Speaking to delegates at the Labour Party Conference, it was surprising how negative some members were when asked their thoughts about the charity sector.
Some were ideologically indifferent or opposed to the charity sector, as you might expect from the left wing of the party, favouring instead a focus on state intervention.
A young party member said: “I don’t see charities as the route to addressing lots of the problems in society. I am sceptical of the role that charities play in changing society. A lot of the charity action on things like environmental issues does not focus on fundamental change.”
Also to be expected was some outrage from members at the sexual harassment scandals at charities including Oxfam and Save the Children that dominated headlines at the start of the year.
One member said: “I give 10 per cent of my income to charities, including Friends of the Earth, Oxfam, Cancer Research UK and my local cancer charity. Some of the stuff around Oxfam I found really disturbing. Oxfam was one where I thought about stopping my donation.”
While another said: “I am quite disturbed by [charities] at the moment. I used to give a standing order to a number of charities. But the Oxfam and Save the Children scandals put me off the sector.”
Chief executives pay
But an equally common response from delegates was that they had lost trust in charities because of the amount they pay their chief executives.
One member said they were “disturbed” by charity chief executives’ pay.
Another said: “The whole charity sector needs an overhaul. Chief executive salaries are a disgrace. Why should we work so hard and receive nowhere near that amount?”
This is not a new issue, with mainstream newspapers in 2013 and 2014 producing front pages with details of charities paying chief executives hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.
But while media outrage has died down, the issue appears to remain front and centre in the minds of many Labour Party members.
Many charities were bullish in their response to the media outcry around chief executive pay and on the surface, it would seem they are right to do so.
When a charity chief executive being paid £140,000 a year to do a very demanding job with a high level of responsibility makes a front page, while a private sector boss can earn millions without raising an eyebrow, it seems unfair.
But many Labour members are low-paid workers with a suspicion of high-paid bosses.
Another person was concerned about fraud.“Charities are a great vehicle for fraud. It has got worse in the last few years and needs an overhaul,” they said.
A source of innovation
In contrast to those members who were sceptical or untrusting of charities, some delegates were fully on-board with the benefits of the voluntary sector.
One member, a chair of a housing association, said: “Charities are really important, critical. I am not someone who thinks the public sector should do everything. Many innovations would not have happened without the charity sector.”
Another member said: “I think charities are very important in society. They fulfil a role that otherwise could not be done. With all sectors there will be some scandal. Obviously, charities should be held to a higher standard but it has not put me off from donating to them.”
Another said: “Charities play an important role in modern society, bringing to our attention global issues that need our government’s attention.”
Members appears to value charities’ campaigning efforts most highly. It will be interesting to see whether this attitude is mirrored by Conservative members.
|
Related articles
