Time to Engage!

As Autumn draws in after the summer holidays and party conferences, MPs are properly back in parliament this week. It’s hard to imagine that it’s been nearly three months since the first Labour government in 14 years took power. The thousand-yard stare of some Ministers on the telly tells its own story. 

In that short time, a series of ‘events, dear boy, events’ (a phrase attributed to former Prime Minister Harold MacMillan), have made the difficult task of taking over and governing the UK arguably even harder. From racist riots and floods at home, to war and destruction abroad, it’s a been a turbulent time for the country and its leaders. 

The unusual timing of the General Election – just before the normal summer recess, and followed by party conference season – has also given a stop-start feeling to the government’s ‘first 100 days’. Some unforced errors from a government without many people with previous experience of being in power has also surely played a part. 

However, the next few months may be different – or at least they offer an opportunity for a ‘reset’. Various domestic and international omni-crises will continue, but it’s likely that much has been going on behind the scenes with civil servants in Westminster that we aren’t fully aware of yet, the results of which may shortly start to be unveiled.  

Many are holding their breaths for the Chancellor’s first Budget in just a few weeks on 30 October, which will signal the new government’s wider direction of travel on spending and investment. 

But we also need to cast back to late July and the King’s Speech – the new government’s legislative programme which includes over 40 Bills and other measures that could affect the country dramatically, with implications for many charitable causes and millions of charity beneficiaires.  

The process of introducing and passing all this legislation will not just signal the government’s top priorities, it should provide fodder to help the set the news agenda and build some momentum. Despite all the recent turbulence, the new government has a massive majority and the legislative and regulatory pipeline is about to start moving much more swiftly. 

In a nutshell, this is why you need to be at DSC’s Engage conference on Thursday 17 October! This one-day conference will cover a huge range of issues to do with our current political situation and how charities can usefully engage and influence politicians and policy-makers. 

You’ll hear from a range of charity sector experts on how to influence the massive intake of new MPs, about some of the Bills that could affect our sector, key characteristics of successful campaigns, and what to look out for in the Budget in a few weeks. 

Given everything that’s at stake, can you afford not to be there? Don’t miss out on your place – book here now.