Civil Society: Subversion

Government and the Charity Commission are alive to the risks of state threats to the charity sector. The Charity Commission works with other agencies to protect the sector from the risks of being exploited, and also has guidance on protecting charities from abuse for extremist purposes.

The Government works closely with a range of partners to tackle foreign interference in our society. Where there is clear evidence of unacceptable activity, the Government will respond accordingly. In July 2025, the Government launched the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), which is designed to enable transparency of foreign influence and strengthen the resilience of the UK political system, as well as providing greater assurance around the activities of certain foreign powers or entities in the UK. In addition, as set out by the Security Minister in Parliament on 4 March, under the counter-political interference and espionage plan, officials are developing a programme of work to engage with the UK’s think-tanks and non-profit sector to discuss the threats that they face from foreign interference.

Greater transparency is to be encouraged as a matter of good practice, but it is not a legal requirement for charities to publicly disclose the identity of individual donors or grant-makers. Donor anonymity is an important consideration in ensuring people have the confidence to donate to charitable causes they care about.