Conservative MP Oliver Letwin has questioned charities' role in lobbying Government for change at the NCVO's Campaigns Conference.

Letwin, chairman of the Conservative Policy Review, said: "I regret that so much of the effort in some parts of the voluntary sector is devoted to campaigning. What I treasure about the sector is not the campaigning. The special contribution of the sector is to do things, change things."

However, he saw a much greater role for charities in delivering services and called them a "foundation stone" for society.

He added: "The question is, are we going to be demanding too much of the voluntary sector, asking for things beyond its capabilities? Yes we will, which is why we have been spending time working out how to build capacity."

Danny Alexander, chair of the Liberal Democrat Manifesto Group and Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Chuka Umunna also took part in the debate about the content of each party's election manifesto.

Umunna questioned the Conservative hopes for the voluntary sector, arguing charities would be expected to "step up" and fill the gap left by big government but without extra funds to do so effectively.

He said the role played by the state would be pivotal in this year's election. He highlighted the Government's intervention to prevent a deeper banking crisis as an example of why state intervention was a "force for good".

Danny Alexander said the Liberal Democrats would focus on tax reform, improving education and services for children, and would maintain focus on the green agenda and decentralisation.

The conference was attended by over 120 people working in the voluntary sector.

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