Humanists welcome PM’s pledge to work with civil society
Humanists UK has welcomed the UK Government’s announcement of a new ‘Civil Society Covenant’, aimed at forging a stronger partnership between civil society and government. The Covenant, announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, seeks to harness the expertise of voluntary, community, social enterprises, and charities to address pressing social and economic challenges. Based on principles of transparency, recognition, participation, and partnership, it will act as a charter to improve collaboration in tackling complex social and economic issues across the UK. Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of Humanists UK, said: ‘We are delighted to have been part of the process in developing this new Covenant. Civil society organisations, including Humanists UK, occupy a unique position in public life. The Covenant acknowledges the importance of our work and lays the groundwork for more effective collaboration. With non-religious people volunteering at the roughly same rate as religious people, an inclusive approach to harnessing the power of civil society will prove essential.’ Announcing the new Covenant, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy MP said: ‘The Covenant …