Campaigning in a general election year

This guidance applies to all adult volunteers, including Trustees and County and District Leads, as well as Section Leaders and Helpers.

A general election has been called and will take place on Thursday 4 July 2024.

We know that volunteers might ask what Scouts’ role should be when it comes to campaigning on political issues. They might also feel concerned about the potential risks involved. General elections can be good opportunities for promoting how Scouts benefits our young people and communities.

This guidance has been created to explain how we can promote Scouts during the election year, without breaking any of our own rules in POR or Charity Law.

Campaigning in a general election period

All charities are permitted to campaign, as long as the causes they campaign for further their charitable purpose. For Scouts, this is supporting young people’s development. When carrying out any activity, impartiality is key and you shouldn’t use these opportunities to promote your own personal political views.

If you want to understand more about what we mean by campaigning, or how to align with our charitable purpose, please refer to our wider guidance on community impact and political campaigning.

What the law says on charity campaigning during elections

Charity law stays the same during general elections. However, we need to be aware that during the pre-election period how Scouts and other charities act may be under more scrutiny. This is to make sure elections are democratic, unbiased and free from interference. That means during an election period, we need to be even more careful that our activities do align with charity law.

Ideas for how to campaign before the general election

Ways you can get involved include:

• Promoting our Scouts' Manifesto and policies that support the development of young people, or the growth of Scouts, in the UK.
• Running an educational activity on democracy, the election or active citizenship.
• Inviting your local candidates from different parties to talk to your young people about what they do and the policies they support.
• Writing to your local candidates, in your capacity as a Scouts volunteer, to talk specifically about the value of Scouts or local Scout issues.

Running activities about the election

Scouts plays a key role in supporting young people to become active citizens. Part of this journey is understanding democracy and how we can make change in society. 

We’ve put together some activity ideas to help you to do this. These have been developed in partnership with other organisations that support young people to learn about democracy and politics in a neutral way. 

As always, impartiality is key. You shouldn’t use these opportunities to promote your own personal political views. Instead, you should let young people explore their own beliefs, while being guided by our Scout values. For example:

Do say: Today, we’re going to be doing an activity on how to take part in politics and make change.

Don’t say: Today, we’re going to be doing an activity on why X party is better than Y party.

Promoting policies that support Scouts

Charities can endorse political parties’ policies, but not parties themselves. These policies should only be focused on how we support the development of young people, volunteering or issues that the Scouts faces. You should make sure that the way you talk about a policy isn’t giving support to one party over another. For example:

Do say: I support the X party’s policy to build brighter tomorrows for young people.

Don’t say: Everyone in Scouts should vote for X party, as they will give brighter tomorrows for young people.

Inviting politicians or candidates to your group 

We do encourage decision makers and politicians to visit Scout groups and see what Scouts is all about. This also gives young people a chance to engage in democracy and ask their local representatives questions. 

However, in the run-up to the election, there are no longer any sitting MPs after Parliament has been dissolved, so you do not have one main representative. This means political visits need to be balanced, so you should invite candidates from across the political spectrum, including the two major parties. 

You don’t have to invite politicians who express views that don’t align with our values of cooperation, care and respect. When deciding who to invite, try to be objective, without bringing in your own party political views. 

If you’re approached by senior politicians asking to visit your group over the next six weeks, you should also make our support centre aware, as this visit may not comply with Charity Commission rules. For example:

Do say: Dear candidates, would you like to come and talk to the Scouts about the issues you care about?

Don’t say: Let’s not invite candidate X, as I don’t agree with their policy on X.

Contacting local candidates to discuss Scout issues

Getting in touch with MPs and candidates in your capacity as a local community volunteer is a great way to raise issues that matter most to Scouts. You can write to them, such as via email, or meet them in person. When you represent Scouts, you can’t give your support to a party or suggest you will vote for them. For example:

You’re representing Scouts if you are in uniform or a necker, using your Scouts title, or have young people from Scouts in your care. Remember, you should reach out to more than one candidate to make sure you’re being politically neutral.

Do say: Dear candidate, we’d like our next MP to talk more about the importance of Scouts for young people’s development in the House of Commons

Don’t say: Dear candidate, I’ll vote for you if you talk more about the importance of Scouts for young people’s development in the House of Commons.

Use of social media 

You need to be extra careful over the general election period about the content you share on social channels. This applies to Scout accounts or your personal accounts that are visibly linked to Scouts. For example, you may have pictures of you in uniform or mention your role in Scouts in your bio. While you can take positions on policy, you need to make sure this isn’t interpreted as the central Scouts position. You also shouldn’t endorse candidates and parties on your platforms that are clearly linked to Scouts.

More guidance

If you want further guidance, the Charity Commission and National Council of Voluntary Organisations have also produced guidance on the general election 2024 and what charities should be doing. You can also find out more about Government legislation on political activity and campaigning by charities.

More information

We've received many questions about what we can and can't do during the general election period.