The chairman of the Charity Commission has warned he will not allow the watchdog’s role to be “weaponised” by anyone in what he described as society’s “culture wars.”
Mr. Fraser said on Monday that charities were usually unifying factors, but he said “they can be caught up in fierce public battles for the soul of our nation.”
He said: “These debates help to highlight the crucial work of charities. But there are risks involved, when charities find themselves at the biting edge of what we have come to know as the culture wars.”
“I will not allow the commission to be misused or weaponised by any army involved in fighting these wars. Whether it be led by powerful interests in politics, the media, or indeed the sector itself,” he added.
Mr. Fraser said, “We live in a more and more atomised society, with fewer universally shared values and norms than in past decades, and certainly less trust in institutions.”
His warning came after the Campaign Against Antisemitism and eight other bodies called for an “urgent investigation” into allegations some charities were hosting speakers who were espousing “anti-Semitism of the most extreme kind” and “glorification of terrorism,” following the attack by Hamas terrorists on Israel on Oct. 7.
‘We Will Deal Robustly With Intentional Wrongdoers’
Mr. Fraser said: “We must support trustees to run their charities well, mindful that the best laid plans can go awry, working with charities to make good mistakes where they happen. But, where necessary and appropriate, we will deal robustly with intentional wrongdoers, whose actions risk harming not just one charity, but the trust the public has for charities overall.”He said: “Charities can bring us together powerfully. We saw that during the pandemic, we’ve seen it in response to the war in Ukraine. Charities have huge unifying potential.”
Having set out the commission’s independence and his refusal to be drawn into the so-called culture wars, he said, “We will march consistently, and confidently, to the beat of another drum, namely the law.”
“Without doubt, we will find ourselves in contested territory. Divisive and contentious issues will arise, that is the nature of our work, and inherent in the role charities play in our society. But where we face such challenges, we will tackle them in a way the seeks to promote respect, tolerance, and kindness,” he assured his audience.
The Charity Commission dates back to 1853 and is one of the oldest regulators in the world in continuous operation.
Mr. Fraser said, “We owe that longevity, first and foremost, to the enduring and indeed growing role of charities in our national life.”
The review found Prevent was “not doing enough to counter non-violent Islamist extremism” and had “a double standard when dealing with the extreme right-wing and Islamism.”
