Speaking later, he added: "Many people who support Oxfam will be shocked and saddened by this highly political campaigning in domestic British politics.

D5. Can a charity carry out political activity? The short answer Although a political organisation cannot be a charity, a charity can, in support of its charitable purposes, undertake a range of political activities. However these cannot be the only activities that the charity carries out. In more detail The key principle: Although organisations that are established to pursue political purposes cannot be charities, political activity may be carried out by charities, but only as a means of supporting their charitable purposes. For the same reason that a political purpose cannot be charitable, political activity can only support, or contribute to, the achievement of charitable purposes. This means that political activity cannot be the continuing and sole activity of the charity. In deciding whether or not to undertake political activity, trustees must first decide whether there is a reasonable expectation that it will support the charity’s purposes. (See section F1 for further factors that trustees should take into account.) Example: A charity set up for the welfare of refugees and asylum-seekers identifies that changes to benefit regulations are leaving certain classes of asylum-seeker completely destitute. It decides that changing the regulations will be for the benefit of many asylum-seekers, and supports the charity’s purposes. Therefore, it undertakes political activity aimed at persuading government to make the necessary changes, with a petition delivered to Downing Street, a lobby of Parliament and other linked activity.