PM attends first Civil Society Council meeting

Prime Minister Keir Starmer attended the first meeting of the Civil Society Council, the charity leaders’ body set up to oversee implementation of the government’s Civil Society Covenant.

The meeting took place last week and was also attended by Cabinet Office Minister for Procurement Chris Ward, as part of the Covenant’s pledge to better involve the charity sector in government decision making.

“It was great to have the Prime Minister Keir Starmer join us,” said Council member and Children’s Society’s chief executive Mark Russell.

Ward’s presence was also welcomed by Russell, as “we know commissioning and procurement cause frustrations and difficulties across civil society”.

Also attending was Council member UK Community Foundations chief executive Emma de Closset who described the meeting, which was chaired by NCVO chief executive Kate Lee, as “a serious effort to build bridges and mutual understanding between government and civil society”.

She also welcomed 10 Downing Street resourcing the Council with “a proper secretariat”.

“If I had to summarise the session in three words, they would be: respect, ambition and accountability,” said de Closset.

“Respect from government for civil society, and our respect for those efforts. Ambition about what we can achieve together. And accountability for getting stuff done.”

Other issues raised at the meeting were volunteering rates, capacity levels among smaller charities and partnership working.

The NCVO has backed the meeting’s “strong focus on how changes to procurement and a renewed definition of social value could unlock more opportunities for charities and social enterprises”.

It added: “It was a constructive and wide-ranging discussion with a shared commitment to turning this into tangible action.”

According to 10 Downing Street: “Civil Society needs to be meaningfully brought into the heart of government, the PM said, and that is why the launch of the Covenant, and the creation of this Council, have come at such an important time.

“Partnership must be at the heart of this, where civil society and government come together to deliver better outcomes for the British people.”