Third sector organisations must continue engaging with the government despite ministers’ “hostile attitudes”, charity leaders have urged.
In a panel discussion at the think tank NPC’s annual conference in London yesterday, charity experts gave their views on the role of the voluntary sector in politics and policy-making as the country gears up for an anticipated general election next year.
Panellists were asked how charity leaders can build a productive relationship with the government while some ministers continue to use “hostile” rhetoric when speaking about key issues, such as immigration.
Paul Kissack, chief executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said that the charitable sector “undoubtedly” witnessed hostility from ministers but added: “The hostility we’ve seen is defensive posturing. In any given government we see ministers that behave like that and ones who do engage constructively.”
He said that no matter what the outcome of a general election, charities should continue to engage with the government.
Sunder Katwala, director at the charitable think tank British Futures, said that, while it may seem like a “challenge to navigate the heat and temperature of some of the debates at the moment”, it is important for charities to try to co-produce change with government ministers.
Kissack told delegates it was important to continue to campaign “loudly and angrily” for change, alongside conducting closed-door engagement with politicians.
“It is possible to be a loud campaigner that the government may not like, but also engage with policy work more quietly behind the scenes,” he said.
Earlier this month, Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, gave a speech at the Conservative party conference in which she accused the voluntary sector of opposing her party’s immigration policies.
Emma Haddad, chief executive of the homelessness charity St Mungo’s, said at the panel discussion: “Lobbying for change feels like a responsibility for the charity sector, on behalf of the people we support. We have to make sure those voices are heard, and that the system works better for those people.”
Rebecca Gill, executive director at Rosa, a grant-maker operating solely within the women and girls charitable sector, noted that 85 per cent of these charities are micro organisations, which she said could make it more challenging to lobby the government on issues that affect them.