The comments are a setback for the coalition of charities lobbying for an amendment to the Charities Act 2006 that would allow registered charities to dedicate all of their resources to political campaigning (Third Sector, 10 October).
A Cabinet Office spokesman said charities should be free to campaign politically in furtherance of their charitable purposes and that he awaited the results of the Charity Commission's review of its guidance on political campaigning.
"At the moment we are not persuaded of the need for legislation," he said.
- See News Analysis, page 10.