Do you remember Grantrepreneurs and GONGOs?

Organisations which profess to be independent but in fact are getting large amounts of taxpayers money, with little if any real accountability?

Thus:

My idea.

Any so-called non-governmental organisation which receives either (a) more than 10% of its total income from government or other official sources of public funds, or (b) more than £10m of such money in any one tax year should be brought within the Freedom of Information Act, so that we can all see what they get up to with our money.

Oxfam for example took in up to £70m from different publicly funded sources in 2006/07 – that’s 35 times the size of the Embassy Budget in Warsaw, every penny of which is subject to FOI scrutiny. As a taxpayer why should I not have the right to get honest answers from Oxfam on how my money was spent?

Now a neat little site has started to look at fake charities – bodies which have charitable status and busy themselves pronouncing on policy issues, but which get a disproportionate share of their income not from voluntary donations but from government, which forces that money from citizens via taxes.

What a rip-off all this is.

In effect it is a huge scheme whereunder New Labour mobilises noisy collectivist supporters through taxpayers money, since these organisations are highly unlikely to support anything or anyone which calls for lower taxes.

Memorandum to next government:

Stop all this rubbish, dead in its tracks. (You’ll inherit an appalling situation in public finances so you can get away with it.)

Plus bring in new FOI rules for any organisation getting significant donations from the British taxpayer, so that we can all see what is happening with our own money.

That should make a handy positive difference.