Will this legislation affect our WI campaigns?

Here is a communication from Nicky Venning, the chair of our SCFWI Public Affairs and International committee:

I wrote to you several weeks ago to tell you about the WI’s concerns about the proposed ‘ Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill 2013-2014’ currently going through the House of Lords. This is the bill that has been colloquially termed the Lobbying Bill or the Gagging Act.

Many charities, including the NFWI, have contacted MP’s and Lords with their very serious concerns about the effects the bill, if passed, would have on the work they do.

I am pleased to let you know that as a result of the strength of feeling from Charities, the House of Lords has delayed the progress of the bill for six weeks until December 16th  to ‘allow for further consideration’.

It would be helpful to the WI if you could make your views on this proposed Bill known to either your MP or to a member of the House of Lords as it is important that as many MP’s as possible are aware that charities do not want the legislation to be passed, until it has been redrafted to ensure those charities involved in genuine lobbying; the WI, British Legion, Oxfam etc, will be unaffected.

There was a good article on this in The Independent, last Friday. Here is the link.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tories-put-lobbying-bill-on-hold-over-fears-of-embarrassing-defeat-in-house-of-lords-8923325.html
The following is a longer paper on the proposed legislation, which may be interesting if you have come late to this controversy.

http://civilsocietycommission.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/civil-society-commission-report-WEB.pdfI apologise if this e-mail address is incorrect, or if this e-mail has come to you in error, please disregard the content if you feel this is the case. 

Nicky Venning
Chair, Public Affairs and International
SCFWInicfa@dircon.co.uk
01749 677394