Stuart Andrew MP has been appointed as the new charities minister, according to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
Andrew was appointed parliamentary under secretary of state at DCMS and minister for equalities at the Department for International Trade on 27 October 2022.
As well as becoming the new minister for civil society and loneliness, Andrew is also taking on the following briefs:
- Sport
- Tourism
- Youth
- Ceremonials (including the Coronation)
- Events including Eurovision, Unboxed, City of Culture
- Arts and Heritage in the Commons
He has experience of the charity sector, having joined the British Heart Foundation in 1994.
This then lead to roles at Hope House Children's Hospice and East Lancashire Hospice. Andrew was later appointed fundraising manager at Martin House Children's Hospice where he was responsible for leading a team charged with raising £4m a year.
Andrew has held several other ministerial roles, including as housing minister in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities from 8 February 2022 to 6 July 2022 and treasurer of HM Household from 13 February 2020 to 8 February 2022.
He became MP for Pudsey, Horsforth and Aireborough in 2010. In 2012, he was made parliamentary private secretary to Francis Maude MP.
In the 2015 general election, Stuart was re-elected and took on the role of parliamentary private secretary to Patrick McLoughlin MP.
‘It’s positive that he’s an MP and not in the Lords’
Jay Kennedy, director of policy and research at Directory of Social Change, said: “It’s great to see that Andrew seems to have some real experience of the charity sector and fundraising. We hope this will prove a good basis for building constructive engagement with the sector during a critical time and making progress on important issues like the cost of living crisis and the evolution of the Energy Bill Support Scheme.
“It’s positive that he’s an MP and not in the Lords, but questions still remain about how much impact and influence his role can have across government, especially as it seems likely he’ll have a big role in the Coronation. Charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises need him to take on the challenge of influencing colleagues in other departments like the Treasury, BEIS and DHLUC; a sector that’s estimated to contribute £200bn to society deserves far greater consideration, especially now.”
Caron Bradshaw, chief executive at Charity Finance Group, said: “CFG is delighted that the new minister for civil society has finally been announced. We welcome Stuart Andrew to his new role and wish him the very best at DCMS.”
She added Andrew will know from his own personal experience of campaigning and fundraising within the charity sector that it plays a hugely important role in how our society functions.
“We hope that within Mr Andrew's extensive portfolio that we will find plenty of opportunity to work together, to ensure that charities, and civil society more broadly, are not forgotten in policy-making. We look forward to building a fruitful relationship with the new minister.”
Sarah Vibert, chief executive at NCVO, said: “We continue to see the essential role voluntary organisations play in supporting communities across the country. We know that charities and volunteers will be key in getting people through this cost of living crisis and period of economic uncertainty.
“We look forward to working with Stuart Andrew in championing the sector, and making sure government takes advantage of our expertise and ability to work with communities."
Theo Clay, NPC's policy manager, said: “Charities are providing crucial support to people facing the many crises we face – the cost-of-living, an economic slowdown, the climate crisis, and deep inequalities across the UK. It’s encouraging therefore to have a minister who has worked in the sector and will be well placed to understand its strengths and the challenges it faces in delivering amidst these crises.
“For charities to plan effectively to support people struggling, the Minister will need to prioritise securing support for charities’ fuel bills next year, as well as how to unlock further philanthropic support for the sector.”
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