There were two unwelcome returns over the past week, as this mag was being put together.
First, for me personally, was a very unwelcome return of Covid which wiped me out and left me unable to attend SCVO’s Gathering, and subsequently unable to lead TFN’s planned discussion on the relationship between the voluntary and the public sector.
This was deeply frustrating for me, but more so for the speakers and delegates. Apologies all round, but we will be (yes) returning to this.
An even more unwelcome return was that of David Cameron – now an unelected Lord appointed by an unelected prime minister to become an unelected foreign secretary.
Years of my time at TFN, starting in 2014, were taken up with the successive Cameron governments’ ideologically driven, unnecessary and despicably cruel, enforced austerity programme. I must have churned out literally tens of thousands of words about it.
It’s not so often talked about these days, but it should be. It framed the backdrop to our poor and deadly Covid outcomes and it and the bankers’ trashing of the economy set the scene for the present cost of living crisis. That Cameron the crazed cutter is seen as a moderating voice in the Tory cabinet tells you a lot about this UK Government.
Our international aid sector will now have to deal with him head-on.
Austerity never went away. Never forgive, and never forget.
In much more uplifting news, SCVO’s Gathering was a tremendous access and it really showcased the vibrancy or our sector. For those of you (like me) who weren’t there, I urge to join in the online Gathering Extra on Wednesday, 29 November, and also to take a look at our brilliant #EssentialSector campaign.
There’s lots more about this in this month’s magazine, starting on page 10.
On arrivals: our first minister is still relatively new in the job; new enough anyway for this to have been his first Gathering. By all accounts he came across really well. He seemed to show a creditable knowledge and understanding of the sector.
He also came ready primed with the warm words we are well accustomed to. But warm words don’t pay bills, staff wages or fund services. If it seemed like there was some progress on the issue of funding, and maybe just maybe the mood music was more upbeat this time, then that’s a good thing. But we must keep up pressure here.
You can read about this on pages 6-7.
And finally, on departures: there was one great bit of news as this went to press. See ya Suella!
Graham Martin is editor of TFN.
