Scotland's charity regulator has produced a new guide to help charities stay within the law when campaigning

The Office of Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) has published general guidance for charities campaigning on political issues.

The new guidance, in the form of Frequently Asked Questions, is aimed at helping charities to meet the requirements of electoral and charity law in advance of next year's UK general election, which takes place on 7 May 2015.

The document provides a ready reference for charities and follows the regulator's guidance for charities on campaigning in the Scottish independence referendum. It also provides some guidance on recent changes to the law on regulated campaigning – campaigning that takes place 12 months up to a general election and which is regulated by the Electoral Commission.

The guidance states that if a charity spends £10,000 on regulated campaigning in Scotland, including staff costs, it must register with the Electoral Commission as a non-party campaigner.

A full list of activities that count as regulated campaigning is provided in the guidance.

A spokesperson for OSCR said: “The electoral period for the UK general election has already begun and the Electoral Commission has produced detailed guidance for the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014.

“This UK legislation sets financial limits on campaigns and requires organisations – including charities – to register if they plan to take part in campaigning activity.”

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) welcomed the guidance.

Ruchir Shah, SCVO policy manager, said: “The document provides charities with the clear and simple guidance they need to assess their campaigning on political issues.

“The positive tone and approach adopted by OSCR in the guidance will help reassure charities that the vast majority of campaigning activity is permissible by charity and electoral law.”