Policy blog

As the dust settles on another extraordinary election result there are more questions than answers about what happens next. Will the PM hang on? Is an accord with the Ulster Unionists viable? Just what are the implications of this result for the kind of Brexit and the kind of... Read more

Like many working in public affairs, I’m guilty of trotting out lots of statistics to support my organisation’s policy objectives and calls to action. There are 759,000 unpaid carers in Scotland, and on top of that there are the hidden carers that we can’t measure through the... Read more

On the radio last week a group of 'Remainers' were asked if they would vote in the General Election for parties promising a second EU referendum. It was interesting. Most said "no" - their line being: the vote has been decided, we need to proceed and exit. This must give those... Read more

The UK is leaving the EU. UK citizens and organisations risk losing access to all of the progressive policy initiatives and social advances that have been hard-won over decades of EU membership. What can we do mitigate the risk? That was the question at the forefront of our minds... Read more

Having learned most of my French from ‘Allo ‘Allo, I’m afraid the title above will be the beginning and the end of the use of the language in this blog piece – which details a recent third sector delegation to Brussels. Led by SCVO, a diverse delegation of Scottish third sector... Read more

As the unedifying spectacle that is UK general election continues to depress us with its stage managed press conferences and lack of genuine debate, you have to question the state of our democracy. It's even more depressing if you start thinking of it in the context of Brexit... Read more

What next for charities and voluntary organisations in light of constitutional upheaval? Read more

A burden of responsibility for Scotland’s third sector Read more

Civil society can play a huge and unique role Read more

The future looks far from clear, but Scotland’s third sector may be uniquely placed to influence post-Brexit direction Read more

Casting an eye on the big policy issues for Scotland's third sector Read more

People of the city are absent from major new economic report Read more

We cannot allow the prospect of uncertainty around resourcing and funding the sector to dominate our response to Brexit, but we mustn’t bury our heads in the sand and ignore it either. Other sectors, including farming and business, are already making strong cases for continued... Read more

*Disclaimer: No one knows! Read more

One week after the referendum, SCVO’s Policy Officers Network met to wrestle with the implications of Brexit for the third sector. Read more

We're in unchartered territory and the future looks uncertain Read more

Alison on why you might have missed Cameron's EU deal Read more

Well where to start with Europe? An upcoming referendum on EU membership? A debate on reform of the EU institutions’? A campaign to keep Scotland in the EU? There’s a lot to come, and we’ll be working hard to keep you informed so that you can have a say on it all. However, for... Read more

The Third Sector in Scotland has been involved in the governance and implementation of European Structural Funds since the UK joined the EU. As the national body representing the interests of all Third Sector organisations in Scotland, SCVO secured support from the Scottish... Read more