Rethinking Civil Society: A Call for Clarity, Collaboration, and Long-Term Commitment
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced plans for a “fundamental reset” as the government publishes a framework for a new working relationship with civil society. The creation of a ‘Civil Society Covenant’ will herald a new era of partnership between government and civil society, aiming to address some of the country’s most significant challenges.
There are four key principles that will form the foundation of the Civil Society Covenant: transparency, recognition, participation, and partnership. Here, Trust CEO Jessica Taplin shares her insights on what a Civil Society Covenant should encompass to ensure effective and enduring collaboration.
Openness and Transparency
The government must clearly define the challenges it seeks to address—whether in poverty, health, or disability—and be transparent about financial, legislative, and prioritisation constraints. Historically, government responses have often involved warm words without actionable follow-through, primarily due to a lack of clarity regarding the scope of issues and the specific support required from civil society. Furthermore, issues like fuel poverty span multiple departments (e.g., Department for Energy Security, DWP, and Ministry of Housing), and this fragmentation complicates effective collaboration. Therefore, there should be a clear purpose and strategy to discussions with civil society, with transparency on the purpose and output expected. This would enable the formation of cross-sector working groups, convened to consider solutions to complex problems such as fuel poverty and a just transition.
Addressing Charitable Function and Government Engagement
The term “charity sector” encompasses diverse organisations with vastly different missions, sizes, and approaches. Other sectors, such as health, insurance, and housing, are segmented by function rather than profit model; civil society should be treated similarly. Can a “Civil Society Covenant” truly represent such a varied range of organizations, from medical trusts to food banks? We need a fundamental shift in how the government engages with us, recognising that our sector is not a monolithic entity and needs to be addressed by function and focus rather than merely financial model. There is room for even contrasting missions, such as the Farming Community Network and The Vegan Society, illustrating the sector’s diversity.
Expanding Engagement and Diverse Voices
The government should look to broaden and deepen its engagement spectrum within civil society, seeking new and different viewpoints – whilst organisations like NCVO and ACEVO are valuable, they are one part of a complex and varied ecosystem. A more inclusive and diverse range of stakeholders should participate in discussions, as the current dominance of the same individuals limits the scope for differing perspectives.
Collaboration Across Sectors
A stronger co-working approach to partnership is needed between charities, businesses, and the government. Charities and business should be regarded as professional experts and equal partners, working with business and government- most challenges would benefit from a cross-sector solution where each bring a their expertise, resource and experience to the table.
Identifying Unintended Consequences
Charities often excel in identifying unintended consequences of policies and providing mitigation strategies. The government must engage with the sector early to assess potential impacts of policy changes—such as Universal Winter Fuel Rebate testing—before implementation.
National Insurance Impact
Further consideration of the ripple effect of policy downstream on charities and non-profits should be considered and where possible, protections implemented. For example, the upcoming National Insurance changes do not exempt charities, unlike government employees, and they will impose an additional £1.4 billion cost on the sector. A recent request by charity leaders to extend National Insurance exemptions to hospices—currently utilised by NHS entities—was rejected. This underscores the need for the government to consider the consequences of policy decisions on civil society, especially when discussing the Civil Society Covenant.
Multi-Term, Politically Neutral Commitments
We strongly advocate for multi-term commitments that remain politically neutral to ensure sustained progress. The sector has faced numerous disruptions due to shifts in political priorities, such as the funding cut for Vinspired in 2011 or the recent shutdown of the National Citizen Service. Stability is crucial for effective long-term planning and delivery.
Financial Realism and Sector Expectations
Given the country’s financial constraints, there must be realism and acknowledgement that continually asking for more funding is untenable. Equally, the government should realise just how much charities deliver by way of support services, but that despite that, they should not be treated as a fall back for a lack of government services. Charities often reduce the burden on state services by delivering care and support efficiently and compassionately and have different drivers to public institutions. Prioritising government contracts for non-profit organisations could maximise the value of public funds by ensuring expenditure directly enhances services rather than generating shareholder profits.
Moving Forward
To ensure the covenant’s success, transparent communication, mutual respect, and shared goals among all stakeholders are essential. The proposed covenant should include clear guidelines for accountability, regular evaluations to track progress, and mechanisms for amicably addressing conflicts.
Collaboration’s importance has been echoed by experts and leading figures in the sector, such as Sir Stephen Bubb, former head of ACEVO, and was a key recommendation in the Trust’s recently published report, ‘Towards an end to fuel poverty in Britain’.
To ensure charities can thrive, organisations like the Charity Finance Group and NPC, are advocating for a fairer financial framework and an enhanced relationship between the state and civil society.
Only by fostering an environment of trust and cooperation, will the covenant enhance the effectiveness of civil society initiatives.
Trust CEO Jessica Taplin recently wrote an additional thought piece on Rethinking profit: embracing regenerative business for social impact