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Tuesday 30 May 2017

Charity industry whines at lobbying restrictions

As the Grauniad reports, there is a huge whine coming from the professional charity industry. A 2014 Act that requires them to be politically neutral during elections in return for tax breaks and other privileges is preventing them from using their people and funds to campaign for Corbyn, they say. Or rather say in effect. They pretend they want to point out the flaws in Conservative policy (without commenting on Corbyn's manifesto, you understand) but we all know for whose benefit many of our charities are run - their executives.  

Even excluding the fake charities - lobby groups funded by the EU, government departments, local authorities or global corporates to the extent that less than half their income is from public donations or legacies - much of the rest of the charitable industry sector has taken on the mantle of big business with Common Purpose staffers. 

It is instructive that Labour has promised to remove the political campaigning restrictions if it gains power. What's actually needed is a huge shake-up of the whole corrupt weaselly scam, a clear-out of the crooked misappropriation of donations in inflated salaries and luxury perks for charity bosses, a mass cull of fake charities, a Charity Commission with real teeth and protections for the public - in knowing that if they give money, at least 85% of it will go to the beneficiaries, in knowing that the charity's workers are working for the recipients of aid not the Labour Party and knowing that a charity is not 'owned' by a corporate lobbyist.  

18 comments:

DeeDee99 said...

Charities should be required to remain politically neutral at all times.

It's Gordon Brown's disgraceful politicisation of the charity sector, leading them to becoming another branch of the Labour Party, which has done so much to discredit them.

Anonymous said...

If a charity is not voluntarily supported by the public, demonstrated by substantial donations, they should not receive a penny of public money from the government.

Scrobs. said...

Surely, Dee Dee, you're not saying David Miliband has anything to do with taking half a mill every year, just because he was part of Brown's cabal...

Yeah, you're probably right!

John Brown said...

It should be made law that any broadcaster, such as the BBC, who quotes data from charities, NGOs, quangos, “independent" think tanks, “pressure groups” etc etc., as it does almost daily, must always give notice at the same time from where the organisation receives its funding.

For instance, I was surprised to see that the largest funder by far for the “independent” (?) think tank RUSI (Royal United Services Institute - registered charity #210639) was the EU.

Anonymous said...

It's of no surprise that videos of John McDonnell - would-be Treasurer if Labour got in (God help us) - have presented him whipping up a revolution using public services, charities, and NGOs.

He actually states that "Democracy isn't working"

Scratch the surface of a socialist, and you will nearly always find a fascist.

Poisonedchalice said...

There used to be a good website called www.fakecharities.org but it is now defunct. Maybe it should be resurrected and used frequently on twitter and Facebook? The definition of fake was receiving money from government whilst at the same time being able to lobby that government for its own aims.

Dave_G said...


I do my own weeding - I give to NONE. I do my own charitable work in and for my local community.

The public should be accorded the right to demand Government stops paying ALL charities - including overseas aid (itself supposedly 'charitable') - unless and until they meet the basic minimum requirement of the definition.

Pat said...

It would be simplest, and therefore most effective, to simply end charitable status entirely. Why should my donation to (say) the cats home be subsidised by those who don't like cats? And end all Government giving. I see no reason why politicians should assume a mantle of generosity for giving other people's money away.

Budgie said...

I also will not give to the mainstream, or any unknown, charities. I do give a small amount to 3 charities that I'm reasonably confident about. However one of them has "re-branded" in the last few years, going from a Christian-based charity to some nondescript corporate brand, so gets less from me.

If we are anti-statists we should not be calling on the government to do something. We can do it ourselves. We can bring down the BBC if we want; and if we don't, it is because we don't want to. Likewise with fakecharities.

Anonymous said...

Corporatism has many branches and the roots that feed them have spread out over society. The consequences are we've gone from demos to dhimmis in less then fifty years. Walk into any museum and see what they've done. Join an organization like the National Trust and see what they've done. Unless you're one of them you've been had.

"If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever." - George Orwell

Steve

Tom Oliva said...

The Postcode Lottery

charity business

From one of their PR puffs n a local rag - pisstaking imho

"A minimum of 30 per cent of ticket sales goes directly to charities and players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised more than £197million to date for good causes across the UK and internationally"

By definition that means that ca. 70% (£450 million) is trousered by ???

Sounds a pretty profitable gig.....


One of Greenpeace's biggest funders

mikebravo said...

If this was going on in another country it would be called corruption. We would be rolling our eyes and tut tutting at the way they behave over there.

It is corruption over here too. The whole lot of "them" are in it together. One hand washing the other whilst trousering money stolen from the productive sector.

So called charities being shovelled cash to tell the so called government what it wants to hear in order to receive the next bung from the slush fund.

Anybody who looks at it can see it. The only reason it goes on is because that is where the unproductive and useless parasite, rent seeker set get their dosh. If they couldn't have free handouts they would have to do real productive work. Can anybody name the last cabinet level minister who had a real day job that they gave up to do politics?

Anonymous said...

I'm surprised that the Tories had the bottle to pass such legislation. It's a start.

Anonymous said...

Bonfire of fake charities, bonfire of Quangos. Way to go!

James Higham said...

So widespread, isn't it? Not unlike the pod people.

Anonymous said...

Sockpuppetry, where government lobbies government, it's only right that the public pays to be propagandized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At the moment for some unknown reason, I'm listening to local [BBC] radio, it's just a party political broadcast on behalf of the scum party and Brussels. And soon, before long they always ad infinitum/nauseum.. mention St. Jo again..............guess wwwwwhaaaat!!!!!!!!!!!!!! her virtue signalling liberal bleedin hearts campaigner husband was - a charidee chugger!

The sky's the limit! wanna gold plated pension, wanna £ 6 figure spendas! Go bent, get a 4x4, get on the public peculator revolving doors scam, become a #charidee organizer! Have your brain removed and any moral strand - too.

No to cultural Marxism spread by UK taxpayers money; NO governmentally organized charity, no taxpayers monies being sent off to these egregious wastrels, and with FA ethics either.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
" I'm surprised that the Tories had the bottle to pass such legislation."

Too many MPs (of all parties) with an eye on a cushy charity gig once the electorate give them the boot.

Don't want to look bad - imagine the sobs stories!

Plus politicians often find charities useful when they call for otherwise unpopular legislation that the pols want to impose - hence giving the false impression of public demand.

John M said...

Like the "Tony Blair Foundation", eh?