NCVO highlights dangers of hung parliament 1

Governance | Gareth Jones | 6 May 2010

The NCVO has warned that a hung parliament would mean charities are unlikely to be able to take long-term decisions due to “incredibly insecure” coalition arrangements.

In a short guide outlining what will and could happen in the event of such a scenario after today's election, the umbrella body argues: “If an administration can be formed it’s likely that any arrangements could be incredibly insecure.

“Businesses, local authorities and charities are likely to be unable to take long-term decisions due to the large degree of uncertainty.”

It adds that a coalition could end up governing for around two years as, partly for financial reasons, parties will be unwilling to fight another election so soon.

On the plus side, the document suggests that the pace of legislation could slow down significantly, offering the opportunity for more scrutiny and influencing.

It adds that the sector should not disengage in the expectation of another election because: “If we want our issues to be counted and taken forward we will quickly have to position ourselves within the political agenda regardless of political persuasion.”

Directory: National Council of Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)

Place a comment

Marc Phillips
National Head, Wales
BBC Children in Need
6 May 2010

This is a deeply flawed argument that merely reflects the immaturity with which the question of coalition and/or consensus politics is approached in parts of these islands. To correct one factual inaccuracy - Wales does not operate with a minority government, it operates with a formal coalition based on an agreed and stable commitment to a programme of Government. there is nothing inherently unstable in a coalition - just ask the Germans - and nothing to indicate that a further election within two years is "likely". It's possible, but only if potential partners fail to reach agreement on a programme of Government. I have more faith in our political leaders than that. The likeliest longterm outcome of the election (writing as I am, some 10 hours before polls close!) is that this will be the last ever Westminster election under a first-past-the-post system. The appetite for constitutional change is huge. If that proves to be the case then England - and respected bodies such as NCVO - needs to learn very quickly to understand coalition and minority government as a normal pattern, and adjust their behaviours and public statements accordingly,

[Reply]

Comments

[Cancel] | Reply to:

Name *

Email *

Organisation

Job Title

Comments *

Verification *

* Please read our Community Standards

Close »

Community Standards

The civilsociety.co.uk community and comments board is intended as a platform for informed and civilised debate.

We hope to encourage a broad range of views, however, there are standards that we expect commentators to uphold. We reserve the right to delete or amend any comments that do not adhere to these standards.

We welcome:

Robust but respectful debate
Strongly held opinions
Intelligent relevant discussion
The sharing of relevant experiences
New participants

We will not publish:

Rude, threatening, offensive, obscene or abusive language, or links to such material
Links to commercial organisations or spam postings. The comments board is not an advertising platform
The posting of contact details for yourself or others
Comments intended for malicious purpose or mindless abuse
Comments purporting to be from another person or organisation under false pretences
Gratuitous criticism, commentary or self-promotion
Any material which breaches copyright or privacy laws, or could be considered libellous
The use of the comments board for the pursuit or extension of personal disputes

Be aware:

Views expressed on the comments board are left at users’ discretion and are in no way views held or supported by Civil Society Media
Comments left by others may not be accurate, do not rely on them as fact
You may be misunderstood - sarcasm and humour can easily be taken out of context, try to be clear

Please:

Enjoy the opportunity to express your opinion and respect the right of others to express theirs
Confine your remarks to issues rather than personalities

Together we can keep our community a polite, respectful and intelligent platform for discussion.