Charities would run more services under Tories

The Conservatives aim to give more freedom to the voluntary
sector so it can run projects currently funded and delivered by
government bodies such as social services, writes Katie
Leason.

In a speech to charities at the Conservative party conference in
Bournemouth, party leader Iain Duncan Smith said future plans for
reform of public services will lead to “more diverse
provision”.

But the party insists that the goodwill of charities will not be
exploited to provide services on the cheap, or to undermine the
sector’s independence.

It intends to undertake a radical review of how funds are
distributed with the intention of diverting public money into more
local projects, cut out red tape and drive out the “political
meddling” in funding decisions.