With the Chancellor, George Osborne, looking to make efficiency savings, the next five years could be tough for charities and voluntary organisations. In this podcast we speak to Stephen Cook, the Editor of Third Sector magazine, and Chloe Stables from the National Council of Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) to get their thoughts on the impact the Tory government will have.

We ask Chloe:

How will the new government affect the third sector?

Chloe says the third sector will be affected in three ways: through austerity measures; through welfare; and the Right to Buy.

Will charities need to approach the government in a different way?

Chloe says with so many new MPs, this new parliament represents a great opportunity for charities to make new connections.

Rob Wilson is the Charities Minister – can you tell us about him and what he’s like?

According to Chloe, he is beginning to take a much more active role and he seems keen to address both short and long term issues in the third sector

Next, we speak to Stephen Cook, the Editor of Third Sector.

We ask Stephen:

What does the new government mean?

Stephen says quite simply it means less money – because of the cuts the government is making.

What can we expect in policy terms?

First up, according to Stephen, is the Charities Bill. This is going through government at the moment and is very wide-ranging, including measures to tighten the rules on fundraising.

What are the biggest challenges facing the government?

Stephen says the immediate challenge is putting self-regulation of fundraising beyond recent criticism. He adds that other challenges include keeping up the momentum behind social investment.