Manifestos don’t matter in #GE2015

Elections are about making choices. With all the party manifestos now launched people have plenty of choice. But most people won’t read them - especially voters. Why? Because they are not a promise. They are simply a starting point for post-election negotiation. That is why the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is not releasing an election 'manifesto' for GE2015 – it’s a pointless exercise. That’s not to say we don't have 'asks'. We do. After five years of the UK Coalition Government we live in a meaner country where we tolerate poverty, penalise the poorest and most vulnerable in our society, and play a blame game whereby one section of the population - scroungers, immigrants and asylum seekers amongst others - are held responsible for our many ills. There is much we need to change.

The problem is that political parties are focusing on winning not on making real policy promises to deliver real change.

The problem is that political parties are focusing on winning not on making real policy promises to deliver real change. They’re simply in a bidding war with each other, trying to pull the most eye-catching (and usually unfunded) policies from the proverbial hat. Few manifesto ideas will survive contact with the realities of power or government finances. It’s political Punch and Judy at its worst. In the third sector we demand more. We stand for a society where all are included, valued and supported. Where no-one is left behind. Voluntary organisations and wider civil society have always been involved in the debate about what matters in our country, the role government should have and the policies that should be adopted. We can infuse the political debate with ideas drawn from the front line, where our work with the most dis-advantaged and marginalised citizens brings up issues which mainstream politics would rather ignore. But not in this election. The UK Government’s hostility and attempts to muzzle the campaigning ambitions of charities is odious. The Lobbying Act is the culmination of a clamour to close down all dissident voices, including Trade Unions. The real damage is that the voices of the vulnerable, the poorest and people and communities throughout the UK are not being heard. In Scotland we have a healthy and robust relationship between parliament, government and the third sector, and a joint agenda in building a socially just Scotland. Scotland's third sector and wider civil society have long recognised that we need a different approach to poverty, democracy and the economy. We want a country that has a shared sense of purpose, is fair and prosperous, and where the entire population has the opportunity to participate on equal terms. Achieving this 'vision' and changing our society for the better won't be easy and is a task that will take at least two generations - something a manifesto designed to win an election conveniently ignores.

We want a country that has a shared sense of purpose, is fair and prosperous, and where the entire population has the opportunity to participate on equal terms.

But you need to make a start, which is why we want an incoming UK Government to: end the austerity agenda that disproportionately impacts on the poorest in society; commit to tackling increasing poverty and inequality in the UK; end welfare cuts and the creation of a fairer system which allows people to participate fully in society; and end punitive and counterproductive sanctions that are devastating people’s lives. Tackling inequality, gender equity, social justice and citizen participation are at the heart of many third sector missions in building a socially just Scotland. To accelerate how we tackle this - in Scotland at least - we need the Smith Commission powers to be delivered with the full devolution of powers relating to welfare, employability and equalities. This means: the devolution of all welfare and employability powers and their accompanying benefits, except pensions; the devolution of a portfolio taxes and taxpayer base to generate income, which includes any associated tax support for charities such as VAT relief; and the full devolution of equality law to better align equality with devolved policy areas such as housing, health, education, employment and justice. We also want the immediate cancellation by the new UK Government of the renewed contracts for the Work Programme and a halt to the roll out of Universal Credit in Scotland. That alongside using our existing powers more effectively will be a starting point for a progressive, people-led approach to doing things differently and better. The third sector knows and has been clear on what it wants - we don't need a manifesto to articulate it. We want an ambitious and positive Government that aims to create a more equal society and more vibrant communities, a modern economy which works for the many not the few, and a more engaged and participative democracy. This election will decide who governs the UK not - despite all the manifestos promises - the policies it will follow. Choose wisely.