The Good Law Project has raised fresh concerns with the Charity Commission about the think tank Policy Exchange, which is already subject to a compliance case.
The complaint, submitted to the regulator last week, alleges that the think tank has continued to engage in “unlawful, political, non-educational activity”, particularly through its “Project 29” programme.
The GLP previously submitted a 27-page complaint to the commission about Policy Exchange, alleging that it had breached its charitable objectives.
The prior complaint accused Policy Exchange of showing an “unhealthy obsession with transgender issues”.
It also alleged that the charity had spent “hundreds of thousands of pounds” on non-charitable activities, including non-compliant publications that were “partisan, non-educational and/or non-objective”.
In November, the Charity Commission said it had opened a regulatory compliance case to examine concerns raised about the think tank’s activities, which remains ongoing.
Third Sector understands the commission is considering the concerns raised in GLP’s recent complaint as part of its ongoing compliance case, but it did not wish to provide an updated comment on the case.
The GLP’s latest letter to the regulator says: “Since we submitted our complaint, the charity has continued engaging in precisely the same type of unlawful political, non-educational activity.”
The letter points to the think tank’s Project 29 programme, which was announced two days before this month’s local elections.
The GLP says the name is “plainly a reference” to Project 2025, which was created by the far-right US think tank the Heritage Foundation and is “widely considered to have provided the blueprint for the policies of the second Donald Trump administration”.
Project 29’s stated aim is to offer a “detailed roadmap” for a “radical reforming government – of any party”, but the GLP says that the policies are drawn from one side of the political spectrum.
The policies include leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, stopping the “small boats emergency” and creating a welfare state that prioritised British citizens over immigrants; and an anti-net zero policy.
“The plan is obviously right-wing in nature, rather than genuinely “non-partisan” as required by the charity’s constitution,” the GLP’s letter says.
It adds that the programme is “transparently meant to push for a legislative agenda to be adopted by the next government,” adding: “It therefore does nothing to advance the charity’s legal objects of public education.
“It will involve the large-scale misapplication of the charity’s resources,” the letter says.
Matthew Gill, a lawyer for GLP, added: “It’s shocking to see a charity that is already under investigation thumb their nose at the regulator.
“But Project 2029 is only the latest example of a lobby group funded by dark money putting out rightwing talking points under the guise of education.
“It’s time for the Charity Commission to stamp out partisan propaganda outfits abusing their status as charities.”
Policy Exchange has been contacted for comment.