Baroness Stowell has proved herself to be a champion of social mobility, who encourages ambition and opportunities. She has gleaned a wealth of experience across a number of different areas, including regulatory experience at the BBC Trust.
However, the chair and board of the Charity Commission must be, and be seen to be, independent from government and party politics. While we appreciate that Baroness Stowell is resigning the Conservative party whip and her party membership, we are disappointed that the sector’s calls for a politically neutral commission chair have not been met.
To be effective, the Commission must equally have the trust and confidence of the public, the state and the sector it regulates. A critical part of this trust comes from confidence that the Commission is independent of political influence. This independence is core to its ability to properly regulate charities under the law.
