Searchlight (magazine) - Charitable Status

Charitable Status

At the insistence of the British National Party, Searchlight and the associated Searchlight Educational Trust were investigated by the Charity Commission of England and Wales as a result of a complaint that claimed that the Educational Trust had been engaging in political activity incompatible with its charitable status.

The Commission's report stated that, in its opinion, the Searchlight Educational Trust had gone beyond the Commission's guidelines on political activities, and found there was a need for a greater distinction between the public activities of Searchlight Magazine and the educational trust. No action was taken as the charity agreed to follow the Commission's recommendations. Searchlight was divided into three main bodies; Searchlight magazine, the monthly anti-fascist and anti-racist magazine, Searchlight Information Services (SIS), a research and investigatory body which briefs governments, politicians, journalists and the police, and finally Searchlight Educational Trust (SET), a charity devoted to teaching the dangers of racism and fascism. SIS and SET are now part of the HOPE not hate campaign and no longer associated with Searchlight magazine.