Tory Victoria sponge and the Bishops

In these times of somewhat frenetic electioneering, a charity leader needs to be even-handed on the party political front. So I was happy to support the West Oxfordshire Conservative Association coffee morning on Saturday in Charlbury. Bought a very nice Victoria sponge from Sarah Potten (her husband later sold me some of their excellent eggs!), and a jar of Seville marmalade. I even met the Chair of the Association. Sarah has an important role to play in village life as she is one of the Parish representatives for selecting our new Vicar. Interviews are on Friday. My only advice: please don't choose an evangelical!

The Bishops’ letter last week continues to stir things up. My sister Lucy sent me a copy from the Chelmsford Diocesan newsletter. All entirely reasonable and sensible. It’s a sign of the times that critics have piled in to condemn. Most of them not having read the letter. Camilla Cavendish in the Sunday Times was right to point out that these critics need to tread with care. The Bishops have made an important point, that there is a lack of discourse about society amongst the political parties.

This is a point ACEVO will address in our third sector hustings on 24 March. It’s time for civil society to have its say in the run-up to polling day. And it is certainly the role of the Church and of other faith groups to be part of the political debate, as it is for charities. Those who criticise the Bishops’ letter should address the issues they raise, not try shooting the messenger.

But I’m afraid at present the stakes are so high for the Parties that they can’t stand any criticism, and try to suppress or distort what they see as criticism of their particular line. This is not good for sensible debate. It undermines democracy and adds to the cynicism people feel for the political process – which is itself, of course, another point the Bishops were making!

Politicising the Charity Commission

It's part of the Sunday morning ritual in Charlbury. I go to the 8am Holy Communion at the Parish Church, then pop up to our friendly newsagents for the morning papers. On this Sunday my pack contained the Sunday Telegraph, as I had heard it might mention the row over the Charity Commission Chair reappointment. I do like the weekend Telegraphs – their news coverage is always rather good even if its tone is true to type – and the travel /reviews etc. are very good. And their assistant editor Philip Johnston is like me an Old Anchorian!

But I digress. Back to the Charity Commission. The recent report of the Independence Panel had some stringent criticisms of the regulator. As they reported , "our concerns about the leadership of the Charity Commission on the independence of the sector have deepened over the last year."

They charge that "the Commission is giving the impression of being politically driven. Its focus seems to be an agenda determined by Government, despite its statutory independence."

This is strong criticism but a view that is now widely shared across our sector. Of course a regulator cannot become too cosy with the sector it regulates. But a regulator following agendas that have little to do with the priorities of that sector or the public, and a lot to do with government politics, is a very dangerous place to be.

That is why I felt it important to raise the issue of the reappointment of the Chair. In his reply to my letter the Cabinet Secretary makes it very clear this was a Ministerial decision by Francis Maude. It is unclear what exactly the civil service advice on this was. The Cabinet Office have a Director of Ethics who I assume was consulted, given this reappointment did not need to happen till after the election. I wonder what she said?

I also noted that there was an appraisal of Mr Shawcross by the Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary Richard Heaton, as required by the OCPA Code. Strange that this appraisal ignored the views of the sector, indeed as far as I know no one (and certainly not me as the charity leaders network head) was asked to input into that appraisal. And given that the NAO had specifically highlighted the blurring of the executive and non executive roles at the Commission I wonder what account was taken of that? It would be useful in the interests of transparency if this appraisal was published.

However the key point here is much broader. It is how we secure an appointment process that is free from political patronage. This role, and indeed the appointment of commissioners, needs to be established free from government.

This will be one of the issues reviewed by the Lord Low Commission on better regulation. We need a new government to urgently review the appointments process and establish it above politics.

If the key task of a Charity Commission is to maintain trust in charities then we need to see an independent regulator. Independent in people's perceptions as well as in reality.

A real test for the Commission is on the horizon. Will they reinforce and support our role as advocates and champions or will they follow yet another government bug bear and try and water down our right to campaign as established by CC9? They have said they will review and somehow I don't think anyone in our sector thinks they plan on strengthening it.

As observers have noted, there was a strange logic in their comments on the Oxfam ‘Perfect Storm’ advert which implied that because someone might think it’s party political campaigning then it could well be. That's a green light to the green ink brigade.

Dolly Parton and the English countryside.

Driving up to Charlbury on Friday we had the latest Dolly Parton CD "Blue Water" on. Did you see her at Glastonbury?  I did - or at least virtually via the dear old BBC (too old to actually go to these things now!). She is not just a good singer but a source of wisdom. I remember wanting to use one of her homely homilies in a lecture I was writing but my then Director, one Ralph Michell, was disapproving. He's now at the Cabinet Office where I'm sure they don't do Dolly.

Here are some of my favourites.

"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain".

"Storms make trees take deeper roots".

"We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails".

It was a pretty glorious weekend in Charlbury. It's such a delight to move from the pollution of London  to the purer air of the Cotswolds. Walking the Hound down the Mill Stream I was reminded of just how beautiful our English countryside is; the bird song was joined by the bells of Spelsbury Parish Church  and the sounds of the cricket over the fields. Of course we must never take this great inheritance for granted and so the work of bodies like the National Trust, the CPRE or the many environmental campaigning charities is crucial in stopping the depredations of over development. It's another reason why we must resist any attempt to curtail or silence our independent voice or any move by the Charity Commission to make us delineate our so called "campaigning" spend. After all, what are the "Campaign to Protect Rural England" to do in their accounts but say they spend 100% of their income on campaigning. Their official objective is to "campaign for a sustainable future for the English countryside [and to] highlight threats and promote positive solutions". It's what they do William!

And last week we had our annual Charlbury Beer Festival, quite an event these days with a vast array of boutique beers from around the Cotswolds. The proceeds go to international development charities - and no nonsense about  "every penny" as Charlburians are a sophisticated lot and understand the need for "overheads" in charities. You get an idea of the size from this photo. 

Progress is often good but sometimes bad. Our vicar in Charlbury has recently departed for the Archdeaconry of Dorchester. We have been told we are not to have a new vicar but a "priest in charge"; the Bishop of Oxford seems to be into control-freakery. The succession of Vicars and Rectors of Charlbury dates back to the 11th century. Unbroken till now. There have been some distinguished Vicars; notably one of the translators of the King James Bible. I'm afraid in such matters I'm a decided reactionary. When they do appoint a "priest in charge" I shall continue to call them Vicar. This is probably just part of a future plan to amalgamate us or turn the Church over to Carphone Warehouse.

Anyway, enough rant. I'm off to Cardiff.

Art in the Cotswolds

I had a great weekend at a sculpture exhibition set in the wonderful surrounds of Astall Manor, the former Cotswolds home of the Mitfords.

My neighbour in Charlbury, Emma Maiden, was exhibiting in their 'On Form' series. It continued the arty theme of my weekend as I had lunch Friday with an up and coming artist - Tim Patrick - who is going to do a portrait of me and my partner. A frightening thought. Unfortunately I have not yet had a request to be 'hung' in the National Portrait Gallery but surely some day...

And just in case my head was in any danger of expanding after being described by Ed Miliband as "formidable" and by Nick Hurd as an "institution", I discovered I had appeared (yet again) in the improbably named Quentin Letts' column in the Daily Mail. Clearly moved by my attendance at last week's IPPR event, he felt bound to comment how "whenever a think tank puts out a table with custard creams and name badges, springy-heeled Bubblet pops up like a kiddies' conjuror."

Sun and fun in the North.

As it clouds over in London I thought you might Ike some photos from a gloriously sunny northern weekend. I was staying with an old friend in Lancashire. The Hound and I joined Michael and his 2 sheep dogs for sailing and walking in and around the Lake District. We sailed up Lake Coniston with me steering in a very voluntary sector way. This involved meandering somewhat but getting there in the end! The end destination was John Ruskin's house, Brantwood, which stands on the banks of the lake.

We also went to see Tatton Park and wandered into Tatton which is George Osborne's constituency. Almost as beautiful as David Cameron's, though obviously I prefer Charlbury ! Sunday was steam train day. There is still a working line from Rawtenstall to Bury but if you get off half way you can walk along the gorge and banks of the River Irwell. I needed a walk after a pie and several pints in the station buffet. The local brewery has a pint they brew just for the Rawtenstall station. The Hound appreciated it too. As she was trying to keep up with 2 very active sheep dogs she returned to London exhausted. Long walks are just what the Doctor ordered!

Curing Cancer

Good to hear the news from Cancer Research UK about the huge progress in cancer survival rates, with most people surviving 10 years after diagnosis in sharp contrast to years back when it was less than a year .

There are some fantastic advances being made in diagnosis and treatment. The research on the genetic makeup of cancers is hugely promising. I suppose I'm taking a somewhat greater interest in all this having had prostate cancer. In fact the day that Cancer Research announced their findings was exactly one year to the day that I had my successful brachytherapy operation which cleared me. It means that I am now officially radiation free and babies and pregnant women can now sit on my lap with abandon.

And who is largely responsible for this major transformation?  It is charities. The vast bulk of the research is carried out by charities; either directly or in work that they fund. We have pioneered new treatments and care systems and supported people living with cancer. It is charities who are the major source of information and advice. It is charities who campaign for better treatment and hassle the NHS to get better at early diagnosis and health care. We campaign against NICE when they won't authorise new drugs and we work with Government to ensure the NHS gets its act together in early diagnosis. I was lucky. It was by chance I discovered I had prostate cancer. I had no symptoms but a relation had a PSA test (not positive), so I told my doctor I better have one too!

Charities' role is so often forgotten since people think it is the NHS that does all this work. And it is a sharp reminder of why our charity sector needs to pay appropriate salaries, on a par with the NHS, for professional staff.

We should not be afraid of banging the drum for 6-figure salaries if that is what it takes to get a top scientist or academic. As I said at the PASC hearing in the Commons in December, people with cancer deserve the best, not the cheapest. We want to find the cause of cancer, and if that means employing top scientists at large salaries then that is what we must do.

As the ACEVO "Good Pay Guide" said, it's all about outcomes and value for money. Transparency isn't just about a process. It's about the narrative. And it's about setting out our case on our terms, not those of our critics. It would be a disaster if trustees now think they can't advertise for top jobs over 100k, if that is what it takes to get the best. What beneficiaries need is a high performing charity, led by a high performing CEO.

After all, if you pay 50k and get poor performance that's 50k of charity money badly spent. If you pay 150k and get top performance - as judged by beneficiaries, trustees and staff - then that's a great investment. Let's not be coy about selling our case! The work of the cancer charities demonstrates why we should be bold.

The Chiplitfest...

Or the Chipping Norton Literary Festival to be precise. Now in full swing, so it was over to the wonderful little theatre there (once a Salvation Army Citadel) on Saturday for a day listening to 'literary' figures being interviewed about their books.

First off, Alan Jonhson on his memoir of his childhood, "This Boy". A wonderful interview; which demonstrated to me what we lost when he didn't challenge Brown after Blair left office. His book has received rapturous reviews and he revealed that Blair had emailed him after reading it to say "brilliant; you missed your vocation". A back handed compliment if there ever was one. It gives an often harrowing account of his difficult childhood in Notting Hill, growing up looked after by his older (by 3 years) sister and oft ill mother, who died when she was 42 leaving Alan and Linda still kids.

Then, after slotting in a visit to my favourite charity shop - the Helen and Douglas Hospice - and buying an antique fountain pen, it was Jonathan Aitken talking about his biography of Margaret Thatcher. A contrast to the Johnson interview as you can imagine. However a fascinating behind-the-scenes account of Thatcher that was revealing, though I can't say it did much to add lustre to her divisive career as PM.

And the final leg was Kate Adie on her book about "Fighting on the Home Front", which details the contribution women made to the war effort between 1914-18. She told some great stories about unsung heroines and argued that without the contribution women made in this war we would not have won. This was the first war to be fought by the nation that involved attacks on the home front and civilian casualties.

And while I'm on the subject of Oxfordshire, a plug for an ACEVO members' meeting taking place at the Oxford Hub - lunch on Friday 23rd May. We will be hearing from Ben Rick, who has established the Social and Sustainable Capital fund to encourage social finance for third sector organisations, and from me! Booking information will follow shortly.

Events...

It was just one of those things. Supposed to be in Venice for the weekend but partner suffering complications from a gall bladder removal so had to cancel. London instead, and as alternative to moping we went and celebrated at Chez Bruce, South London's top restaurant. Miriam Margoyles was there. That brought back memories; not of Harry Potter though! In 1982 she signed my nomination papers for me to stand for the Council in Clapham Town (the other person signing was that great author Angela Carter!).

Strange to be in London when the PM and President of France were having lunch in one of my favourite pubs, 5 miles up the road through the lovely Wychwood forest from  Charlbury. The swan has a gorgeous position by the river Windrush in the typically charming Cotswolds village of Swinbrook. The pub is owned by the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire - the last remaining Mitford sister. The village Church up the road has the graves of 4 of the other famous sisters, Unity (friend of Adolf), Diana (who married Moseley) Nancy (the author, perhaps best known for the "U and non U" debate and books like "The Pursuit of Love") and Pamela (the farmer). Jessica Mitford was the Red in the family (a member of the American Communist Party) and died in America. She was cremated inexpensively. She wrote that brilliant book about the American funeral racket, "The American way of Death". I went to her Memorial service in London in 1996. A pertinent quote from one of her books is most apposite,

 "You may not be able to change the world but at least you can embarrass the guilty".   

 The PM showed great taste in choosing the Swan. It really is one of the country's most beautiful spots. Go there!

And it being Candlemas I took myself off to All Saints, Margaret St for Evensong and Benediction. A good time for reflection and thinking about a dilemma. I had been asked to talk on the prime 8.10 slot on the Today programme. Not, on this occasion with my ACEVO hat, but as an independent Public Appointments Assessor. It's a role I have been undertaking for some years, where occasionally I chair public appointment interviews and make recommendations to Ministers. People often forget I was an HR Director for 5 years before my current role! The public body appointment process has had some attention over the weekend with comments from Sally Morgan who has been chairing Ofsted. After a lot of reflection, although I was happy to talk about the process and my experience, it had all got too mired in party politics and best to stay out. Unusual for me to turn down a slot on Today, let alone the prime one, but wise counsels prevailed. In fact our public appointments process has great merit which the current row rather overlooks. 

C"est la vie. As they now say at The Swan.