The House of Lords Library has published a research briefing outlining the rules governing the ability of charities to engage in political activity and to campaign in relation to elections.

Charities are able to undertake campaigning and political activity under certain restrictions, namely as long as it is in the context of supporting the delivery of its charitable purposes, and if there is a reasonable likelihood of its being effective. However, they must not give support to any one political party.

This briefing was written in preparation for a debate in the House of Lords on 8 September 2016 on the role that charities, trade unions and civil society groupings play in a democracy, and the case for regulating lobbying activities.