A new survey conducted by the Charity Finance Group and the Institute of Fundraising has found that less than half of respondents think that the government should consult with charities regarding Brexit.
The survey, commissioned by CFG and the IoF and conducted by market research consultancy ComRes, found that just 27 per cent of respondents said the government should consult with charities about getting the best deal for the UK before Brexit, while 31 per cent said charities should be consulted about deciding future policies once the UK has left the European Union.
In response to the question: ‘When thinking about how Brexit will affect the UK, which organisations or sectors do you think the government should be consulting with about getting the best deal for the UK?’, only 27 per cent of total respondents said that charities and society groups should be consulted.
The survey had 2,024 respondents and was conducted online between 19 and 20 October 2016. ComRes said the data was then weighed so as to be nationally representative of all adults aged 18 years and over.
Indeed charities were the second least popular option for respondents, only beating out the media which received just 18 per cent of total respondents.
By contrast, 58 per cent of respondents said the government should consult with UK parliament, 57 per cent said with businesses and 43 per cent said with the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
When asked who the government should consult on deciding future policies once the UK leaves the EU, charities fared slightly better, with 31 per cent of respondents identifying the voluntary sector. However, charities were still the second least popular option for respondents, being beaten out by think tanks, with 34 per cent, and UK businesses, with 42 per cent of respondents.
Andrew O’Brien, head of policy and engagement at CFG, called the results “disappointing”, but said the survey indicated “a strong base on which charities can grow”.
O’Brien also noted that younger respondents, between the ages of 18-24, were “more likely to say that charities should be consulted on future policies than the over 65s”.
He said that: “Charities are not going to be listened to by right; they need to fight for a seat at the table and for a chance that the needs of their beneficiaries will be considered.”
O’Brien has also written a blog on the subject, a link to which can be found here.
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