It’s little wonder that many charity trustees have been “overly cautious and inclined to self-censor when campaigning”, as the Charity Commission’s own guidance on campaigning and political activity states.

Since the Conservatives came to power in 2010, the mood music around charity campaigning has played at a certain tone. From former Commission board member Gwythian Prins’ infamous “stick to your knitting” quote to the introduction of the Lobbying Act; from gagging clauses in government contracts to hysterical reports from groups of backbench MPs, the prevailing wind has been blowing in a particular direction, and it has been pretty icy. Lawyers and other professional advisers testify that these factors have definitely had a chilling effect on charities’ willingness to campaign, especially among trustees that are nervous about losing funding or getting into trouble with the regulator.