Common Purpose - a Fraudulent Political "Charity"

John Walker beat me to it by making this FOI request about COMMON PURPOSE, so I am reposting the letters onto my blog, thank you John and the website WHAT DO THEY KNOW

Common Purpose - a Fraudulent Political "Charity"
John Walker made this Freedom of Information request to Charity Commission for England and Wales

The request was successful.
John Walker

1 October 2008
Common Purpose - a Fraudulent Political "Charity"

Dear Sir or Madam,

By 'Common Purpose', I mean the 'educational charity' of that name:
http://www.commonpurpose.org

According to the Charity Commission, "An organisation will not be
charitable if its purposes are political."

When you get beneath the facade of Common Purpose, its purposes are
clearly political, not educational. The hidden agenda of Common
Purpose is based on the political philosophy of the 'Third Way' and
pursues the political objective of the creation of a collectivist
and corporatist society within the European Union.

http://www.stopcp.com/cpphilosophy.php

Why is Common Purpose allowed to be a charity when its hidden
agenda is clearly political? When are you going to stop the Common
Purpose charity fraud?

Yours faithfully,

John Walker

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Web Enquiries
Charity Commission for England and Wales

1 October 2008
Thank you for your email to the Charity Commission.

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Andrew Park
Charity Commission for England and Wales

2 October 2008
Dear Mr Walker

Thank you for your e-mails of 21 September and 1 October. I have set out
my response to your questions below.

Why is Common Purpose allowed to operate as a charity?

I thought it might be helpful to set out the general principles we follow
when registering a charity. In order to be charitable in law an
organisation must be set up:

o for a purpose which is charitable in law; and

o for the benefit of the public generally

Common Purpose is registered as a charity with the following objects:

"The advancement of education for the public benefit and in particular,
but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, to educate men
and women from a broad range of geographical, political, ethnic,
institutional, social and economic backgrounds in constitutional, civic,
economic and social studies, with special emphasis on civil and social
awareness and responsibility in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, provided
always that nothing contained in the Memorandum and Articles of
Association shall authorise, or be deemed to authorise the carrying on of
any activity for any purposes save those regarded as charitable by the
laws of England and Wales"

Advancing education in the named topics is charitable, and the class of
people to be educated is broadly defined enough to demonstrate public
benefit.

As a registered charity with income of more than £5 million a year,
Common Purpose is required to submit its accounts annually to the
Commission and we publish these on our website
[1]www.charitycommission.gov.uk so that the public can see them.
Charities with income of more than £1 million a year are also required to
submit a Summary Information Return, which sets out key information about
the charity's aims, activities and achievements, and again we publish
these on our website. I have provided a link to the charity's entry on
our Register, where this information can be found:

[2]http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/reg...

Why is Common Purpose allowed to be a charity if it is clearly political?

Common Purposes objects are not political and we have not received any
evidence to suggest that Common Purpose is engaged in anything illegal or
in any activities that would lead us to question its charitable status.

Further guidance concerning campaigning and political activity by
charities can be accessed through our website at:

[3]http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/publ...

Request for information

In your e-mail of 21 September you asked us to supply all of the
documentation that we have relating to Common Purpose.

I can confirm that am dealing with your request under the terms of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The Commission holds a large amount of documentation (in both electronic
and paper form) related to the charity including:

* its Central Register file
* annual accounts
* fifteen case files

Sections 9 and 13 of the Freedom of Information Act allow public
authorities to charge for answering requests in certain cases.

The Act provides for public authorities to either charge for or decline
requests for information that would cost a public authority either more
than £600 for

central government or £450 for other public authorities to deal with the
request. This is referred to as the appropriate limit. Public authorities
are required

to estimate whether a request is likely to breach the 'appropriate
limit'.

In determining the 'appropriate limit' we will consider the following
activities:

* determining whether we hold the information requested
* locating the information or documents containing the information
* retrieving such information or documents
* extracting the information from the document containing it (including
editing or redacting information)

I am yet to receive all of the files that we hold, but it is likely that
your request would go beyond the 'appropriate limit'. If you could specify
the

information that you are looking for this may make it easier for us to
locate and extract the specific information that you require.

A large amount of information is already available via our central
register- for example the charity's annual accounts. The register has
recently been

updated and can be accessed by the link below.

[4]http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/sho...

I should also make it clear that some information will be exempt (for
example personal contact details for trustees) and may not be disclosable.

If you would like to discuss your Freedom of Information Request please
call or email me.

Yours sincerely

Andrew Park

Large Charities Division

Charity Commission Direct
PO Box 1227
Liverpool
L69 3UG
T: 0207 674 2355
[email address]

On track to meet your deadline? Visit [5]www.charitycommission.gov.uk for
help on filing your annual return and accounts

Consider the environment. Please don't print this e-mail unless you really
need to.

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.

If you have received this email in error please notify the sender and
delete
the original message from your system.

show quoted sections

Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.

References

Visible links
1. file://www.charitycommission.gov.uk
2. http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/reg...
3. http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/publ...
4. http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/sho...
5. file://www.charitycommission.gov.uk

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Andrew Park
Charity Commission for England and Wales

2 October 2008
Dear Mr Walker

Thank you for your e-mails of 21 September and 1 October. I have set out
my response to your questions below.

Why is Common Purpose allowed to operate as a charity?

I thought it might be helpful to set out the general principles we follow
when registering a charity. In order to be charitable in law an
organisation must be set up:

o for a purpose which is charitable in law; and

o for the benefit of the public generally

Common Purpose is registered as a charity with the following objects:

"The advancement of education for the public benefit and in particular,
but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, to educate men
and women from a broad range of geographical, political, ethnic,
institutional, social and economic backgrounds in constitutional, civic,
economic and social studies, with special emphasis on civil and social
awareness and responsibility in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, provided
always that nothing contained in the Memorandum and Articles of
Association shall authorise, or be deemed to authorise the carrying on of
any activity for any purposes save those regarded as charitable by the
laws of England and Wales"

Advancing education in the named topics is charitable, and the class of
people to be educated is broadly defined enough to demonstrate public
benefit.

As a registered charity with income of more than £5 million a year,
Common Purpose is required to submit its accounts annually to the
Commission and we publish these on our website
[1]www.charitycommission.gov.uk so that the public can see them.
Charities with income of more than £1 million a year are also required to
submit a Summary Information Return, which sets out key information about
the charity's aims, activities and achievements, and again we publish
these on our website. I have provided a link to the charity's entry on
our Register, where this information can be found:

[2]http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/reg...

Why is Common Purpose allowed to be a charity if it is clearly political?

Common Purposes objects are not political and we have not received any
evidence to suggest that Common Purpose is engaged in anything illegal or
in any activities that would lead us to question its charitable status.

Further guidance concerning campaigning and political activity by
charities can be accessed through our website at:

[3]http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/publ...

Request for information

In your e-mail of 21 September you asked us to supply all of the
documentation that we have relating to Common Purpose.

I can confirm that am dealing with your request under the terms of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The Commission holds a large amount of documentation (in both electronic
and paper form) related to the charity including:

* its Central Register file
* annual accounts
* fifteen case files

Sections 9 and 13 of the Freedom of Information Act allow public
authorities to charge for answering requests in certain cases.

The Act provides for public authorities to either charge for or decline
requests for information that would cost a public authority either more
than £600 for

central government or £450 for other public authorities to deal with the
request. This is referred to as the appropriate limit. Public authorities
are required

to estimate whether a request is likely to breach the 'appropriate
limit'.

In determining the 'appropriate limit' we will consider the following
activities:

* determining whether we hold the information requested
* locating the information or documents containing the information
* retrieving such information or documents
* extracting the information from the document containing it (including
editing or redacting information)

I am yet to receive all of the files that we hold, but it is likely that
your request would go beyond the 'appropriate limit'. If you could specify
the

information that you are looking for this may make it easier for us to
locate and extract the specific information that you require.

A large amount of information is already available via our central
register- for example the charity's annual accounts. The register has
recently been

updated and can be accessed by the link below.

[4]http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/sho...

I should also make it clear that some information will be exempt (for
example personal contact details for trustees) and may not be disclosable.

If you would like to discuss your Freedom of Information Request please
call or email me.

Yours sincerely

Andrew Park

Large Charities Division

Charity Commission Direct
PO Box 1227
Liverpool
L69 3UG
T: 0207 674 2355
[email address]

On track to meet your deadline? Visit [5]www.charitycommission.gov.uk for
help on filing your annual return and accounts

Consider the environment. Please don't print this e-mail unless you really
need to.

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.

If you have received this email in error please notify the sender and
delete
the original message from your system.

show quoted sections

Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.

References

Visible links
1. file://www.charitycommission.gov.uk
2. http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/reg...
3. http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/publ...
4. http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/sho...
5. file://www.charitycommission.gov.uk

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John Walker

2 October 2008
Dear Andrew Park,

You say "Common Purposes objects are not political and we have not
received any evidence to suggest that Common Purpose is engaged in
anything illegal or in any activities that would lead us to
question its charitable status".

Evidence as to the political purpose of Common Purpose is
well-hidden but this does not mean evidence does not exist. If I
find evidence of their political links, and forward this evidence
to you, will you ASSURE me that the matter will then be
investigated?

Yours sincerely,

John Walker

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Andrew Park
Charity Commission for England and Wales

3 October 2008
Dear Mr Walker,

Thank you for your e-mail. I will look at any information that you provide and assess whether there are any regulatory issues for the Commission.

I would also be grateful if you could let me know whether the links that I flagged up in my email provided the information that you sought in your initial email of 21 September.

Yours sincerely

Andrew Park

Large Charities Division

Charity Commission Direct
PO Box 1227
Liverpool
L69 3UG
T: 0207 674 2355
[email address]

show quoted sections

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John Walker

3 October 2008
Dear Andrew Park,

Thank you for your quick reply.

I expect to be able to provide you with further information about
Common Purpose in the near future.

As regards your email of 21 September 2008, the links do provide
the info I need.

I am absolutely certain that Common Purpose is deceiving the
Charity Commission, thereby undermining your purpose, integrity and
credibility. Common Purpose must not be allowed to get away with
treating with contempt a public body such as the Charity
Commission.

Yours sincerely,

John Walker

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Andrew Park
Charity Commission for England and Wales

3 October 2008
Dear Mr Walker,

Thank you for responding to me on this point. I will await any further
information that you may have.

Yours sincerely

Andrew Park

Large Charities Division

Charity Commission Direct
PO Box 1227
Liverpool
L69 3UG
T: 0207 674 2355
[email address]

show quoted sections

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S.McCaw left an annotation (17 March 2009)
I have also made a complaint to the Charities Commission regarding Common Purpose. I do not consider them to be a valid charity, as they do not operate for the public benefit, quite the opposite. I consider their motives political and therefor their abuse of the charitable status is illegal.

Politics = social relations involving authority or power

Common Purpose =
Attendance in a personal capacity (yet frequently paid for by tax payer money).

Clandestine networking.

Training to "lead out with authority"

Training the "leaders of the future"

Graduates selected to form 360 group to manage distribution of funds

Assistance in finding new positions for Graduates, at the expense of the public.

This charity operates illegally and I expect the Charity Commission to resolve this matter. I have reported it to my MP, and will report to the police if necessary.

Link to this
Stuart A Charlesworth left an annotation (10 April 2009)
Dear John,

I notice in their epistle earlier on in the history of your FOI request they state:

"Common Purposes objects are not political and we have not received any evidence to suggest that Common Purpose is engaged in anything illegal or in any activities that would lead us to question its charitable status."

So what about this then, telling Chief Constables how to do their job:
http://www.stopcp.com/CommonPurposeInstr...

Regards
Stuart Charlesworth

Link to this

Francis Irving left an annotation (2 June 2009)
Blog post about this request:

http://nodeinthenoosphere.blogspot.com/2...

Link to this
Liz Robillard left an annotation (18 December 2009)
I'm afraid my council (Kensington and Chelsea/RBKC) has abused taxpayers money in training people in this communist/Fabian groups' weird ways-to the tune of £5000+ EACH - although so far the PCT says it isn 't using the training, other departments refuse to confirm this properly- Best wishes, Liz Robillard

Link to this
Clothcap left an annotation (4 October 2010)
COMMON PURPOSE 'GRADUATES' BREACH THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC LIFE
Those Common Purpose 'graduates' who are public servants breach ALL the Seven Principles of Public Life as set out by the Committee on Standards in Public Life.

HOW THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES ARE BREACHED
Let me go through each of the Seven Principles of Public Life as set out on the Committee on Standards in Public Life website and explain how the principles are being breached.

1. Selflessness
Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or other benefits for themselves, their family or their friends.
People become Common Purpose 'graduates' for career advancement and to be part of a secret, Masonic-like society for careerists who want what Common Purpose has to offer - access to the corridors of power. This is not the action of a selfless person. The Common Purpose idea of 'leading beyond authority' is particularly attractive to the corporate psychopath class of person who will see it a green light to go around their organisation and pick up power wherever they find it laying around. These people are not noted for their selflessness.
2. Integrity
Holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might seek to influence them in the performance of their official duties.
Being part of the Common Purpose network brings those in public service under pressure to do favours for other Common Purpose 'graduates'. The lack of integrity and probity of some Common Purpose police officers is particularly disturbing.
Police officers are supposed to operate 'without fear or favour' but there are plenty of favours being done by Common Purpose police for their colleagues in the Common Purpose network. There is no need whatsoever for police officers to be part of any Common Purpose style network.
Here is a clear example of how Common Purpose seeks to corruptly influence the police:
http://www.stopcp.com/CommonPurposeInstr...
CommonPurpose Instructions to Police is a pdf file of a copy of a letter sent by Common Purpose to the Chief Constable of Fife giving instructions on how to deal with Freedom of Information requests made to him about Common Purpose. Many other Chief Constables would have received similar instructions.
Why is an 'educational charity' like Common Purpose giving instructions to police officers about how they should handle Freedom of Information requests made to them about Common Purpose? What is going on?
Here is a clear example of how Common Purpose seeks to corruptly influence the prison service:
http://www.stopcp.com/cphmpnorwichapolog...
Norwich prison released to Common Purpose the name and address of a person who quite legitimately asked them, under the Freedom of Information Act, why the prison was providing offices for Common Purpose, and how much Common Purpose was paying. HMP Norwich had no right to release this information contrary to the Data Protection Act and has had to apologise.
Why does Common Purpose want to know the identities of those people making FOI requests about them? Why did HMP Norwich flagrantly breach the Data Protection Act? What action is being taken against them? What is going on?
I wonder how many more examples there are of Common Purpose corruptly influencing members of the police, judiciary, armed forces and other public servants.
These Freedom of Information requests have given Common Purpose the jitters. Because they have so much to hide, Common Purpose cannot stand having questions asked about them and are now using their network of 'graduates' to put pressure on public authorities to refuse to answer questions about Common Purpose on the grounds that they are 'vexatious'.
This is an outrageous interference with the public's right to learn what public authorities are up to and how public money is spent.
3. Objectivity
In carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit.
Being part of the Common Purpose network will bring public servants under pressure to do favours for other Common Purpose 'graduates' rather than to act impartially and objectively.
Common Purpose has corrupted the British media, including the BBC - a public authority.
One of the main targets of Common Purpose is the media because 'New' Labour and Brussels need to control propaganda to the masses. Many BBC, ITV and other media personnel are members of the Common Purpose Revolution by Stealth operation.
The Common Purpose 'graduates' who have infiltrated the BBC have destroyed the reputation that the BBC had amongst many for independent and accurate reporting of news and current affairs. And this deceit has all been funded by the BBC Licence Tax payer.
4. Accountability
Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office.
There is a strong resistance amongst Common Purpose 'graduates' towards giving out details of their Common Purpose membership and the activities they engage in. Common Purpose operates according to the Chatham House rules which effectively means that meetings are held in secret with no agenda, records or accountability. Why are public servants allowed to attend these unaccountable meetings and training courses?
5. Openness
Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands.
There is a strong resistance amongst Common Purpose 'graduates' in public office towards giving out details of their Common Purpose membership and the activities they engage in. Common Purpose itself operates according to the Chatham House rules which effectively means that meetings are held in secret with no agenda, records or accountability. Hardly a recipe for 'Open Government'.
Just why are Common Purpose and some public bodies, such as some police forces, so frightened of the public finding out who their Common Purpose members are and what takes place on Common Purpose training courses by hiding behind Chatham House Rules and Freedom of Information exemptions? What has happened to probity?
There is very strong resistance by some public bodies towards giving out information requested in Freedom of Information requests about their dealings with Common Purpose.
Here are some of the methods some public bodies use to avoid disclosure of information under Freedom of Information (FOI) requests:
I. Section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act (2000)
Here is an example of identical requests made to different constabularies:
a. to the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary who provided names of Common Purpose graduates and expenditure on Common Purpose courses
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/co...
b. to the Norfolk Constabulary who refuse to provide the names Common Purpose graduates but provide expenditure details:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/co...
II. Section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act (2000) again:
a. here someone asked the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council for copies of Common Purpose invoices which were provided in full:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/wi...
b. here someone asked the Greater London Authority a similar question and were sent copies of the invoices with the names removed:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/co...
III. Asking about individuals
Look at the hoops they are jumping through at the BBC to avoid answering a question about Mark Thompson, Director-General of the BBC and his connection with Common Purpose:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ma...
If Common Purpose has nothing to hide, if Common Purpose is not sinister, then why do organisations keep from the public the names of persons who have attended Common Purpose courses? What have they to hide?
6. Honesty
Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest.
Many Common Purpose 'graduates' in public service deliberately hide their membership of Common Purpose. This leaves them open to accusations of dishonesty, corruption, favouritism and under-the-counter dealings. Common Purpose targets the grey areas where public and private bodies meet such as Local Strategic Partnerships. These are prime candidates for potential corruption and dishonesty.
Common Purpose 'graduates' are masters of deceit and doublespeak.
7. Leadership
Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.
A Common Purpose quote: "People who lead beyond their authority can produce change beyond their direct circle of control".
Leading beyond authority can mean acting ultra vires. Ultra vires a legal concept. It is Latin for 'beyond the powers'. It can apply to any body which has rules, such as a charity or a local authority. An ultra vires act is one that is outside the specified and/or implied constitutional objects and powers of the body in question. It is 'beyond the powers' and therefore illegal.
Also, what are the implications of 'leading beyond authority' for services which require a hierarchical management structure to ensure discipline and cohesion, like the armed forces and police which can be manipulated from within for political purposes?
Common Purpose 'graduates' are incapable of leading by example because those people who have found out what they are up to do not trust them at all.

More info here -
http://www.stopcp.com/cpbreachestheseven...