The National Coalition for Independent Action has written an open letter to the chief executives of the sector’s major umbrella bodies who have all endorsed the revised Compact, complaining that the new document is wholly inadequate.

Andy Benson (pictured), joint convenor of the Coalition – whose new strapline is ‘We are not an arm of the state – we have our own arms’ – has addressed the letter to Stephen Bubb, Debra Allcock Tyler, Stuart Etherington, Kevin Curley and Justin David Smith, to confront their “ringing endorsement of the refreshed Compact”.

“The Compact is still a fig-leaf for unequal power relationships,” Benson wrote.

He told the chief executives that their contribution to the launch of the new document “so vividly illustrates what we have been complainig about in the sector for the last three years.  The relentless orthodoxy that there is only good news out there; that the sector is thriving and partnerships with government and their agents at local level are harmonious, successful and effective, and that any disagreement with this version of events is seen off as misinfromed, mischief-making or ignorant.

“What we see is a rather different picture, in which a large amount of money has now been spent on the Compact good news industry.”

Benson goes on to outline how public spending cuts are likely to affect voluntary groups and how the new Compact will be of no use in protecting them.  “The relationship between the state and our world of voluntary action is in crisis right now.  And whilst we in the NCIA don't pretend that we have all the answers, we are going to carry on telling the truth as we see it, and holding you and your organisations to account.

“If you want to be able to say that you represent the sector, you are going to have to do better than this supine spin.  We look foward to a response.”

Read the full letter here.