MPs and government ministers are increasingly unwilling to engage with charities unless the issue “secures column inches”, according to a study.
Researchers spoke to some of the UK’s biggest charities and found a 12-month trend among MPs and ministers of decreased engagement with, and fewer responses to outreach from, voluntary groups.
Sector leaders fear the issue is delaying or scuppering crucial work to support people in need.
Almost half of the UK’s 25 largest charities took part in the detailed study, including Save the Children, RSPCA, Parkinsons UK and Macmillan.
It found:
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Letters to ministers on key, timely issues are going unacknowledged, with no confirmation of receipt.
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MPs and government are “slow to respond and far less engaged, unless it can secure them good news and column inches”, or unless an issue is aligned with their increasingly domestic-focused priorities.
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Bills seem more likely to be delayed or risk falling entirely, with wider-world contexts given as the reason, even when unrelated to the matter at hand.
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Charities receive fewer responses to meeting requests, and those that are confirmed are at the last minute.
The research was carried out by campaigns agency Blue State, which works for some of the world’s biggest charities, brands, NGOs and political organisations.
Tom Baker, director of campaigns and organising at Save The Children, said: “We’re finding more and more MPs don’t want to respond or engage with our supporters.
“This feels like a shift from 2020 when meeting virtually felt ‘new’, so we saw more opportunities to connect.”
David Bowles, head of public affairs at RSPCA, said: “The UK government appears to be split on animal welfare issues when it comes to responsiveness. While we still get a good response from ministers within Defra, we see lesser response from wider civil servants and the UK government.”
Charities engage with the government via letters, petitions, meetings and direct action, all of which helps further their work and those they support.
As people begin to feel the effect of public service, healthcare, education and other cuts in Britain, the work of charities and their productive engagement with MPs and politicians is likely to be more vital than ever.
A representative from one of the UK’s biggest health charities, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “Ministerial engagement seems to have decreased – it feels harder to get meetings and we’re finding ministers are less responsive to meeting requests with timelines for meetings becoming increasingly last-minute.
“There is a sense that ministerial engagement is much more aligned to their priorities rather than proactive stakeholder engagement or responding to priorities charities are seeking to put forward.”
Hannah Johnson, executive director at Blue State, who instigated the survey, added: “Raising awareness that the government is currently less responsive to the needs of the sector is key – we need them to step up.
“At this time of huge national and international pressure, it is crucial for there to be a regular dialogue between the public, government officials and the organisations seeking to represent their best interests and solve issues that threaten livelihoods. Switching off or not replying is simply not good enough.”