News on the Lobbying Act

One of the more controversial pieces of recent government legislation has been the “Lobbying Act” (The Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act) that has now received Royal Assent.  Much has been written about how it will affect charities, faith groups and others’ ability to speak out on issues of importance in the run up to an election.  This affects local issues and organisations as well as national organisations so we all need to understand the implications. The Civil Society Commission has a useful briefing on the Act. The Electoral Commission is urging campaigners to sign up for its updates. It has already issued its first "update for non-party campaigners", which contains a summary of its role, a summary of the changes to the rules, and where to find more information.  The Charity Commission guidance is a useful overview but be aware that it does not seemto have been updated in the light of the new act.