Third sector ideas for Labour Party manifesto
9th December 2008, 11:43 am
David Blunkett MP has launched his report, commissioned by the prime minister, giving policy recommendations around the voluntary sector for the Labour Party manifesto. ‘Mutual Action, Common Purpose: Empowering the Third Sector’ argues that “the voluntary, community and not for profit sector have an increasingly important role in supporting people in an uncertain world, and supporting government in enabling people to help themselves”.
The 56 proposals range from the small and simple (and already under way) to the large and complicated, from encouraging rich donors to expanding the scope of cooperative and mutual organisations. They include piloting a volunteer corps in three or four cities, offering incentives to ensure all young people between the ages of 16 and 25 volunteer for at least six months; social enterprises that employ disabled staff should get tax relief; a portable Third Sector Pensions Scheme.
Download the report pdf (172KB) at http://fabians.org.uk/images/stories/pdfs/mutual_action_common_purpose.pdf. News items: Society Guardian, http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/nov/27/david-blunkett-charities-volunteering or Charity Finance, http://www.charityfinance.co.uk/home/content.php?id=2423.