The government has today, 14 October 2026, launched a public consultation on proposals aimed at strengthening the Charity Commission for England and Wales' powers to address extremist abuse within charities. The proposed measures include automatically disqualifying individuals convicted of specified hate-related offences from acting as charity trustees or senior managers.
These new rules would extend existing disqualification criteria, which currently apply to those convicted of terrorism and other serious offences. Additionally, the proposals would grant the Charity Commission new discretionary powers to disqualify individuals if there is evidence they have promoted violence or racial or religious hatred.
Civil Society Minister Vicky Foxcroft stated that the proposals aim to ensure the Charity Commission has the necessary powers to act when people seek to use charities to promote hatred or violence, while also safeguarding legitimate debate and campaigning. David Holdsworth, CEO of the Charity Commission, emphasised that while freedom of speech and robust debate are fundamental, there is no place in the charity sector for the promotion of violence or racial or religious hatred.
The consultation seeks views from charities, trustees, sector bodies, and the public on how these new safeguards should operate in practice. It will run for 10 weeks, concluding on 22 December 2026.