This week’s comment from Tory minister for civil society Brooks Newmark that charities should ‘stick to their knitting’ and not get involved in politics can be regarded as extremely patronising at the very best.

For a moment though, we also need to delve into the worrying mindset that lies behind the minister’s comments. That is a difficult feat as we could easily spend 500 words shouting loudly about the absurdity of those who think that the work of charities is somehow akin to knitting. Unfortunately, the last time I checked, our charities do not have much time for knitting – instead, they are slightly preoccupied with fighting serious abuses, human rights infringements, poverty, hunger, and battling for medical advancements in HIV, cancer and other areas.

As the Tories turn to bashing charities for speaking out against coalition policies once again, these sentiments actually convey an even more worrying and erroneous perspective among Tory ministers as to their relationship with the very people they are meant to work for and represent.

For a start, charities simply cannot, by virtue of their work, separate themselves from ‘politics’. And that is because politics is not restricted to some kind of isolated planet, inhabited only by a political elite of Westminster politicians and the people that surround them. It is exactly the opposite. Politics is all about people, and improving people’s lives – and, as we all know, charities work directly with and for people who experience the day-to-day (and long-term) effects of a government’s policies and decisions.

That’s why charities are indeed perfectly well-placed to tell a government what is happening on the ground, and to bring into vivid reality the impact of its decisions. You could go as far as to say that charities serve a vital role as part of the conduit that communicates lived experience between Governments and people. Effective policy work, commonly predicated on extensive research, and then sophisticated campaigns to articulate those ideas, can bring about immensely positive political, legislative and societal change.

In reality, the recent Tory charge on charities’ freedom to speak out and to campaign is intended to cover up the surfacing of some very uncomfortable truths emanating from coalition policy. Take the bedroom tax for example: it drags up some wonderful right-wing press coverage when members of the coalition castigate people for claiming benefits – but it is not so media friendly when those people then show up on the front of papers queuing at food banks, reeling from the effects of a punitive regime. It is even worse when charities dare to speak up on those issues.

And I mentioned food banks: it is these that serve to remind us all too well of the last Tory onslaught against charities, earlier this year. During that episode, Oxfam faced the brunt of the criticism from disgruntled Conservatives for campaigning on issues related to benefit cuts and zero-hours contracts. That seemed to backfire on the Tories, and so it appears that now they are back for round two.

Perversely, the Tory attempts to demonise charities for speaking up are, of themselves, politically motivated. By casting aspersions on charities’ motives for raising their concerns, the Tories are trying to silence charities from challenging the status quo. Charities need to fight hard against this, as acquiescing and accepting silence risks undermining their precious work.

None of this means that charities are necessarily always right; governments do not always have to follow their research, views and advice. Elected representatives and governments have to weigh up a range of different perspectives and come to the right conclusion accordingly. Whether their views are implemented or not, charities have a duty to speak out where it serves the interests of those they are intending to protect, serve and support. Politicians have no right to silence them.

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Charles Smith is parliamentary candidate for Maidenhead. He tweets @charlie_rsmith

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Photo: Howard Lake