Presented by Andrew O'Brien, Head of Policy at Charity Finance Group (CFG) and Dr Alexandra Kelso Associate Professor of Politics at Southampton University. A look at the implications of the 2015 election, and the new policy landscape for voluntary organisations. https://www.ncvo.org.uk/training-and-events/evolve-conference

1. SPEAKERS:
ANDREW O’BRIEN, HEAD OF POLICY, CHARITY
FINANCE GROUP (CFG)
DR ALEXANDRA KELSO, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF
POLITICS, SOUTHAMPTON UNIVERSITY
FACILITATOR:
RUTH DRISCOLL, HEAD OF POLICY AND PUBLIC
SERVICES, NCVO
S3: NCVO’S ANALYSIS OF THE 2015 ELECTION:
THE IMPLICATIONS FOR YOUR ORGANISATION

2. 1. A Tale of Two Osbornes
2. Some budgets are more
equal than others
3. Social Investment – The
Cheshire Cat of Voluntary
Sector Funding?
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THE ECONOMIC AND FUNDING
CONSEQUENCES OF THE ELECTION
ANDREW O’BRIEN, HEAD OF POLICY, CHARITY
FINANCE GROUP

3. “That is why, in the second phase of our deficit
reduction plan starting in 2018-19, we are set to
move into surplus, with the Government taking
in more than it is spending for the first time in 18
years. That means we can start properly paying
down our debts and reducing the scale of annual
interest payments – reducing the UK’s
vulnerability to future shocks by fixing the roof
while the sun is shining.” – Conservative Party
Manifesto, 2015
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4. “Osborne, the poster child
for British austerity, is
starting to look like a
closet Keynesian.” – Lord
Skidelsky, Professor Emeritus of
Political Economy, University of
Warwick, December 2014
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Copyright:
Lord Skidelsky

5. • In 2010 Osborne
said that he was
going to cut the
deficit within one
parliament.
• But economic events
combined with the
unpopularity of
some measures
meant that he scaled
back his ambition.
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DR OSBORNE
OR HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE
DEFICIT
COULD THE SAME THING HAPPEN AGAIN?

6. • The Conservatives have
promised to protect the NHS,
schools budget, the aid budget
and maintain the ‘triple lock’
on state pensions.
• Good news if you work in
these areas!
• But…this closes down
government’s room for
manoeuvre and means that
there will be sharp cuts in
other budgets.
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SOME BUDGETS ARE MORE EQUAL
THAN OTHERS
FISCAL POLICY IN THE AGE OF ‘PROTECTION’

7. 7
WHAT DOES PROTECTION LOOK LIKE?
Source: IFS Green Budget 2015

8. 8
WHAT DOES PROTECTION LOOK LIKE?
Source: IFS Green Budget 2015
• Some departments
budgets will have to be
radically altered in order
to meet the objective of
securing a surplus.
• These figures do not
include the protection of
schools budget or the
welfare cuts, but show
how this could break
down for individual
departments.

9. “We will innovate in how we deliver public
services
We have pioneered ways to deliver high-quality public services,
including through getting the voluntary sector more involved. For
example, our Work Programme has helped harness the talent and
energy of charities to help people turn their lives around and find
their way back into work. We will examine ways to build on this
type of innovative approach in the future.
We have also pioneered the use of social impact
bonds and payment-by-results, and we will look to
scale these up in the future, focusing on youth
unemployment, mental health and homelessness.”
Conservative Party Manifesto 2015
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10. “Access will not only
inject an additional
£100m of funding
support, but also grow
understanding of what
effective support looks
like to enable the
social economy to
reach its full
potential.” – Rob Wilson,
Minister for Civil Society, February
2015
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11. • Significant amounts have been
committed or made available for
social investment, including tens
of millions for the Access
Foundation and Investment and
Contract Readiness Fund.
• But it can take a while for it to
reach the frontline and how
much of this social investment is
in a form that charities can use?
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SOUNDS IMPRESSIVE BUT HOW MUCH
GETS TO THE FRONTLINE?
Source: Big Society Capital
Annual Report 2014

12. THANK YOU…AND MAY THE ODDS BE
EVER IN YOUR FAVOUR
Andrew O’Brien
Head of Policy & Public Affairs
Charity Finance Group
Email: andrew.o’brien@cfg.org.uk
Download our latest Economic Outlook Briefing, April
2014 from our website.
Please remember to complete and hand in your
evaluation forms.
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www.cfg.org.uk