Policy blog

Rachel Le Noan blogs on the importance of the voluntary sector's voice in Europe, and how you can have your say. As daily news reminds us, world politics and dynamics are powerful and have consequences for us all, no matter where we live. Next year won’t be an exception with... Read more

The UK/EU relationship is at a new stage. As the implementation of the Trade & Cooperation agreement (TCA) between the UK and the EU is now in focus, partners across Scottish civil society are keen to ensure that the Scottish voluntary sector is included, heard and understood in... Read more

This is it, this time it is for real. When I come back to the (home) office after the Christmas break, Brexit will be the new reality for me… and you. As I write, many questions remain unanswered, including as to whether or not there will be a deal. Also, let’s face it, in the... Read more

As some of you with long memories might remember, the UK once voted to leave the European Union. Yes, way back in June 2016 Britain took back control, cut the cord from Brussels and stepped out into a world of unimaginable free trade riches. Except, that’s not exactly what... Read more

So, you're facing a crisis? Matters of state? Constitutional chaos? International economic catastrophe? Your place in the world? Have you tried Gordon Brown? In all his tarnished armour, Scotland's answer to Don Quixote rides once more to front lines - proffering his solution to... Read more

It’s said that ‘defence of the realm is the first duty of government’. And, despite apparent agreement that this is the primary duty, there never seems to follow a list ranking the other ‘lesser’ duties of government – a sort of political Ten Commandments. Of course, with hammer... Read more

A campaign which aims to encourage EU nationals to stay and continue to live and work in Scotland despite ongoing uncertainty around Brexit took place in Edinburgh today. Created by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), the #EUareValued campaign was launched at... Read more

The next 12 months will see the UK begin to shape its future relationship with the European Union and set out domestic arrangements to either replace, replicate or re-design existing EU-wide frameworks and institutions. At the moment, discussions are dominated by the technical... Read more

In recent weeks, Theresa May has resembled the dismembered Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Despite receiving seemingly fatal blows, she somehow survives and carries on regardless. Think what you may of the Prime Minister, her determination is something to behold... Read more

At the weekend I picked up on the story of the Grimsby Seafood Trade having a meeting at Westminster demanding the area receieves Free Trade status after Brexit. It caught my eye because Grimsby was a town that overwhelmingly voted to leave the EU. Grimsby voted 70% to leave... Read more

With Big Ben currently out of action, the assembled masses of the House of Commons are set to put on a ding-dong of their own. Later today, we will see the beginning of the committee stage of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill. And it looks like it might be a show worth... Read more

When a cross-party group of MEPs warned Home Secretary Amber Rudd that the UK Government's plans to force EU nationals to add their names to a register in the transition period immediately after Brexit would be illegal, you do continue to wonder at the UK Government's appalling... Read more

Do the First Minister’s announcements mark a truly radical change in approach and will actions match the warm rhetoric? With MSPs back from the summer recess, the First Minister outlined her Programme for Government for the year ahead. The programme was trailed as the Scottish... Read more

With Brexit negotiations between the UK Government and Europe leaders now underway, Scotland’s charities and voluntary organisations now face the daunting task of ensuring Brexit has the least negative impact possible on Scotland’s communities. Our sector has expressed grave... Read more

“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” – Winston Churchill After 14 months of wearying speculation and intrigue, Brexit is about to get very real. Soon, the phony war will end and we will begin to see a... Read more

Last week many of our political leaders made the most of recess and set off on their Summer holidays after an apparently gruelling political session so far...you can almost feel the sympathy up and down the country. With the sure footed Theresa May hillwalking in the Alps... Read more

As you may have noticed, Liam Fox - the UK Secretary of State for International Trade - is in Washington DC. Poor Liam, you have to feel for him. Despite his best efforts to focus our attention on a "new and exciting chapter" in UK-US trade relations, the start of his visit has... Read more

With UK Government or Tory party policy – take your pick, depending on your perspective – disarray on Brexit negotiations on display once again last week, it's almost easy to look upon it as a great political spectator sport. If it only wasn't so serious. Liam Fox, the... Read more

As Brexit negotiations get underway, the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) and the Scottish Government’s EU Office are hosting an evening reception in Brussels tomorrow (Tuesday 20 June) to ensure that the voice of civil society is heard throughout the process... Read more

Brexit is a big deal for all of us. Right from the start it’s been a hugely complex issue - and that was before the General Election. Whether we look at it as private citizens or through the prisms of our professional interests there is no doubt that it will be one of the biggest... Read more

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