Policy blog

We've known that tackling the climate emergency would be the prime agenda item for this year's Programme for Government, and rightly so. The First Minister announced several 'Green Deal' policy commitments. These included decarbonising the transport system, the transition away... Read more

Prime Minister Johnson (I think we can ditch ‘Boris’ now?) prorogues Parliament... Prorogues? Isn’t that the Irish band with that Christmas number one? After careful research, it seems not. What he has, in fact, done is to ask The Queen to suspend Parliament from 9th September to... Read more

Well, after almost a fifth of a century, I'll be leaving SCVO - and what a ride it's been! Welfare rights activists defending the most vulnerable in Parliament. 200,000 people circling around Edinburgh to march against poverty. Work colleagues arriving, making their mark, then... Read more

Challenge Poverty Week has been coordinated by the Poverty Alliance for the last seven years, and it is an opportunity for third sector organisations to highlight what they are doing address poverty, showcase the solutions we can all get behind to solve it and commit to more... Read more

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has issued an open letter to all UK Parliament party leaders demanding action to stop a no-deal exit from the European Union. The letter – sent on 19 August 2019 - highlights the hugely negative impact no-deal Brexit could... Read more

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is the most rapidly and widely ratified international human rights treaty in history. Created 30 years ago in 1989, it continues to be of vital importance to children and young people around the world. It was the... Read more

In response to today’s publication of the Charity Tax Commission’s ‘Reforming charity taxation’ report, Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) said: “SCVO welcomes the Commission’s attempt to undertake a fundamental review of... Read more

Last month I blogged on the need for Scotland’s third sector to step up its role in Scotland’s publicly owned investment bank. Now, with the Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee’s Stage One Report published, I consider how work to set up Scotland’s National Investment Bank... Read more

Last week, the Scottish Government announced its next steps in the review of Scottish charity law following a consultation period on its proposals to update charity legislation for the first time since 2005. Many in the sector – including SCVO – were hoping for reform but were... Read more

Without the right culture, it’s easy to talk ourselves out of collaboration and simpler to avoid challenging the dynamics that come with partnership working. However when it comes to addressing society’s greatest challenges – reflected by the UN Sustainable Development Goals and... Read more