The National Trust has been accused of embracing a "North Korean approach" to their controversial voting system by a former supreme court judge.
Lord Sumption claims the membership charity is disrespecting grassroots activists by making it harder to oppose its preferred policy direction.
During its annual general meeting, a "quick vote" system is used to approve its annual report and choice of trustees in one click.
However, it appears to take significantly longer to select alternative options.
Lord Sumption claims the membership charity is disrespecting grassroots activists by making it harder to oppose its preferred policy direction
GettyLord Sumption said it had become "virtually impossible for somebody who is not endorsed by management" to gain a place on the Trust’s council.
"National Trust members ought to be trusted, rather than treating them as children who need to be pulled by the nose in whatever direction the management thinks proper," he told The House magazine.
"It really is rather a North Korean approach."
Historian Andrew Gimson - who is a member of the grassroots-led pressure group Restore Trust - echoed Lord Sumption.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
He said: "I am not the kind of person who wants the National Trust to be politicised.
"But how do you protest without being political? I would rather not be doing this but there have been persistent attempts to ransack history for things that are morally outrageous to the present day.
"It is a profoundly unhistoric way of doing things."
The pressure group was created following the release of a 115-page National Trust report which linked its properties with slavery and colonialism in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Trust caused further uproar after Christmas and Easter were excluded from an "inclusivity and well-being" but saw Diwali, Eid and Ramadan all featuring.
The National Trust has been accused of embracing a 'North Korean approach' to their controversial voting system by a former supreme court judge
Getty
Last month, Sir Keir Starmer spoke out against the accusations of "woke" behaviour and condemned the Tories who he said had gone to "war" with the charity.
He said: "Instead of working with the National Trust so more people can learn about – and celebrate – our culture and our history, they’ve managed to demean their work… That’s what happens when politics of self-preservation prevail over commitment to service."
A National Trust spokesman said: "Quick Vote was introduced to enhance the voting options available to members without taking any away. Feedback from many members has been they find it a useful option after making an informed decision. They are entirely free not to use quick vote for either Council nominations or member resolutions.
"The Charity Commission said it was satisfied our report on colonial history and historic slavery was within our remit and that we gave due consideration to how the report and the research behind it would further our charitable purpose."
