The Common Sense group of more than 60 Conservative MPs is organising a meeting with Baroness Stowell, head of the Charity Commission, to discuss the status of organisations it claims have “denigrated British history and heritage”. It follows her warning to bodies last week that those “tempted to use charities as another front on which to wage broader political struggles should be careful”. Children’s charity Barnardo’s, which has discussed white privilege on its website, is also included.
The request for a meeting comes after anger over the National Trust drawing up a report linking almost 100 of its properties to slavery and colonialism including Churchill’s home in Chartwell.
The Trust has told the Sunday Express that some of its properties are putting up signs pointing out if properties are linked to slavery or colonialism.
In his letter to Ms Stowell, former education minister Sir John Hayes, who chairs the Common Sense group, said: “Britain’s heritage is under attack, ironically from those missioned to guard it.
“I have been working alongside colleagues to ensure charities are not perverted by political posturing.”
day Express has been passed a letter from the trust’s chairman Tim Parker to James Wherry, a former member who resigned over its policies, admitting their report was linked to the Black Lives Matter movement.
He said: “The death of George Floyd in 2020, the social inequalities it highlighted, and subsequent protests are an important context of our work.
“We understand that Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a worldwide human rights movement with no party affiliations in the UK.”
However, critics claim BLM wants to defund and abolish the police as well as the traditional nuclear family.
In his letter to the National Trust, Mr Wherry noted: “The NT exists to protect our great properties and landscape.
“It should never stray into politics, race, gender issues and a host of other woke issues that now seem to be taking up far too much of our time, and, seemingly, your time.”
Commenting on signs at its properties, a National Trust spokesperson said: “Some places may have written material on display, others may be labelling relevant objects, and others may have an online article.”
Barnardo’s defended its advice to parents who want to understand “white privilege”. It said: “The blog was written based on what children in our services told us they wanted to convey.
“To be ‘colour blind’ would be to fundamentally fail in our duty to address the needs of these children.”
