Welsh third sector presents Brexit asks to government
Melanie May | 24 October 2018 | News
Third sector organisations in Wales have today (24 October) presented their Brexit asks to the Welsh government.
The asks were presented to Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Mark Drakeford AM, and draw on findings from the Wales Civil Society Forum on Brexit. The Forum is a joint initiative set up in summer 2018 between Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) and Cardiff University’s Wales Governance Centre (WGC) to help the third sector better engage with, and influence, the Brexit debate.
A range of concerns emerged during Forum meetings, including calls for decision makers to respect devolution during the Brexit process and for all post-Brexit legislation to be robustly scrutinised. The Welsh third sector organisations’ specific concerns largely fall into four areas: funding; the environment and animal welfare; equality and human rights; and immigration.
The Forum, which has links with the UK-wide Brexit Civil Society Alliance and is funded by The Legal Education Foundation has published a position statement on its website, detailing:
- fears that a Shared Prosperity Fund will not match the £2.1bn in EU Structural Funds, will relegate tackling poverty and social exclusion, and fail to be shaped and delivered by the third, private and public sectors, including frontline staff
- calls for current environmental and animal welfares standards to remain intact and not be compromised or diluted in the face of new trade deals or when devising the replacement of the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy), and that the new environmental watchdog unambiguously respects devolved legislation
- the need for the Welsh Government to limit hate crime and protect our economic and social rights by ensuring the principles of the EU Charter are protected and progressed, in all areas of life, including in trade negotiations and in court
- calls for all new immigration policies, including roll out of the EU Settlement Scheme, ensure vital services, like those undertaken by the care sector, are adequately resourced and do not compromise social cohesion nor the rights of EU citizens and migrant communities in Wales.
In response, Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said:
“The third sector in Wales is vibrant and diverse, including organisations which provide services in every sphere of life in Wales.
“Whatever the form Brexit takes, it will cause disruption to Wales. That is why we, as a responsible government, will continue to plan for all possible outcomes. The third sector must also think carefully about how it responds to Brexit while continuing to deliver vital services to our communities.
“I welcome the Forum’s position paper as it will help the third sector consider the implications in a number of key areas, such as human rights and equality, immigration, EU citizenship and the environment and animal welfare.”Advertisement
Over 40 third sector organisations, including RSPB, Focus on Labour Exploitation, and Children in Wales, have participated in the Forum to date, with the next meeting to take place on 5 December. All third sector organisations in Wales are welcome to participate, or can learn more about the Forum and the Brexit timeline by visiting the new website.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.