Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

  • Proposed measures will automatically disqualify individuals convicted of hate crimes from serving as charity trustees or senior managers.
  • Consultation will seek views from charities, trustees, sector bodies and the public on how the new safeguards should work.
The government has today launched a public consultation on proposals to strengthen the Charity Commission for England and Wales’ powers to tackle extremist abuse of charities by disqualifying trustees and senior managers who pose serious risk.

Under the proposals, people convicted of specified hate-related offences would be automatically disqualified from acting as a charity trustee or senior manager, extending existing rules that already apply to those convicted of terrorism and other serious offences.

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The proposals would also give the Charity Commission new discretionary powers to disqualify individuals where there is evidence that they have promoted violence or racial or religious hatred.The measures have been developed jointly with the Charity Commission, drawing on its casework experience of where current rules fall short.

The consultation will seek views on how the powers should operate in practice, including how they can protect charities while safeguarding legitimate debate, campaigning and freedom of expression.

Civil Society Minister Vicky Foxcroft said:

Charities do incredible work in every community across the country, supported and trusted by the public. The vast majority are well run and make an enormous contribution to society.
But where people seek to use charities as a platform to promote hatred or violence, we need to make sure the Charity Commission has the powers it needs to act.
Our proposals would strengthen the safeguards around charities while protecting legitimate debate and campaigning. We want to hear from charities, trustees and the wider public on our plans so that we get them right in practice.

David Holdsworth, CEO of the Charity Commission, said:

Lawful freedom of speech is fundamental to any democracy and robust debate, differences of opinion, and oppositional world views have always been features of our vibrant charity sector – and always will be. However, there is no place in the charity sector for the promotion of violence or racial or religious hatred, and our powers must keep pace with the changing threats in this area. We have worked closely with the government to develop proposals that will help us protect charities against those who would misuse them to spread hate and we encourage people to take part in the consultation and have their say about these.

The consultation is part of the government’s wider commitment, set out in the Protecting What Matters action plan, to strengthen protections against extremism across society. The government wants to hear from charities, trustees, sector bodies and the public to ensure these powers are effective, fair and fit for purpose.

The government is also continuing to work with the Charity Commission on what further powers may be needed in future, recognising that this consultation is one part of a longer-term programme of work.

The consultation will run for 10 weeks, closing on 22 December 2026. Charities, trustees, sector bodies and members of the public are encouraged to respond.

ENDS

  • The consultation can be accessed at here. Responses can also be submitted by email to charitylaw@dcms.gov.uk.
  • The government will publish a summary of consultation responses and its response following the close of the consultation.
  • Since October 2023, the Charity Commission has opened more than 400 cases examining potential wrongdoing in charities in the context of the escalation of conflict in the Middle East and made more than 80 referrals to the police where it considered that a criminal offence might have been committed.