Civil Society Minister Vicky Foxcroft has opened a consultation on stronger Charity Commission powers to prevent charities being used to promote hatred or violence.
People convicted of specified hate-related offences would be automatically disqualified from serving as charity trustees or senior managers. Existing automatic-disqualification rules already cover terrorism and other serious offences.
The Charity Commission would also gain a discretionary power to disqualify people where evidence shows that they have promoted violence or racial or religious hatred.
The Government says the safeguards must be designed to protect legitimate debate, campaigning and freedom of expression. The commission helped develop the proposals using cases in which it considers its present powers insufficient.
Since October 2023, the regulator has opened more than 400 cases examining possible wrongdoing by charities in the context of the Middle East conflict and made more than 80 police referrals where it believed a criminal offence may have occurred.
The consultation closes on 23 December. Ministers will publish a response after considering submissions, meaning the proposed powers are not yet law.
