The fiscal choices made by the Chancellor are, by nature, decisions within the government’s remit. These decisions, often framed as trade-offs, are within the government’s authority to make. However, it is the responsibility of civil society organizations and their leaders to ensure that the needs of the people they serve are represented and that communities are supported through the consequences of these policies.
The latest measures announced today in the Spring Statement, which include deep cuts to welfare spending, will have a profound effect on the daily lives of millions of the poorest and already marginalized individuals in our society. Coupled with the forthcoming increases in National Insurance contributions, these policies will both heighten demand for services and reduce capacity of civil society organizations to meet that demand both in the short and long term.
These decisions will have lasting consequences on communities across the country, and it is essential that civil society sector leaders have a genuine opportunity to influence the way decisions are made and implemented in a way that does not further exacerbate inequalities and that meets the government’s stated commitment to work in partnership