What Does a New Government Mean for our Sector and City Region?

The general election that returned a Labour government is quickly fading into the distance as the work of government gains pace. Keir Starmer and the Cabinet are leading the first Labour administration in 14 years and they enter power with a new vision and set of priorities for the country.  

The King’s Speech has helped to define the government’s priorities for the early period of its time in power. The speech identified 39 separate bills that the government aims to pass within this parliamentary session. The speech is not a final list and much work will still be done in this year and the next four years of this parliament.  

Here we set out what all of this might mean for the Greater Manchester voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector and how we can work together to shape the government’s ambitions. Within this context, and as a sector, we need to be ready to engage with MPs nationally and in our city region. 

Maintaining and Building Relationships 

We have a new government with new priorities that was elected on the message of change. This will present fresh opportunities for the sector and organisations to contribute and engage with the government.  

But that does not mean everything will now be different. Pre-existing relationships with politicians from across the parties are still important. Opposition MPs may be highly receptive to engaging with campaigns or specific issues within their constituencies.  

The VCFSE and public sectors in Greater Manchester have established a strong working relationship; represented in the Greater Manchester VCFSE Accord agreement. The Greater Manchester VCFSE Leadership Group has striven to be the voice of the sector in devolution throughout the past decade and will continue its work to be catalysts and connectors. Now is the time to strengthen existing connections and build new ones.   

MPs in Greater Manchester  

Following the election, 25 of Greater Manchester’s 27 constituencies have a Labour MP the remaining two are Liberal Democrat. There are 11 new MPs for the city region. The table below lists the MPs across Greater Manchester with new MPs marked with an asterisk*. 

Engaging and influencing 

The sector and government are in lockstep on important issues and objectives such as improving people’s health and wealth, but our approaches are different.  

Colleagues should be prepared to discuss government priorities but from the perspective of the sector. With discussions leading to common understanding on shared goals. 

Much of this work will continue to build on the codesign and cooperation that sector has already engaged in with partners in our city region.  

The VCFSE presents a unique offer to the government on these key issues. It can bring this novel thinking to mutual problems. We have seen how our sector has pioneered person-centred approaches, enabled greater reach into communities, led the response to the Covid-19 crisis and supported people who fall through the gaps in the statutory system.  

Holding the government to account 

The sector has radical roots, campaigning is still an important function within many of our organisations. This will remain a key tool for this government and beyond. 

Where an issue requires, it is vital that the sector continues to amplify the voices of our communities and places. Our collective voice still has the power to set the agenda and bring about real change. 

The government has set out its key priorities for the country, we need to hold them to account in our city region.  

Prevention, devolution, growth 

Recently, the government’s ‘champion for personalised prevention’ called for a move to ‘a system of upstream, preventative health intervention’. We agree that addressing the crisis in the NHS must involve a refocusing on prevention. The VCFSE sector provides an approach to prevention that is wider in scope than strictly medical interventions. The sector’s extensive role in enabling and delivering prevention projects means that it must be involved at the start of the planning process. 

One way of ensuring the needs of the people in our city region are met is to deepen the devolution that has already led to many positive outcomes. Agreements with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the devolved health system in Greater Manchester, have sought to enable the VCFSE sector to play an ever-expanding role in improving lives in our communities.  

The government’s number one priority is to ‘kickstart economic growth’. We must work to make sure this growth addresses the deep inequalities within our economy and society. Growth needs to be inclusive and for the benefit of everyone in Greater Manchester, not just the few.  

VCFSE organisation’s priorities   

As well as our shared Greater Manchester VCFSE manifesto, VCFSE organisations have set out their priorities through statements or manifestos during the build-up and in response to the election result. While by no means a definitive list, we have assembled some of the responses below. Get in touch if you have any more to include.  

Greater Manchester-based organisations 

Resolve Poverty (formerly Greater Manchester Poverty Action) urges the new government to take swift action on poverty – https://www.resolvepoverty.org/resolve-poverty-urges-the-new-government-to-take-swift-action-on-poverty/ 

Mustard Tree Manifesto – https://mustardtree.org.uk/2024/07/05/listen-the-mustard-tree-manifesto/  

Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit – Our expectations for Greater Manchester Politicians in 2024 – https://gmiau.org/our-expectations-for-greater-manchester-politicians-in-2024/  

We Are Survivors MANifesto – https://www.wearesurvivors.org.uk/campaigns/our-manifesto/  

National organisations 

NCVO the Voluntary Sector Manifesto – https://www.ncvo.org.uk/news-and-insights/news-index/the-voluntary-sector-manifesto/  

LGBT+ Consortium – https://www.consortium.lgbt/letter-to-the-new-pm/  

The Disabled People’s Manifesto – https://www.disabledpeoplesmanifesto.com/manifesto  

Building Thriving Neighbourhoods: The Locality Manifesto – https://locality.org.uk/locality-manifesto  

The Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) Briefing note: community wealth building – https://cles.org.uk/publications/briefing-note-community-wealth-building/

What is next? 

Join our post-election event asking ‘could our new government deliver a fairer economy?’ 

A post-election briefing for leaders of voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations in Greater Manchester.  

Following the election of a Labour government on 4 July after 14 years of Conservative leadership, this session will help VCFSE organisations understand the impact of a change in government and what this means for a more inclusive economy. 

Register here https://www.gmcvo.org.uk/civicrm/event/info?id=3030&reset=1  

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