Quakers welcome Civil Society Covenant but say action must follow

Quakers in Britain has welcomed a new agreement aimed at improving how government works with faith groups, charities and community organisations.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer gesturing at a podium
Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks at Civil Society Summit at the Science Museum, photo credit: Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

The Civil Society Covenant, published following a year of conversations with civil society organisations, sets out principles for how government and charities should work together.

This includes respecting the independence of civil society, their right to peaceful protest and protecting the right of charities to advocate for their beneficiaries.

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We need to re-balance our laws to ensure that every citizen can be heard

- Paul Parker

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Quakers, who contributed to the government's consultation on the covenant, said this is a positive step towards rebuilding trust.

Paul Parker, recording clerk for Quakers in Britain, said: "The Civil Society Covenant is a welcome reset to the relationship between charities, community organisations and government."

But he warned that the laws which currently restrict protest, campaigning and advocacy remain in place.

And he pointed to the UK's current rating as 'obstructed' by the CIVICUS Monitor, which tracks the health of civil society globally.

"We see a stark mismatch between the commitment in the Covenant to listen to civil society's advocacy and the current suppression of dissent and limits on the right to protest," Parker said.

He added: "We are disappointed not to hear anything today about the repeal of the Transparency of Lobbying Act which is having a chilling effect on charity campaigning."

Quakers believe that there is that of God in every person and everyone should be able to participate equally in civil society and democratic processes, Parker said.

"We need to re-balance our laws to ensure that every citizen can be heard, not just those with money, influence or media access."

The Covenant includes commitments to annual reporting and to creating a new council that will monitor progress.

On the same day, the government also published its Election Strategy, setting out plans to make elections more secure and accessible.

Quakers welcomed steps to remove barriers to voting but criticised the decision to keep voter ID rules, which they say still risk excluding some people.

"Democracy is a vital tool for peace," said Parker. "We would like to see encouraging participation in democracy recognised as a charitable aim."