13.07.18
Anti-NHS charity with financial links to new health secretary to be investigated
The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), which donated thousands of pounds to the new health and social care secretary Matt Hancock and openly supports NHS privatisation, is to be investigated after concerns were raised over its status as an educational charity.
The Charity Commission will investigate whether or not the IEA breached charity regulation over political independence.
The IEA is known as having strong links with the Conservative Party and has appeared in the media advocating the move towards a private insurance-based health system and a hard Brexit, describing the NHS as an “international laggard” and tweeting support for a ‘no deal’ Brexit.
For an organisation to benefit from charity-status tax exemptions, it must not be seen to have political objectives and must be run for the public benefit.
But the think tank argued that it is acting in accordance with Charity Commission regulations, adding that its mission is to “improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social problems.”
An IEA spokesperson told NHE: “We work with groups and individuals from across the political spectrum, from all parties and none, where we think it will help improve understanding of free markets.”
The organisation noted, for example, that it had recently worked with a Labour MP on an Early Day Motion to promote support for liberalisation of the greenbelt, and with a Conservative MP on a paper on blockchain, both of which “are in accordance with our aforementioned mission.”
The spokesperson continued: “Recent speakers at IEA events have included Norman Lamb MP (Lib Dem) and Sammy Wilson (DUP). Last month, we ran an event at SNP conference.
“In fact, engagement with members of political parties is a relatively small part of our work. A far larger part of our budget is spent on work with sixth-form teachers, students and undergraduates at university.”
A Charity Commission spokesperson told NHE that the organisation’s job is to hold charities to account against the charity law framework.
“Concerns about the political independence of the IEA have been brought to the commission’s attention, and we are currently assessing this information,” they added. “We assess all concerns brought to us in line with our risk framework in order to determine if there are regulatory issues that require engagement.”
Top story: Stefan Rousseau via PA Wire/PA Images
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