A great day for the true spirit of charity

THIS paper warmly applauds today’s official report on ways to protect society’s most vulnerable from the aggressive techniques of charity fundraisers.

Set up in response to revelations by the Mail Investigations Unit, Sir Stuart Etherington’s cross-party panel has come up with commonsense proposals to bring the sector into line.

If these recommendations are accepted in full, as they deserve to be, out will go the complex regulatory system that has left the elderly and mentally infirm prey to ruthless harassment and to having their details sold to conmen.

In its place will be a single tough new body with the authority to set and uphold standards – and the power to ban offending charities from fundraising until problems have been addressed.

Hugely welcome, too, is the proposal for a simple service allowing the public to opt out of receiving communications and demands for money.

Under this, details of those claiming the ‘right to be left alone’ will be registered on a database, to be consulted by charities before they make any approach. Crucially, there will be none of the loopholes that fundraisers exploit to plague those signed up to the Government’s utterly worthless Telephone Preference Service.

True, this paper would like to have seen clear proposals to stop charities from selling and swapping donors’ details.

But this apart, the recommendations – drawn up after a swift and thorough inquiry (Chilcot, take note) – represent a resounding victory for the Mail, to which Sir Stuart pays handsome tribute.

Now it’s up to ministers to implement the proposals, without dilution or delay. Only then will the trust of generous donors be restored – and an ugly stain lifted from charities’ good works.