Campaigning and Political Activity

Bromley Humanists (BH)

This Policy document guides the legal and regulatory framework governing BH’s campaigning strategies that may be considered political. It summarises the key points for BH’s trustees to consider as good practice and helps them be confident in what they can legitimately do to accomplish their mission.

What Do Campaigning and Political Activity Mean?

Campaigning: the Charity Commission uses the word “campaigning” to refer to awareness-raising and efforts to educate or involve the public by mobilising their support on a particular issue, or to influence or change public attitudes. It also uses it to refer to the activities aimed at ensuring that existing laws are observed. The Commission distinguishes this from an activity which involves trying to secure support for, or oppose, a change in the law or in the policy or decisions of central government, local authorities or other public bodies (including all ministries, departments and agencies of government), whether in this country or abroad, and which it refers to in this guidance as Political Activity. Examples of Campaigning might include:

• A health charity promoting the benefits of a balanced diet in reducing heart problems.

• A refugee charity, emphasising the positive contribution that refugees have made to society and calling for the government to enforce existing legislation that supports the rights of refugees.

• A children’s charity, drawing attention to the dangers of domestic violence and child abuse.

• A human rights charity calling on the government to observe certain fundamental human rights, and for the practice of torture to be abolished.

• A charity concerned with poverty and the environment campaigning against investment by some banks in fossil fuel extraction projects.

• A disability charity calling for existing legislation to be adhered to to ensure that all children with special educational needs receive the support they are entitled to to access learning.

• Sometimes fundraising activities are referred to as a fundraising campaign. This is not campaigning as defined by the Charity Commission.

Political Activity: political activity, as defined by the Charity Commission, must be undertaken only by a charity in the context of supporting the delivery of its charitable purposes. The Commission uses this term to refer to activity by a charity aimed at securing or opposing any change in the law or in the policies or decisions of central government, local authorities or other public bodies, whether in this country or abroad. It includes activity to preserve an existing piece of legislation, in which a charity opposes its repeal or amendment. This differs from activity aimed at ensuring that an existing law is observed, which falls under Campaigning. Political activity might include some or all of the following.

• Influencing Legislation: Campaigning to pass a new law or change/repeal an existing one.

• Influencing Government Policy: Pressuring public bodies to adopt, reject, or alter a policy direction.

• Influencing Specific Decisions: Lobbying to reverse or alter specific outcomes made by politicians or local authorities.

• Mobilising Public Pressure: Asking members of the public to contact their MP or sign a petition to demand a change in government policy.

• Seeking to influence political parties or independent candidates, decision-makers, politicians or public servants on the charity’s position in various ways in support of the desired change; and responding to consultations carried out by political parties.

It is essential to note that charities cannot support a political party. Clearly, there is not always a clear demarcation between campaigning and political activity, and a charity might well undertake a phase of activity which has various elements. This guidance focuses on the factors that BH’s trustees will need to consider when deciding what is right for them to do. It also makes clear that supporting a political party is not an acceptable form of political activity for a charity.

Key Points about Campaigning as a Charity

To be a charity, an organisation must be established for charitable purposes only, and those purposes must be for the public benefit. An organisation will not be charitable if its purposes are political. BH is a registered charity (registration number: - - - - - - - - -) and is established solely for the advancement of its charitable purposes (see appendix 1) for the public benefit.

• Campaigning on political issues can be legitimate for charities; however, it must be undertaken only to directly support the delivery of their charitable purposes, and it must not be the charity’s sole and continuing activity.

• There may be situations in which political activity is the best way for BH’s trustees to support the charity’s purposes. In such cases, BH may choose to allocate some of its resources to these activities for a limited period. The key issue for BH’s trustees is to ensure that such activities are incidental and supplementary to BH’s main purposes.

• BH may campaign for changes to the law, policy or decisions where such changes would directly support the charity’s purposes. BH may also campaign to ensure that existing laws are observed. However, BH does not exist for political purposes, and none of its activities may be directed towards furthering the interests of any political party or ideology.

• In the political arena, BH must stress its independence and ensure that any involvement it has with political parties is balanced. BH must not give support or funding to a political party, nor to a candidate or politician.

• BH may support specific policies advocated by various political parties if doing so would help achieve its charitable purposes. However, trustees must not allow the charity to be used as a vehicle for expressing the political views of any individual trustee, patron, member, staff member or volunteer.

• As with any decision trustees make, when considering campaigning, BH trustees must carefully weigh the potential benefits against the costs and risks to determine whether the campaign is likely to be legally and morally correct and an effective way to further or support the charity’s purposes.

• BH may campaign using emotive or controversial material where this is lawful and justifiable in the context of the campaign and in line with Humanism’s principal values. Such material must be factually accurate and supported by legitimate evidence.

• When campaigning, BH trustees must comply not only with charity law but also with other applicable civil and criminal laws. Where applicable, they should also comply with the Advertising Standards Authority Code.

Bromley Humanists and Political Parties

Charities can effectively influence social policy while maintaining their non-political status. There is a vital distinction between partisan politics (supporting a specific party or candidate) and policy advocacy (supporting a cause or solution). Charities are strictly forbidden from supporting political parties or candidates. They must never endorse, fund or provide any support to any political party or candidate. Charities cannot tell people how to vote, and must not advise their members or supporters on which party or candidate to vote for.

Additionally, while a charity can support a policy that appears in a political party’s manifesto, it cannot explicitly compare its views with those of a specific party in a way that suggests overall support or alignment with that party’s manifesto. Moreover, charities cannot use their assets or resources to benefit a political party, allow their property to be used by a political party or permit a member of staff, a charity member or a volunteer to use their role to suggest that the charity endorses a candidate. Nonetheless, charities like BH can influence social policies without losing their non-political status. To achieve that goal, we often use the following approaches.

• BH Leads with Data and Evidence, Not Ideology. The most effective way to remain neutral is to advocate for objective awareness. By providing high-quality research, economic impact assessments, or technical expertise, BH can present our views as evidence-based solutions rather than ideological or political positions. For BH, the most effective way to promote its ideas as a charity is to frame them in terms of universal human rights and evidence-based ethics. By grounding our advocacy in established legal frameworks rather than personal opinions or group ideologies, we can influence policy while remaining strictly non-partisan.

• BH Focus on What, Not Who. BH maintains neutrality by critiquing or supporting specific legislative measures rather than the politicians behind them. They advocate for outcomes (e.g., cleaner water, higher literacy rates) regardless of which party is in power.

• BH builds broad coalitions. Working with a diverse range of partners, including research bodies, religious groups and community leaders, helps insulate us from being pigeonholed as political (left or right). A policy proposal backed by community and social justice groups and science is seen as a common-sense solution. BH aims to form broad coalitions with other human rights, civil liberties and social justice groups to demonstrate that our goals deliver broader societal benefits beyond our specific non-religious membership.

• BH harnesses people’s lived experiences. BH serves as a voice for the people it serves. This means we use our resources, platforms and influence to amplify the voices of ordinary people, rather than speaking on their behalf. By bringing real-life stories and frontline perspectives to lawmakers’ attention, we ground the debate in the reality of the human condition rather than amplifying a political theory or social ideology. It’s hard to argue with a first-hand account of how a specific policy affects people’s daily lives. In that respect, BH serves as a resource for government departments by providing educational materials and advice on diversity and inclusion to ensure that non-religious people are represented in public life.

• Preferring education over political lobbying. By informing the public about issues related to its core mission, BH creates an upsurge of support that indirectly pressures policymakers. For example, we focus on human rights rather than arguing from an ideological perspective. BH provides expert research on bioethics (ethical issues arising from advances in medicine, biotechnology, and the life sciences) and on equality, presented through a humanist lens as a contribution to a just and ethical society.

• Engaging Across the Aisle. Effective charities meet with representatives from all major parties. This “multi-partisan” approach ensures they aren’t seen as an arm of the opposition, making them a trusted resource for anyone currently shaping policy. BH focuses on policies that enjoy cross-party support but require a specific secular or ethical push, such as:

  • Freedom of Thought and Expression: Promoting the rights of everyone, whether religious or not, to hold, express, and change their beliefs. This is a core humanist and secular value that aligns perfectly with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

  • Secular State Reforms: Advocating the separation of state and religion to ensure that public institutions are neutral and treat all citizens equally, regardless of their worldviews.

  • Inclusive Education: Campaigning for inclusive school admissions and for evidence-based, objective education in the sciences as well as in religions and non-religious worldviews.

  • Bodily Autonomy and Choice: Promoting policies on reproductive rights and assisted dying, framed as matters of individual liberty and compassionate choice.

  • Science and Reason in Policy: Encouraging the use of the scientific method and rigorous evidence in government decision-making, such as in climate change or public health policies.

BH supports All-Party Parliamentary Groups, which bring together lawmakers from across the political spectrum (e.g., Labour, Conservative, and Liberal Democrat) who share humanist values. The limit of charities’ power is that they cannot pull the lever. They can suggest the law, argue for it, and draft it, but they still need a politician to pass it. This is why the cross-party approach is so vital; by framing a humanist goal as a common-sense or human-rights goal, we make it safe for any politician to adopt it.

The Benefits of Non-political Approaches

In many ways, BH serves as a permanent advocate, whereas political parties are often temporary managers. There are several reasons why this approach can be more influential than traditional party politics:

• Moral Authority vs Power-Seeking: Political parties are always viewed through the lens of winning, controlling, or brandishing power. People assume their motives are tied to securing votes. Charities like BH, however, are perceived as being motivated by their mission. When a humanist group advocates for freedom of speech or inclusive education, it is seen as defending a principle rather than seeking a seat in parliament.

• Longevity and Consistency: Parties shift their platforms every few years to align with public mood or to win elections. Charities such as BH have remained focused on the same core issues for decades, if not centuries. This enables them to build deep expertise and historical memory, making them the go-to experts for civil servants and journalists, regardless of who is in office.

• The Soft Power of Public Opinion: Political parties often follow public opinion, while charities like BH can shape it. By changing how the public thinks about an issue (such as assisted dying or secularism) through education and storytelling, charities shift the Overton Window (the range of policies the public finds acceptable at a given time). Once the public mind shifts, parties of all stripes usually follow suit.

• Direct Access to the Machinery: Governments often find it easier to consult a neutral non-profit than an opposition party. If a humanist organisation provides a well-researched report on how to make hospital chaplaincy more inclusive, a government department can implement those changes as a technical improvement, without it becoming a front-page political battle.

Humanist Campaigns and Social Politics

While Humanism relies on rational inquiry and evidence, populist movements often win by appealing to raw emotion and us-versus-them narratives. The traditional approach, which provides more data and facts, is known among experts as the Knowledge Deficit Model. Research shows it is largely ineffective because humans do not make decisions based solely on logic.

To campaign more effectively, BH is adopting Humanistic Communication, blending scientific reasoning with the science of stories. Abstract reasoning often feels cold and distant. Humanist campaigns can bridge this gap by linking logical positions to personal, emotional stories. BH would use the following strategies.

1. Using the power of stories. For example, instead of citing statistics alone on the benefits of secularism, we tell the story of a family whose child was excluded from a local school because of religious admissions tests. We use neural coupling, the biological phenomenon in which a listener’s brain activity mirrors that of the storyteller, to foster empathy and make the issue stick.

2. Targeting the moveable middle. We don’t waste energy arguing with extremists. Effective campaigns target the 40% to 60% of people who are neither strongly for nor strongly against an issue, the moveable middle. We use inclusive language that avoids jargon and frames issues around shared human values such as fairness, freedom, and kindness, rather than strictly in terms of abstract concepts.

3. Focusing on a vision for the future. Humanism is naturally progressive and focuses on a vision for the future. Instead of merely pointing out what is wrong (e.g., this law is unscientific), describe what a just and thriving society looks like once the solution is in place. We can harness hope. Narratives of optimism are harder to craft than those of fear, but they create deeper, longer-term commitment.

4. Create norms, not just arguments. People are strongly influenced by what they perceive as “normal” or acceptable behaviour. Research suggests that shaping norms is more effective than trying to change deeply held attitudes. We must highlight the growing number of people who identify as non-religious or humanist, and show that these ideas are acceptable and normal by pointing to friends, colleagues, neighbours, doctors, and teachers, so the humanist worldview feels like a common-sense default rather than a radical alternative.

5. Local Grassroots Mobilisation. BH will approach mobilisation by re-energising grassroots activism. This means moving beyond online campaigns to face-to-face interactions at the community level, such as fixing local parks or organising community aid, to demonstrate humanist values in action. By moving from “the voice of reason” to “the voice of a shared human story,” BH will engage people’s hearts as well as their minds, making our values more resilient to simplistic rhetoric. Making reason and compassion as loud as populist rhetoric is one of BH’s most important tasks.

Appendix 1

Bromley Humanist Objects:

The registered objects (purposes) of the Bromley Humanists Charity (BH) are:

• The advancement of Humanism in accordance with the Amsterdam Declaration 2022, and the promotion of a non-religious, ethical, and rational approach to life and decision-making primarily but not exclusively within the London Borough of Bromley and surrounding areas, and elsewhere across the UK.

• The promotion of human rights, secularism, social cohesion, equality and diversity, and the elimination of discrimination, particularly on the grounds of religion, belief, or non-belief, by promoting the fair representation and inclusion of humanists and non-religious individuals in public policies and services, as well as promoting universal shared values and fostering good relations in society, ensuring that they are inclusive and beneficial to all members of the public.

• The advancement of education for the public benefit in the subject of Humanism, science, rationality, and citizenship, including through conducting research and publishing useful results, lifelong learning, and the public dissemination of educational resources, ensuring that they are accessible to all members of the public.

• Advancement of humanist arts, culture, and heritage, and the promotion of general community building for the benefit of the public, including the provision of resources, training, and advice, and the facilitation of non-religious pastoral support and non-religious ceremonies, such as funerals, weddings, and naming ceremonies, for public benefit.

The Amsterdam Declaration 2022

Introduction

Humanist International is the global representative body of the humanist movement, bringing together more than 120 affiliated organisations and groups from around the world. While the definition of Humanism may vary slightly between organisations and groups, as a global movement, we share the same definitive guiding principle.

In 1952, at the First World Humanist Congress, the founders of Humanist International agreed on a statement of the fundamental principles of modern Humanism. They called it “The Amsterdam Declaration”. The Amsterdam Declaration of 1952 was a child of its time, set in the world of great power politics and the Cold War. It asserted that humanists have confidence that the present crisis can be surmounted. As Humanism is friendly to evolution and anathema to dogma, the statement has been updated over the years to reflect modern realities.

The last update was made in 2022 at the 70th Anniversary of the World Humanist Congress in Glasgow, where Members and Associates of Humanists International democratically agreed to it. This newer statement is detailed in the following paragraphs.

Humanist beliefs and values are as old as civilisation and have a history in most societies around the world. Modern Humanism is the culmination of this long tradition of reasoning about meaning and ethics, the source of inspiration for many of the world’s great thinkers, artists and humanitarians, and is interwoven with the rise of modern science. As a global humanist movement, we seek to raise awareness among all people of the essentials of the humanist worldview.

1) Humanists strive to be ethical

• We accept that morality is inherent in the human condition, grounded in the ability of living things to suffer and flourish, motivated by the benefits of helping rather than harming, enabled by reason and compassion, and needing no source outside humanity.

• We affirm the worth and dignity of the individual and the right of every human to the greatest possible freedom and fullest possible development compatible with the rights of others. To these ends, we support peace, democracy, the rule of law and universal legal human rights.

• We reject all forms of racism and prejudice and the injustice that arises from them. We seek instead to promote the flourishing and fellowship of humanity in all its diversity and individuality.

• We hold that personal liberty must be combined with the responsibility to society. A free person has duties to others, and we feel duties of care to all of humanity, including future generations, and beyond this to all sentient beings.

• We recognise that we are part of nature and accept our responsibility for the impact we have on the rest of the natural world.

2) Humanists strive to be rational

• We are convinced that the solutions to the world’s problems lie in human reason and action.

• We advocate the application of science and free inquiry to these problems, remembering that while science provides the means, human values must define the ends.

• We seek to use science and technology to enhance human well-being, and never callously or destructively.

3) Humanists strive for fulfilment in their lives

• We value all sources of individual joy and fulfilment that harm no other, and we believe that personal development through the cultivation of creative and ethical living is a lifelong undertaking.

• We therefore treasure artistic creativity and imagination, and recognise the transformative power of literature, music, and the visual and performing arts.

• We cherish the beauty of the natural world and its potential to bring wonder, awe and tranquillity.

• We appreciate individual and communal exertion in physical activity, and the scope it offers for comradeship and achievement.

• We esteem the quest for knowledge, and the humility, wisdom and insight it bestows.

4) Humanism meets the widespread demand for a source of meaning and purpose to stand as an alternative to dogmatic religion, authoritarian nationalism, tribal sectarianism and selfish nihilism.

• Though we believe that the commitment to human well-being is ageless, our particular opinions are not based on revelations fixed for all time. Humanists recognised that no one is infallible or omniscient and that knowledge of the world and of humankind can be gained only through a continuing process of observation, learning, and rethinking.

• For these reasons, we seek neither to avoid scrutiny nor to impose our views on all humanity. On the contrary, we are committed to the unfettered expression and exchange of ideas and seek to cooperate with people of different beliefs who share our values, all in the cause of building a better world.

• We are confident that humanity has the potential to solve the problem that confronts us through free inquiry, science, sympathy and imagination, in the furtherance of peace and human flourishing.