Blog

Charity finance policy

5 July 2017, 09:30

The government is in danger of ignoring social issues in Brexit talks

It’s only been a year and it is clear that the public are starting to get Brexit fatigue. The most recent General Election was dubbed the ‘Brexit election’ but yet ...

Post byAndrew O'Brien

Where next?

Events »

Tuesday, 19 January 2021
Risk 2021 More »

News »

Wednesday, 6 January 2021
Media release: Charity sector innovation boom set to last beyond pandemic More »

It’s only been a year and it is clear that the public are starting to get Brexit fatigue. The most recent General Election was dubbed the ‘Brexit election’ but yet there was surprisingly little debate about Brexit, with issues funding public services and terrorism policy dominating the debate. Yet we still have two years before a deal is likely to be agreed and the government is already talking with the EU about our future relationship. So however heavy our eyelids might get, it is important that charities stay awake to Brexit and the consequences of the negotiation. CFG has been thinking a lot about how Brexit could impact on the charity sector (see my previous blog posts here and here) and we are going to keep working on this over the coming year (in a survey of members 96% responded that they wanted CFG to work on this issue!). But an important issue is not just what charities want but what does the public think. Politicians, particularly in this current environment, are going to be very sensitive to public mood about Brexit and perceived success of the negotiation. So we commissioned ComRes during the election to ask the public about what topics they thought were getting too much (or too little) focus and what groups the government was prioritising. You can find the full tables on the ComRes website. Interestingly, the public think that not enough focus was being given to improving the NHS (58%). Protecting small UK businesses (46%) and protecting the interests of the British public (46%) also featured highly on the list of topics which the public thought were not getting enough focus. Worryingly for the sector, 39% thought that about the right amount of focus had been given to supporting charities to help good causes in Brexit talks. Given that there has been little or no debate about this, this doesn’t stake up with reality. It might indicate that the public think that we are a low priority and so doesn’t expect to hear much about us. Or it could be that they don’t know what they should be listening out for. A silver lining (and following on a theme that I have covered in the Guardian Voluntary Sector) in the poll was that young people (18-24 year olds) were more likely to say that not enough focus was being given to supporting charities to help good causes (43%), compared with those 65+ (19%). This is something that we need to communicate with politicians and reinforces the need for politicians to be aware that young people have different focuses on Brexit than older generations. We also asked people to give us their views on which groups the government was prioritising in the Brexit negotiations. Respondents gave their ‘top three priorities’ and the breakdown was as follows:

54% of respondents said British businesses were a top-three priority;
43% said wealthy people and communities;
36% said the British public;
35% said foreign-owned businesses;
16% said “people like me”;
9% said disadvantaged people and communities;
5% said charities and voluntary organisations.

This gives a clear indication that the public sees the government as very focused on delivering a Brexit that works for business rather than looking at how Brexit can deliver a more socially-just society. Looking at this from a charity sector perspective, it is clear that most of the debate has been focused on issues such as the ‘Right to Remain’ for EU nationals, the divorce bill and free trade agreements. These are all important issues, particularly the first of these, but there hasn’t been very much discussion about what kind of society we want to see post-Brexit. Without a clear social vision, how do we know what kind of deal we need with the EU? This is where charities need to come in and be a voice for all parts of society. But we also need to say what we need from government in order to deliver social change. Change isn’t going to happen without actors to deliver it, and charities are one of the main vehicles that we have in the UK. Irrecoverable VAT, State Aid and public service regulations might sound boring, but if the government gets a deal which leaves these problems ‘frozen’ and insoluble, then this is going to make helping disadvantaged groups much harder to achieve. Alongside the debate about what happens to EU funds, these issues could cost the sector billions of pounds over coming years. The messages from this polling are clear. We need to be more vocal about our needs and our views on the Brexit negotiations. We need to push the government to deliver a social vision for post-Brexit Britain and advocate for a Brexit that prioritises the wider community, including the disadvantaged, not just elites. If we can do this, then we will be in the best possible position to exploit any opportunities that Brexit may bring the UK and the charity sector. Â« Back to all blog posts

Blog

The government is in danger of ignoring social issues in Brexit talks

Related Content

And then the world turned upside down…

Finance Focus November/December 2020

Finance Focus October 2020

Bespoke interventions for the sector are never more needed

Finance Focus September

Collapse in charity provision looms at moment of greatest need

Finance Focus August

Finance Focus July

Summer Economic Update

"Whack-a-mole" economic update

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme update

From red to green, but what does it mean for us?

Restarting the economy amidst coronavirus

Natwest support to the charity sector

What does the chancellor’s announcement mean for charities?

COVID-19: General guidance and short-term action planning

COVID-19 – what planning should charities be undertaking?

What should charities expect from the budget?

Caron Bradshaw appointed as a member of new SORP Committee

Sector bodies issue joint proposal for Chancellor ahead of March's Budget

Key messages from the Bank of England’s January Monetary Policy Report

Learn, earn and change the world: Social Change Degree Apprenticeship opens for second round of employer partners

Takeaways from the Migration Advisory Committee report

Economic Outlook Briefing December 2019

Finance Focus Nov/Dec 2019

A Charity Finance Manifesto To Enable Civil Society To Thrive

Has the Charity Commission has taken the wrong tone in its election guidance

Why does the narrative around public 'trust' makes me feel so uncomfortable?

What does Labour’s independent schools proposal mean for charities?

A living wage needs to lead to a sensible discussion about charity funding

Time to get on an election footing

Spending Review Briefing 2019

We must prepare for a no-deal Brexit

Five takeaways from August’s Inflation Report

The lessons for Oxfam and the wider sector

Our new PM is neither a buffoon nor a jester. It's time to take him seriously.

What does the new prime minster mean for the charity sector?

The Charity Tax Commission report - does it go far enough?

BEIS Review of the Financial Reporting Council

CFG Annual Handbook 2019

Economic Outlook Briefing 2019/20

Brexit crystal ball

Spring Statement 2019

If it comes down to a vote on no-deal, vote against it, says CFG

Charity Property Matters Survey 2018

CFG responds to the Charity Commission’s consultation on the SORP-making process

Charities are ill-prepared for a no-deal Brexit and fear the worst: CFG survey

Are you prepared for a WTO Brexit?

What the recent SCOTUS judge controversy can teach us about the Charities’ SORP

The Brexit deal is bad for charities says CFG, as it urges MPs to vote against it on Tuesday

London Charity Property Survey Findings

London Charity Property Survey Results in Summary

London Property Survey Statistical Analysis

Increasing number of charities fear property poses risks to their charitable mission

Charity Finance Group's briefing on the Autumn Budget 2018

Live Blog: Budget 2018

Labour Conference September 2018 update - Brexit and Beyond

Brexit will be bad for both charities and beneficiaries, says new report from CFG

Cost Benefit Analysis Of Brexit For Charities

Does the Civil Society Strategy deliver for charities?

Post-Brexit immigration rules could cause skills shortage in charities

The charity work force in post-Brexit Britain

Economic Outlook Briefing 2018

Charities need to find nearly £4bn additional income by 2020 finds CFG

CFG Annual Handbook 2018

Apprenticeship Levy Guide

Spring Statement 2018: What should charities be looking out for?

Review: Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing Report - Extremism in Charities

A stairway to heaven on business rates for the charity sector?

Live Blog: Autumn Budget 2017

What should charities expect from the Autumn Budget 2017?

Serious but still lacking substance – Labour Party Conference 2017

Government no longer has the luxury of ignoring charities

Could political instability create financial instability for charities?

Local infrastructure needs more support if it is going to meet needs of small charities, finds CFG report

Why has CFG written a report on potential Brexit deals?

Charities could thrive with a ‘clean Brexit’ says major report