John Downie

Funding is a third sector obsession – sourcing it, the length of time you get it for, the model being used and the inevitable inputs and outputs as a result. What the funding is actually going to do is often lost in the detail of the ‘how’, but in reality it’s about the ‘what... Read more

Council finance officers are today analysing what effect the Scottish Government’s budget will have on local finances. One area likely to be welcomed by authorities is a commitment to move to three-year council budgets. This will result in less uncertainty across Scottish... Read more

No one can be in any doubt that the third sector in Scotland is overwhelmingly pro-European. SCVO’s engagement with the sector on Brexit over the past 18 months, found that over 80% of organisations felt that leaving the EU would negatively impact the Scottish economy, poverty... Read more

The stark message from SCVO’s latest trust figures is that general trust in Scottish charities is down - from 82% in 2016 to 73% in 2018. It is difficult to understand all the factors influencing trust, but one thing is clear - negative media stories continue to be a much... 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

With the UK's talks with the EU reaching crunch point, the Prime Minister has 'categorically' ruled out staying in the Custom's Union - a decision caused by the chaos and politics in her own party and her failure of leadership, rather than the result of any thought to the... Read more

Until now the political appetite to use the Scottish Government’s tax powers could best be described as limited. Ministers were naturally cautious around the new tax powers – tax is complicated – and alongside the tribal political dynamics we have in Scotland any debate on tax is... 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

You could be forgiven listening to today’s Ministerial statement on the award of contracts to deliver Fair Start Scotland – the new devolved employment support service which will commence from April 2018 – that the third sector had won the bulk of the contracts. Take it from me... 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