Ian Allsop returned from holiday to find many in the sector already needled by Brooks Newmark. This article was written for Charity Finance magazine, which went to press before Newmark resigned as minister for civil society.

You know what it’s like. You go away on holiday for two weeks, far from the United Kingdom (in the days when it truly was), and when you return everything has gone crazy.

First of all Scottish independence – which in early August seemed merely a (bag)pipe dream of a few passionate Scots – had suddenly become a realistic possibility. Indeed, by the time you read this, England may be undergoing a divorce and I may have a foreign wife.

Another thing I returned to was the ice bucket challenge. Aside from questioning the appropriateness of throwing water around to raise money for some charities – while other charities are trying to raise money to provide water to certain people – it was an astonishingly simple and effective idea.

Anyone who says different, and complains about how it became boring, is merely trying to – ahem – pour cold water over it.

Philanthropy misunderstood

I also came home to discover that they have changed the dictionary definition of ‘philanthropist’. That is the only explanation for it appearing in the same sentence as a certain former Prime Minister.

My initial idea for this column was simply to write the words ‘Tony Blair wins GQ Philanthropist of the Year Award’, and have them printed in very large font, as nothing could top it in terms of satire or humour (I was wrong, but more below).

I assume that ‘GQ’ in this case stands for Gun Quandary; or God Quest; or Gathers Quids.

Talking of holidays, it would be nice if we could have a fortnight’s break from MPs attacking the sector and using their ill-informed views to make political capital. And I suppose it was inevitable that during my absence at least one Tory MP would make a comment that would incite me to respond.

In this case it was Charlie Elphicke, and my old friend Chris Grayling, criticising the revolving door between charities and the Labour Party. Which is presumably situated next to the one between the Tories and big business.

On a related theme, one thing I did ask myself during a quiet moment abroad was: ‘I wonder whether Brooks Newmark has dropped a clanger yet?’ I was pleasantly surprised to discover he hadn’t, but luckily he has quickly rectified that. With added clang.

Much has already been said about Newmark’s speech where he stated that charities should “stick to their knitting” and stay out of the “realm of politics”, but let’s just recap.

Basically – and just think about this – a politician with responsibility for charities said that charities should stay out of politics.

It was a textbook example of how not to ingratiate yourself with the people you intend to work with.

The knitting comment was unfortunate and was, perhaps, leapt on a bit quickly by those who took it too literally, but it does have connotations of the sort of – again, ahem – woolly view some people have about what charities should be doing.

I considered making the rest of this piece one of those knitting patterns you get in magazines, so that people could make Brooks a pair of socks to protect his foot when he next puts it squarely into his mouth.

The man he replaced as civil society minister, Nick Hurd, urged us all to “cut him some slack” (really, what is it with these politicians and their love of making clothes?) and Newmark quickly apologised, and said he meant party politics.

He has been posting examples of himself visiting worthy projects and praising them effusively on his Knitter, sorry Twitter, account. But it may be too late. Many will have already (for the last time, ahem) been needled and cast him off.

Stephen Lloyd a very sad loss

The final thing that I found out when I checked a fortnight’s worth of emails was genuinely depressing – the tragic death of leading charity lawyer Stephen Lloyd. As well as inventing new legal forms in wine bars, and having a huge influence on shaping charitable law, Stephen was someone I (and many others) found engaging, warm, intelligent and good-humoured.

He never stuck to the knitting and enabled a great many organisations to operate effectively and benefit society in ways these politicians never seem to comprehend. Would that they have even half the nous he did. He will be greatly missed.

Ian Allsop is a freelance editor and journalist, and regular contributor to Charity Finance.