Is Britain funding organisations that wish us harm?

Frivolous state funding isn’t only going to chancers, the plain lucky and the devious, but also to those who would see Britain – and the West – come to harm. Just over a year ago, the National Secular Society (NSS) compiled a dossier for the Charity Commission which called for 44 charities that had ‘fuelled anti-Semitism and division’ and shown support for ‘Hamas and other anti-western actors’ to be investigated. In every case these organisations have kept their charitable status.

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The charities in the dossier have the stated purpose of ‘the advancement of religion for the public benefit’. In the NSS’s view, this is being used as cover for political agendas and extremist views – while the groups receive tax breaks and state funding.

The Spectator’s search engine to discover frivolous state funding, launched last week, shows that charities ‘advancing religion’ have received more than £1 billion in government grants in the past five years. These grants include £2.5 million to a charity promoting ‘Krishna consciousness’ and £20,000 to a dance company. While this funding may be frivolous, these organisations pose no harm to society. But can the same be said for all religious charities receiving public money or the perks that come with charitable status? As well as frivolous funding, are we also funding fanaticism?

The Charity Commission’s guidance states that the ‘public benefit requirement’ is a legal obligation which every charity must be able to demonstrate in all its activities. The Commission, in turn, is responsible for ensuring that charities ‘meet the public benefit requirement’ – and trustees have a legal duty to uphold it.