The IEA has widely been credited as the inspiration for Liz Truss’s disastrous mini budget.

The charity regulator has reopened a complaint into the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), to reassess whether the right-wing charity has broken charity law.

The IEA, which has been widely credited as the inspiration for Liz Truss’s disastrous mini budget, and which has previously received a warning from the Charity Commission for using its resources to campaign for a hard Brexit, once again finds itself at the centre of an investigation.

The charities regulator took just 12 days to clear the IEA when the initial complaint was made by the Good Law Project on behalf of Layla Moran, Clive Lewis and Alyn Smith – MPs for the Liberal Democrats, Labour and SNP, respectively, which accused the IEA of having extremist views and being in breach of charity regulations around political campaigning.

Among the allegations levelled at the IEA, is the claim by the Good Law Project that it promotes extreme views, such as arguing there’s “no sensible scientific objection” to increasing drilling in the North Sea.

However, the charities regulator took just 12 days to dismiss the initial complaint.

The Good Law Project states: “The decision was so shocking that we went back to Dr Andrew Purkis and our group of MPs to issue a formal complaint over the commission’s handling of this case. We argued that the strength of evidence we submitted in March was so strong that it was irrational for the Charity Commission to conclude there’s no cause for concern – particularly in light of the IEA’s history of flouting charity law.

“It’s a scandal that an organisation pushing an extreme political agenda which seems so plainly in breach of charity regulations should keep taking advantage of the tax breaks charitable status affords.”

In a letter published by the Good Law Project, the commission now says that it has decided to reassess the complaint against the IEA.

Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward

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