities to campaign provided it is in support of their purposes and that they take a neutral stance on party politics. This is something that the Commission has made clear in its published guidance which helps charities campaign within the law and continued to reiterate as the General Election approached.
The report reveals that out of more than 170,000 registered charities, the regulator opened just 34 new compliance cases to assess concerns and responded to 35 advice requests, between 22 May 2024 and 4 July 2024.
This figure relates specifically to activities around general election campaigns. Only 14 of these were high-risk cases, less than half the number seen during the 2019 election, which the regulator has said represents a positive and significant 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 proactive monitoring by the regulator.
The report carries reflections from the Charity Commission on how charities can speak up for causes they serve whilst engaging in debate lawfully in line with the regulator’s guidance on campaigning and political activity. It goes on to thank the sector for engaging with its guidance.
The regulator identified three key themes in its engagement with charities during this period:
charity leaders expressing support for a political party or candidates
Orlando Fraser KC, Chair of the Charity Commission, said: ““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 universe’s favourite novelty politician, Count Binface, is back on our planet, and just in the nick of time as he’s set to embark on a national tour this autumn to save us all from imminent disaster with his MEGA plans. (Make Earth Great Again!)
2024 is the biggest year ever for democracy, with elections all over the globe, and Binface has more than played his part. He recently ran in the London Mayoral Election and took on (former) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the General Election.
Hot off the back of the UK’s General Election, Binface will be invading a theatre near you with his brand new live comedy show, featuring his unique take on Britain, his special brand of sci-fi satire, and of course his unbeatable manifesto.
Cheaper croissants? Check. The nationalisation of Adele? Check. The return of Ceefax? Check. Water bosses to take a dip in UK rivers to see how they like it? CHECK!
Count Binface is the intergalactic space warrior and novelty politician who has delighted millions with his unlikely tilts at power in the United Kingdom.
First, he took on Theresa May in the 2017 General Election, cunningly disguised as ‘Lord Buckethead’, and went viral around the world (in a non-Covid way), appearing on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and at The Glastonbury Festival.
Then he challenged Boris Johnson in 2019, when he scored 69 votes (he’d love to say he’s the first life form to experience a surprising 69 with the Prime Minister in a sports hall during the small hours, but with Boris you just never know).
In 2021 he first ran to be Mayor of London in a bid to gain control of the Earth Capital itself. He received a glorious 92,896 votes from the great British public that sent him soaring into ninth place.
This year he won 24,260 votes and he got endorsed by a national newspaper and beat the fascists of Britain First.
The trade union movement will work with Keir Starmer to deliver change
What an extraordinary moment in British politics (writes TUC General Secretary PAUL NOWAK). Labour back in power with a near-record majority. The Conservatives brutally ejected from office. A dozen cabinet members gone. A red wave in Scotland at the SNP’s expense. But while it’s easy to get carried away by the seismic nature of this election – we cannot afford to be distracted. We have a country to fix.
When I congratulated Keir Starmer this morning my message to him was clear. The trade union movement stands ready to work with the new government to repair and rebuild Britain – and to deliver the change working people desperately need. After 14 years of wretched Tory rule and chaos, I am not blind to the size of the task this incoming government faces.
The Conservatives have left behind a trail of destruction for all to see. Stagnant growth and wages. Rising in-work poverty. Broken public services. The charge sheet goes on and on. But despite all of the damage wrought, I am optimistic. After nearly a decade and a half in opposition, Labour can finally begin transforming the country – an urgent and necessary challenge that must be grasped with both hands. So where should we start?
First and foremost, we need to get our economy growing again. Unions and business have been crying out for years for a proper industrial strategy. The Green Prosperity Plan starts us on the road to economic recovery. And it will be a breath of fresh air to work with ministers who are actually serious about protecting and creating good jobs, and boosting skills and productivity.
But securing growth alone is not enough – we also need better living standards. Labour needs to act urgently to make work pay. We currently have over four million people who are trapped in jobs that offer little or no financial security. This is a national disgrace.
The UK’s long experiment with a low-wage, low-rights economy has been terrible for productivity and workers alike. Labour’s New Deal for Working People – delivered in full – will help end the Tories’ race to the bottom on employment standards.
A race to the bottom that has allowed good employers to be undercut by the bad, and scandals like the illegal sacking of 800 seafarers at P&O Ferries go unpunished. Labour’s plans will be a genuine gamechanger. Employment rights from day one. A ban on zero-hours contracts. An end to fire and rehire. New rights for unions to access the workplace. And the scrapping of anti-union legislation.
These are all part of a comprehensive new package of rights that will be good for workers, good for businesses and good for the UK economy. Inevitably there will be some siren voices in the business community who will seek to delay and water down this legislation. But it is vital Labour stays the course and ignores the doomsayers.
All the tired arguments that have been made against improved rights and protections at work echo those used against the minimum wage – now widely acknowledged to be one of the great policy successes of the last 25 years.
The naysayers were wrong then and they are wrong now. It is also vital that immediate work begins on repairing our crumbling public realm. At the heart of the pressures on our schools, hospitals, prisons and social care system is a huge workforce crisis. Across the NHS and social care alone there are nearly 300,000 staffing vacancies and in education the number of teaching vacancies has more than doubled in the past three years.
With morale at rock bottom – after more than a decade of Tory vandalism and neglect – Labour has the chance to signal a new direction of travel. We’ve already seen really encouraging commitments on scrapping tax breaks for private schools to fund new teachers in the state sector, and on closing non-dom loopholes to help bring down waiting lists. It’s no secret though that I want the party to go further and that we explore all funding options for rebuilding our public services.
The TUC has previously called for a national conversation on taxing wealth and I remain convinced that policies like equalising Capital Gains Tax with the taxes paid on earnings could bring in much-needed revenues. People voted in this election because they wanted real change – and Reform’s populist insurgence is a timely warning of what happens when governments fail to act.
And this question of delivery is the crux of the matter. After 14 years of national decline the country has finally got the Labour government it desperately needs. I know how ambitious Keir Starmer and his team are to improve working people’s lives, and the trade union movement wants to work with them.
Of course there will be moments of tension. That comes with being a critical friend. Our job is to speak up for working people and our members and to make sure their voices are heard at the heart of government – even when the message is difficult.
But the prospect of national renewal is real. Decent jobs, strong public services, a brighter, fairer future for all our children. The work will be hard and it starts today – but together we can realise a better future.
‘My absolute priority in the role will be to deliver the change and renewal that Scotland needs‘
Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray said: “It is a real privilege to have been asked to serve in Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s first Cabinet as Secretary of State for Scotland. My absolute priority in the role will be to deliver the change and renewal that Scotland needs – to drive economic growth, create jobs and reduce poverty.
“As we rebuild our country, I look forward to Scotland standing foursquare with the other UK nations. I will make sure that the Scotland Office is a strong voice for Scotland within the UK Government.
“New funding will help tackle poverty in Scotland by creating jobs and unlocking opportunities across the country, especially in our most deprived communities.
“The Scotland Office will lead on promoting ‘Brand Scotland’ around the globe. Selling our world class produce, products and services to the world.
“I am also determined to reset the relationship between the UK and Scottish Governments. Focusing on co-operation and joint working will mean we can deliver better results for people in Scotland.”
Campaigning organisation 38 Degrees said: “This is a momentous election. It is a message from across the UK that people want change. But today is not progress – it is just the chance to deliver it. Labour have won big on a message of change. Now they have to make that change real.
Commenting on the result of the General Election, STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: “A new dawn has broken. It cannot be a false one.
“We congratulate Labour on its victory. The new Government can offer hope to workers after 14 years of Tory attacks on our communities, our people and our public services. Through cooperation with the Scottish Government, we can invest in jobs and services.
“The change that the new Prime Minister offered during the campaign must start now. This is day one of his Labour Government. We need decisive action to turn our back on the austerity-driven, public service-slashing, trade union-attacking ways of the Tory past.
“It’s time to rebuild. We will work with the Prime Minister to deliver a progressive Scotland that delivers for working people. He must now deliver for us.”
Responding to the result of the UK general election, David McNeil, SCVO Strategic Director of Development, said:“I would like to offer my congratulations to Keir Starmer on his appointment as Prime Minister.
“There is a pressing need for a more humane politics that puts people and communities first. The new government must move quickly to deliver just that.
“Everyday charities, community organisations and faith groups across Scotland deal with the consequences of decisions made at Westminster – on immigration, social security, employment law, the economy and more.
“Our sector holds a wealth of experience in addressing major societal issues. The knowledge we hold should be seen as an asset to policy and practice design from the outset. This is an opportunity that the new UK government must grasp with both hands.
“It is welcome that, over the weekend, the new Prime Minister and First Minister of Scotland met to commit to improving the relationship between the Scottish and UK Governments. It is our hope that this reset in relations will benefit voluntary organisations across Scotland, and the communities and people that they serve.”
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, Local Government Information Unit said: “As we witness a change of government, we should be proud of our democracy and grateful to the electoral administrators who make it all happen and to all the candidates, winners and losers, who put themselves up for election.
“We offer special congratulations to all the councillors and council leaders entering parliament.
“We know that local government stands ready to work with the new government and we offer a reminder that national success has local foundations. Labour has set out clear missions for government but these can only be achieved in partnership with local democratic institutions.
“We congratulate the new government and we urge it to set out a new relationship with councils across the country based on genuine collaboration and parity of esteem.”
The Fire Brigade Union said: “Finally, after 14 years of misery, the Tories are gone. Now the work begins to undo the destruction they caused and improve working people’s lives.“
COSLA’s President, Councillor Shona Morrison, has written to the new Prime Minister, Sir Kier Starmer and the Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray, following the announcement of the results of the UK 2024 General Election.
Councillor Morrison said: “Firstly, I would like to extend my congratulations to the new Prime Minister, Sir Kier Starmer. Today I have written to the new Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Scotland outlining some of the key issues faced by our local government members and the communities they represent.
“We will welcome opportunities to work closely with the UK Government and Scottish Government as partners to improve the wellbeing of people in our communities, continue on the vitally important journey towards a just transition to net zero, and ensure that those in our communities facing the most difficult challenges are fully supported by their local services.
“Our membership, Scotland’s 32 Councils, are the closest sphere of government to people in our communities, and deliver essential services for those communities every day.
“The incoming Government must listen to local government, take into account of our concerns and expertise, and work in partnership with us to ensure there is fair funding and empowerment to make the most effective decisions for the people we are elected to represent.”
Rishi Sunak gave his final speech as Prime Minister on the steps of Downing Street
Good morning, I will shortly be seeing His Majesty the King to offer my resignation as Prime Minister.
To the country, I would like to say, first and foremost, I am sorry.
I have given this job my all. But you have sent a clear signal that the government of the United Kingdom must change …and yours is the only judgement that matters.
I have heard your anger, your disappointment; and I take responsibility for this loss.
To all the Conservative candidates and campaigners who worked tirelessly but without success …I am sorry that we could not deliver what your efforts deserved.
It pains me to think how many good colleagues…who contributed so much to their communities and our country…will now no longer sit in the House of Commons.
I thank them for their hard work, and their service.
Following this result, I will step down as party leader… not immediately, but once the formal arrangements for selecting my successor are in place.
It is important that after 14 years in government the Conservative Party rebuilds…but also that it takes up its crucial role in Opposition professionally and effectively.
When I first stood here as your Prime Minister, I told you the most important task I had was to return stability to our economy.
Inflation is back to target, mortgage rates are falling, and growth has returned. We have enhanced our standing in the world, rebuilding relations with allies… leading global efforts to support Ukraine… and becoming the home of the new generation of transformative technologies.
And our United Kingdom is stronger too: with the Windsor Framework, devolution restored in Northern Ireland, and our Union strengthened.
I’m proud of those achievements.
I believe this country is safer, stronger, and more secure than it was 20 months ago.
And it is more prosperous, fairer, and resilient than it was in 2010.
Whilst he has been my political opponent, Sir Keir Starmer will shortly become our Prime Minister. In this job, his successes will be all our successes, and I wish him and his family well.
Whatever our disagreements in this campaign, he is a decent, public-spirited man, who I respect.
He and his family deserve the very best of our understanding, as they make the huge transition to their new lives behind this door …and as he grapples with this most demanding of jobs in an increasingly unstable world.
I would like to thank my colleagues, my Cabinet, the Civil Service – especially here in Downing Street…the team at Chequers, my staff, CCHQ…but most of all I would like to express my gratitude to my wife Akshata and our beautiful daughters.
I can never thank them enough for the sacrifices they have made so that I might serve our country.
One of the most remarkable things about Britain is just how unremarkable it is that two generations after my grandparents came here with little, I could become Prime Minister…and that I could watch my two young daughters light Diwali candles on the steps in Downing Street.
We must hold true to that idea of who we are… that vision of kindness, decency, and tolerance that has always been the British way.
This is a difficult day, at the end of a number of difficult days. But I leave this job honoured to have been your Prime Minister.
This is the best country in the world and that is thanks entirely to you, the British people … the true source of all our achievements, our strengths, and our greatness.
On 19 March of this year, the Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered the 36th Mais Lecture at Bayes Business School in London (writes Fraser of Allander Institute’s João Sousa).
This was an opportunity for Labour to set out their stall on economic policy, and Rachel Reeves used it as a chance to outline her proposed fiscal rules.
In doing so, she said: “[O]ur fiscal rules differ from the government’s. Their borrowing rule, which targets the overall deficit rather than the current deficit, creates a clear incentive to cut investment that will have long-run benefits for short-term gains.
“I reject that approach, and that is why our borrowing rule targets day-to-day spending. We will prioritise investment within a framework that would get debt falling as a share of GDP over the medium term.”
The borrowing rule currently in place that Rachel Reeves refers to is the supplementary target, which is defined in the Charter for Budget Responsibility, and which says that public sector net borrowing (PSNB) must be below 3% of GDP in the final year of the forecast period that the OBR projects. This is five years into the future, and so the current end is 2028-29 – but whenever the next forecast is, it will roll over to 2029-30.
Labour’s proposal means that will no longer use this rule and will instead make sure that it keeps the current budget in surplus in 2029-30, while maintaining the fiscal mandate – the rule that debt should be falling as a share of GDP in the final year of the forecast. This seems like it would be a clear dividing line in terms of macroeconomic policy.
The current forecasts for net borrowing and the current budget
The current budget deficit is simply defined as net borrowing excluding net investment. So in a formal sense, Rachel Reeves is right – her proposed rule does not formally limit investment. Though neither does the current one: it is perfectly possible for the government to meet the 3% borrowing rule with more or less investment.
Net borrowing is forecast by the OBR to be below 3% in every year of the forecast, and falling in every year. By 2028-29 – the year in which the rule was assessed in March – net borrowing was forecast to be 1.2%, and a full £43 billion lower than it would have had to be for the 3% threshold to be breached.
Chart 1: PSNB forecast and comparison with the borrowing rule
Source: OBR, FAI analysis
This ‘headroom’ appears very large in recent memory, and larger than the headroom any Chancellor left themselves since George Osborne in the 2014 Autumn Statement, and if that were the only constraint, it would mean there was significant room to increase spending borrowing without breaching that rule.
This ‘headroom’ against the 3% borrowing rule is also substantially larger than the one against Rachel Reeves’ favoured rule. But note that the current budget is already forecast to be in surplus by 2028-29 to the tune of £14 billion. This means that the current Government’s plans already meet Rachel Reeves’ rule, and this is likely to remain the case whatever happens. It’s not a particularly demanding rule to meet, mind: the UK ran a current budget surplus in 2018-19 and very small deficits in many other years of the 21st century.
Chart 2: Current budget deficit and comparison with the Labour-proposed current budget rule
Source: OBR, FAI analysis
In fact, on their own, meeting the two is pretty manageable. If these were the only rules, the Government could borrow an additional £30 billion a year for capital spending and still meet both rules – with a historically low cushion, but not dissimilar to Jeremy Hunt’s in the last few events.
The difficulty is in getting debt falling
The reason why the Government is constrained much more than it would appear in the first place is that debt is barely on a falling path in the final year of the forecast. The underlying debt stock only has to rise by just under £9 billion for it to no longer fall – which is a minuscule difference, and also a historically very low level of cushion against economic shocks and forecast uncertainty.
As the chart below illustrates, it’s the debt rule rule that bites in any of the scenarios with additional capital investment – and therefore that is the real constraint on how much additional investment comes from this rule, not the current 3% rule or a hypothetical current budget rule. Changing from the borrowing rule to the ‘borrow-to-invest’ rule does nothing to change the fiscal space available to the Government so long as it remains committed to getting debt on a falling path by the end of the forecast.
Chart 3: Headroom against current and proposed fiscal rules in the OBR’s central forecast and for different scenarios of additional capital spending
Source: OBR, FAI analysis
Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time we saw a government play about with the timing and profile of capital spending to ensure that it increases earlier in the forecast, making it easier for indicators to be hit at the end. And it’s certainly something that we will be keeping an eye out for – not least because that’s the sort of tricks that seem to work in the short run, but actually are incredibly detrimental to the stability that Rachel Reeves claims she wants to instil.
Reading between the lines – could Labour be trying to wrest some fiscal room for manoeuvre?
It’s worth circling back to Rachel Reeves’ statement about the fiscal rules, both in what it says and what it doesn’t say.
It’s obvious what the current budget rule will be, which is for it to be in surplus. It’s less immediately clear that the debt metric used will be PSND ex BoE – the current metric chosen by Jeremy Hunt.
The choice of PSND ex BoE – or ‘underlying’ debt, as it’s often called by the Treasury – means that it creates an artificial barrier within the public sector in the National Accounts. For a large part of the 2010s, during expansions in quantitative easing, this benefitted the Treasury – it was much easier to get ‘underlying’ debt down by excluding the effects of the Bank’s policy.
Chart 4: PSND and PSND ex BoE as a share of GDP
Source: ONS
But that is no longer the case. With higher interest rate losses accumulating with quantitative tightening and the Treasury indemnifying the Bank for those losses through capital transfers, ‘underlying’ debt is now rising much faster than PSND.
PSND looks through these artificial intra-public sector boundaries, ignoring whether the Bank or the Treasury holds these liabilities – both are ultimately arms of the government, and therefore what matters is whether they reside in the public or private sector.
The situation regarding headroom against getting PSND falling as a share of GDP in the final year of the forecast is much healthier. As the chart below shows, an additional £20 billion in capital spending per year would see the PSND/GDP being met with roughly the same headroom that the ‘underlying’ debt rule is met currently.
Chart 5: Headroom against current/proposed fiscal rules and PSND falling in the OBR’s central forecast and for different scenarios of additional capital spending
Source: OBR, FAI analysis
Was Rachel Reeves leaving herself some room for this by not mentioned underlying debt anywhere in the Mais Lecture?
Yes, it’s a slightly different metric, but one that arguably is a better indicator of the state of the public finances – and a Chancellor would have no better time to institute this than at the start of a new Parliament with a change in the political weather.
The UK Parliamentary General Election results for Edinburgh’s five constituencies were announced at the Royal Highland Centre this morning (Friday 5 July).
The Members of Parliament for each constituency are:
Edinburgh East & Musselburgh: Chris Murray, Scottish Labour Party (majority 3,715) – LAB GAIN
Outgoing MP Tommy Sheppard said: “Thank you to everyone who supported me at this election and I’d like to congratulate Chris Murray and wish him well.
“It’s been the privilege of my life to represent East Edinburgh and I will continue to play a part in building a future as an independent Scotland.
Edinburgh North & Leith: Tracy Gilbert, Scottish Labour Party (majority 7,268) – LAB GAIN
Outgoing MP Deirdre Brock said: “Thank you to everyone who supported me and all the wonderful people I met over the last nine years representing the best constituency in the country.
The results were announced by the Returning Officer for Edinburgh, Paul Lawrence, who said: ’d like to sincerely thank our fantastic colleagues in the Elections team and across the Council for their hard work, dedication, and diligence in what has been a challenging election to deliver under tight timescales.
“This is truly public service at its very best and one of the most important duties that we’re bound to carry out. I’d also like to thank Police Scotland, the candidates, agents, and media for working alongside us to conduct proceedings properly and efficiently.
“Our new MPs have my best wishes and I’m sure they will all be great representatives of our city and its people.
“Finally, I’d like to thank our residents for making their voices heard and taking the time to cast their votes.”
In what was a historic night for Labour, Scottish leader Anas Sarwar said:
In a dreadful night for nationalists, Edinburgh finds itself with NO SNP MPs. Deirdre Brock, Joanna Cherry and Tommy Sheppard all lost their seats in the Labour landslide.
The party lost FORTY seats across the country – including all of their seats in Edinburgh and Glasgow -and has been reduced to just nine seats across Scotland.
SNP leader John Swinney acknowledged: “I am sorry for the valued colleagues who have lost their seats. We need to learn from this setback, listen to the public and pick ourselves back up.
“We have to do that because we want to do the best for Scotland.”
The sentiment was echoed by local SNP North and Leith MSP Ben Macpherson, who said on X (Twitter): “A difficult night for @theSNP. I’m particularly sad for my two excellent local colleagues @DeidreBrock & @TommySheppard, & their brilliant teams.
“Thank you to them & all of our great @snpenl activists.
“We will learn, reflect & respond. For me the work continues later. #Persevere.”
The SNP has just two years until the next Scottish Parliament elections.
AN exit poll by IPSOS for BBC/ITV News/Sky News is predicting a Labour landslide.
Labour has enjoyed an average twenty percentage point for a long, long, time and it seems the widely predicted Tory party collapse has indeed come to pass.
Simply put, the country is pig sick of the Tories, and they have voted accordingly.
The Exit Poll predicts:
LABOUR 410
Conservative 131
Lib Dems 61
Reform Party 13
SNP 10
Plaid Cymru 4
Green 2
Others 19
Early indications are that it’s looking like a bruising night for the SNP who are facing a raft of losses, but a brighter one for the Lib Dems – it seems Ed Davey’s jolly japes during an otherwise dull general election campaign have paid dividends.
IT’s worth repeating that this is only a poll, and that no results have yet been declared.
Even at this stage though, with the Tories facing slaughter, you wonder how many potential Conservative leadership contenders will lose their seats tonight – and who will be left to replace Rishi Sunak who will surely resign before the weekend is out.
