A split has opened up in the umbrella group which represents Scottish charities over new lobbying legislation.

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has previously described transparency campaigners as “London-centric conspiracy theorists”.

The SCVO’s Director of Public Affairs, John Downie, who speaks for 1,500 members, claimed that lobbying is “a completely different ball game” in Scotland.

He said he would support Scottish Government proposals for a bill which forces lobbyists to be listed “so long as any register is light touch”.

But a new coalition of organisations calling for stricter regulations includes several groups which are paid up members of the SCVO.

A source at one charity, who asked not to be named, said: “SCVO’s view isn’t necessarily shared by every member as the voluntary sector encompasses a very broad range of organisations.”

The Scottish Government’s Lobbying Bill was published last week and Holyrood’s Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee will hold evidence sessions on Nov 12 and 19.

A coalition of groups is expected to submit four demands which include a call for the legislation to demand that all contacts between lobbyists, politicians and their staff are recorded, as well as the cost of the campaign to influence public policy.

Among the confirmed coalition members are Alcohol Focus Scotland and Electoral Reform Society Scotland – both members of the SCVO.

Acting Chief Executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, Jennifer Curran, said: “The limited scope of the proposed register means the bulk of lobbying activity will stay hidden. This will suit large corporations, who like to lobby in secret, but it doesn’t benefit democracy ... We need full disclosure of all lobbying activity.”

Director of the Electoral Reform Society Scotland, Willie Sullivan, added: “Scotland is in danger of being complacent...One worry is that the proposed register only includes face to face meetings while everyone knows that proper transparency needs to show email and phone contacts as well.”

More SCVO members are expected to break ranks in the coming days.

The SCVO’s John Downie insisted he has “no issue” with members pushing for tighter controls on lobbying.

He said: “One of the defining characteristics of the voluntary sector in Scotland is its diversity. For every one of our members supporting the call, there is another that does not.

“What we need to do is avoid bureaucratic burdens being heaped on the third sector. Imagine a local charity with a small staff having to record and report on every communication it had with elected public officials and government employees. It is simply unworkable - but that is the reality of what would result from these proposals.”

This view is shared by Phil Morgan, Deputy Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), who said: “The idea behind making the bill broader and putting bigger burdens on lobbyists is to force them – and the people they represent – out of politics and deny their right to be heard.”

However, Labour MSP Neil Findlay, who led the drive for stricter regulations in Scotland, dismissed the Scottish Government’s proposals, saying: "It totally ignores the fact that we live in an age of the internet, emails and conference calls...The bill also ignores the role of special advisors and civil servants who are very often heavily lobbied on a range of policy issues.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We remain open to any suggestions on how legislation can be further improved as we look to ensure that lobbying in the future is as open and transparent as possible.”