The Rt Hon Lord Wallace of Saltaire
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
Dear Lord Wallace,
As the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill enters
the House of Lords this week we are one step closer to this damaging law becoming a reality.
Our legal advice is that this Bill would have a chilling effect on the ability of charities and other
groups to speak out about issues on which we take a stand. Its provisions could have prevented
historic campaigns -such as those to ban land mines, remove lead from petrol and to give women
the right to equal pay - from taking place at all.
We are pleased that, by amending the Bill, the Government has acknowledged that we have
legitimate concerns about this legislation. But the changes do not go far enough to deliver Ministers’
stated intention of protecting charities’ existing campaigning work. Nor do they offer relief to other
groups that contribute to vibrant democratic debate in this country which face being silenced.
In particular we worry that there is no consistent opinion that can be gleaned from this legislation on
what constitutes electoral activity; and that the significant widening of the scope of activities that
must be considered (along with much reduced spending thresholds) is disproportionate.
We represent opinion from across the charity and voluntary sector, and from think tanks, pressure
groups and blogs. There is a lot on which we may not see eye to eye, but we are united in concern
over this Bill which could do so much to undermine democratic participation in this country.
These measures in the Bill were drafted in haste with no consultation. It has had a rocky ride
through the Commons, and you and your fellow Peers will no doubt be debating tough questions in
the House of Lords. We urge you to stop, to listen, and to work with us to find a solution that will
protect both the integrity of elections and the vibrancy and diversity of our democracy.
Yours Sincerely,
Matthew Sinclair, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance
Matthew Elliott, Chief Executive of Business for Britain
Mark Ferguson, Editor, Labour List
Mark Goldring, Chief Executive, Oxfam GB
Sir Barney White-Spunner, Executive Chairman, Countryside Alliance
Andy Atkins, Executive Director, Friends of the Earth England Wales and Northern Ireland
Stephen Joseph, Chief Executive, Campaign for Better Transport
Kate Allen, Director, Amnesty International UK
Kathy Evans, Chief Executive, Children England
Titus Alexander, Convener, Democracy Matters
Fiona Weir, Chief Executive, Gingerbread
Richard Miller, Director, ActionAid
Nick Lowles, Co-ordinator, Hope Not Hate
Ben Jackson, Chief Executive, Bond
Sir Stephen Bubb, CEO, ACEVO
Alexandra Runswick, Director, Unlock Democracy
Linda Butcher, Chief Executive, Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK)
Keith Porteous Wood, Executive Director, National Secular Society
David Emerson, Chief Executive, Association of Charitable Foundations
Sue Holden, CEO, Woodland Trust
Sara Llewellin, CEO Barrow Cadbury Trust
Neil Jameson, Executive Director and Lead Organiser LONDON CITIZENS
Katie Ghose, Chief Executive, Electoral Reform Society
Sarah Javaid, Executive Director, MADE In Europe
Jana Osborne, General Secretary, Women’s Institute
Robbie Marsland, Director, International Fund for Animal Welfare
Colin Hart, Director, The Christian Institute
Leslie Morphy OBE, Chief Executive, Crisis
Tom Ballantine, Chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland.
Louise Hazan, Campaigns Manager, People & Planet.
Peter Tatchell, Director, Peter Tatchell Foundation
Matthew Frost, CEO, Tearfund
Dr Mike Clarke, Chief Executive, RSPB
Loretta Minghella, Chief Executive, Christian Aid
David Babbs, Executive Director, 38 Degrees
Richard Hawkes, Chief Executive, SCOPE
Chris Bain, Director, CAFOD
Paul Goodman, Editor of ConservativeHome
Thomas Hughes, Executive Director, ARTICLE 19
Adrian Lovett, Europe Executive Director, ONE
Lottie Dexter, Director, Million Jobs Campaign
Emma Carr, Deputy Director, Big Brother Watch