NCVO published a document on Tuesday 11 March, setting out a list of Frequently Asked Questions for charities and the restrictions put in place by the Lobbying Act. The topics cover primarily where and when the new rules apply, which charities need to register and what activities are regulated.
The FAQs document is not yet an exhaustive list, as the Electoral Commission is currently in the process of producing its new guidance for non-party campaigners. It is expected to be published at the beginning of July.
The document aggregates the “many Parliamentary briefings”, produced by NCVO while the Act was being debated, and “the meetings with the Electoral Commission and conversations with Ministers that [they] have had over the past six months”.
Elizabeth Chamberlain, Policy Manager at NCVO and author of the document, said: “These are just some of the questions we have been hearing from organisations concerned about the impact that the new rules will have on their campaigning activities. I expect that there will be many more to follow. That is why it is so important to provide as much clarity and information as possible before the start of the regulated period. The Electoral Commission has a difficult task ahead, and its guidance will be essential. In the meantime, we are doing as much as possible to help organisations understand what the Lobbying Act means and how it might affect them.”
Issues raised in the briefing cover the scope of the new rules, what constituency limits mean, what sanctions are involved for organisations not abiding to the new rules and many more. The document can be found online.