Download - 2015 Election
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s AM2: 2015 election
Charlotte Ravenscroft, Head of Policy and Research, NCVO
Elizabeth Chamberlain, Policy Manager, NCVO
Agenda
Introduction & context
Shaping the future for your organisations: Campaigning within the law & the Lobbying ActYour questions
Shaping the future for the voluntary sector:NCVO manifestoHow you can help
Looking ahead to 7 May 2015…
Source: Daily Mail
Source: UK Polling Report
Predictions (1)
It’s the economy, stupid!
and Europe
Source: ONS/BBC
A final forecast… public spending
Change in central and local government spending from 2010/11 (£ billions)
Excludes: social security; interest payments; capital spending
Source data: OBR
Your campaigning priorities and concerns• What are your organisation’s campaigning
priorities for the election?
• What concerns (if any) do you have about campaigning in advance of the election?
Shaping the Future 2015:Campaigning within the law and the Lobbying Act
Elizabeth Chamberlain – Policy Manager
Charity Law
Charity Commission Speaking Out: Guidance on Campaigning and Political Activities by Charities (CC9)
The guidance – key principles
Charities must always act for the advancement of their charitable purposesCharities must guard their independence and reputationA charity cannot exist for a political purposeCampaigning and political activity can be legitimate and valuable activities for charities to undertakeCampaigning and political activity must be undertaken only in the context of supporting the delivery of the charitable purposes
The guidance – political engagement
A charity must never be party politicalA charity must not give support or funding to a political party, nor to a candidate or politicianA charity may give its support to specific policies advocated by political parties if it would help achieve its charitable purposes
Charities and Elections
Supplementary Guidance on Elections and ReferendumsGuiding principle: charities should be, and be seen to be, independent from party politicsImplications for:• policy positions• publicity material• engagement with candidates
Electoral Law
Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014
Non-Party Campaigning
What activity is included?Definition of controlled expenditure• “expenditure that can reasonably regarded as
intended to promote or procure electoral success”• it is immaterial that it can reasonably be regarded
as intended to achieve any other purpose as well
Electoral Commission:• purpose test• publicity test
Key changes
• Longer list of qualifying expenses• Higher registration thresholds• Lower national spending limits• New constituency spending limits• New reporting requirements• Option for organisations ‘working to a joint
plan’
Regulated activities
• Election material• Public events and rallies• Press conference and other media events• Canvassing and market research seeking
views or information from the public • Transport to obtain publicity
Regulated period
365 days, ending on the day of the election
For 2015 General Election:19 September 2014 – 7 May 2015
Review of the law after 2015 General Election
What happens after registration?
Record and report spending (including spending by constituency)Check the permissibility of donations received above a certain amount that go towards regulated activitiesSubmit a spending return or statement of accounts covering the regulated period once the General Election has ended
Find out more
NCVO FAQs: http://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2014/03/12/faqs-on-the-lobbying-act/
Electoral Commission guidance comes out July 2014
Electoral Commission updates in the meantimehttp://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/party-or-campaigner/non-party-campaigners
Time for your questions
Shaping the Future 2015:NCVO election manifesto
Charlotte Ravenscroft – Head of Policy & Research
Launched May 2014
How to strengthen the economy and help people find work
How to strengthen the economy and help people find work
How to maximise the voluntary sector’s contribution:
• Prioritise preventative spending
• Welfare to work programmes should be better designed to help people with complex needs
• Organisations delivering public service contracts should be able to pay the living wage
How to transform public services
How to transform public services
How to maximise the voluntary sector’s contribution:
• Review the state of public service markets
• Extend the Commissioning Academy for procurement professionals
• Create a Centre for Social Value
How to help communities and volunteering flourish
How to help communities and volunteering flourish
How to maximise the voluntary sector’s contribution:
• Support growth of the volunteer movement
• Create a new Access to Volunteering Fund
• Support local philanthropy – by matchfunding donations from businesses and individuals
• Make the Small Donations Scheme more accessible to small charities
• Improve access of frontline organisations to social investment
How you can help
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful and committed citizens can change the world.
• Invite your parliamentary candidates to visit your charity
• Give your parliamentary candidates a copy of NCVO’s manifesto
• Write a guest blog for our website• Email or tweet us to show your support
Thank you for joining us today!
Contact details:
[email protected] 520 2559@ncvoliz
[email protected] 520 2475@charravenscroft
PS – follow our 5-minute policy manager blog for monthly policy updates
Evolve 2014