2024 was a decisive year for the Manifesto Club, which enabled us to expand our work and take it to a new level. The Manifesto Club received an increased grant income in 2024, including £40k from Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, £5k from the Politics and Economics Research Trust, and £2k from the Oakdale Trust. This came in addition to £9555 income from public donations. Some of these grants covered activities carrying into early 2025, as reflected in the surplus at the year end. This increase in trust funding enabled us to employ a contract researcher for freedom of information requests, and a contract web support for website improvements.

This was reflected in the work carried out in the year. We published three substantial reports, releasing FOI and case study research on the police use of ASB powers, and council use of Community Protection Notices (CPNs) and Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs). These reports found that CPNs were being used to restrict public activities including noisy quiz nights; that PSPO penalties had increased by 42% in 2023, and that 75% of these penalties are now issued by private companies on commission. All reports and briefings received substantial media coverage, including a Times leader on CPNs, and regular high-profile coverage in the Telegraph, Guardian, and Mail, as well as local media.

We also produced several policy responses, on subjects including plans to expand byelaw powers; Respect Orders; fining for profit; as well as the Criminal Justice Bill (‘ASB Action Plan’). These all achieved media coverage (in the Mail, Spectator and Telegraph) and widespread public distribution and response. Thanks to our media and parliamentary pressure, the current government has been forced to deal with the issue of fining for profit, which was not part of its incoming agenda. We also gained the scrapping of the ASB Action Plan/Criminal Justice Bill, which would have meant giving police forces powers to ban activities in public spaces.

Also in 2024, we made important institutional developments: we established an advisory council (chaired by the Liberal Democrat peer Tim Clement Jones), which meets triannually. We also expanded our network of supporters, as well as setting up regular meetings with these supporters. Our board of directors has overseen and coordinated these developments, under the chairmanship of Peter Lloyd.

We seek to build on these gains in 2025 and 2026 – maintaining or increasing this higher level of income, which will enable us to employ more contract assistance and therefore further increase our operations. We also seek to expand our public impact and public supporters base. Our priorities will be to increase our broader public recognition and network, and to further deepen our relation with our supporters, such that they feed into Manifesto Club work and strategy.

The club would like to thank all our donors, and especially our supporters, for helping to make this such a successful year.