National Trust Elections

Use this board for general non-cycling-related chat, or to introduce yourself to the forum.
Oldjohnw
Posts: 7764
Joined: 16 Oct 2018, 4:23am
Location: South Warwickshire

National Trust Elections

Post by Oldjohnw »

Many will have seen items in the press regarding an attempted takeover of the NT. it is all part, in my view, of the government plan to control every institution. They are trying to have a political appointee running the Charity Commission. They have already declared war on the NT on account of its stance over slavery and equalities. Others want to stop attempts to restrict hunting whilst others want to halt all climate work.

Here is a list of such candidates, which include some quite terrifying individuals:

https://www.restoretrust.org.uk/agm-202 ... candidates

And an article on the process:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... SApp_Other

Might I urge any members to use their vote wisely, thoughtfully and well?
John
philvantwo
Posts: 1730
Joined: 8 Dec 2012, 6:08pm

Re: National Trust Elections

Post by philvantwo »

Joined for one year and we visited all the places round here and wherever we went on holiday that year, including the giants causeway, but if you walk to the side of the entrance building you can get in for free!
Anyway its yet another charity where there are lots of volunteers working for nowt and the CEO is on a salary of a disgusting £195k.
When all the properties were closed due to covid the national trust refused point blank to extend peoples membership, the fatcat CEO still banked a full salary though!
What a joke!!
Oldjohnw
Posts: 7764
Joined: 16 Oct 2018, 4:23am
Location: South Warwickshire

Re: National Trust Elections

Post by Oldjohnw »

Seems a reasonable pay packet for someone with these responsibilities. And the costs of running g the organisation continued through Covid. They did a fantastic job.

Volunteers usually work for free: its what it means.
Last edited by Oldjohnw on 13 Oct 2021, 8:50am, edited 1 time in total.
John
User avatar
mjr
Posts: 20308
Joined: 20 Jun 2011, 7:06pm
Location: Norfolk or Somerset, mostly
Contact:

Re: National Trust Elections

Post by mjr »

philvantwo wrote: 13 Oct 2021, 8:32am When all the properties were closed due to covid the national trust refused point blank to extend peoples membership, the fatcat CEO still banked a full salary though!
I can understand not extending trust memberships, because the buildings still needed maintaining, some staff paying and so on, plus the trust is not for profit. It makes more sense to me than stuff like the refusal to extend Railcard validities when months were spent under an order of no non-essential travel and government has effectively taken control of almost all train operators.

The CEO pay is less understandable to me. Appointing party apparatchiks even less so.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
thirdcrank
Posts: 36776
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: National Trust Elections

Post by thirdcrank »

IMO Our charity laws are an anachronism, a leftover from the days when there was no state provision of anything, which has become corrupted to reinforce privilege while dodging taxation. If anybody wants to devote their energy to this, then drastic revision of the law would be a worthy goal. imo
Oldjohnw
Posts: 7764
Joined: 16 Oct 2018, 4:23am
Location: South Warwickshire

Re: National Trust Elections

Post by Oldjohnw »

Meanwhile, let the hard right of the Tory party take over everything.

The NT might not be my thing, but something else will be dear to me. Citizens' Advice, Oxfam, they'll run the lot if they can.
John
thirdcrank
Posts: 36776
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: National Trust Elections

Post by thirdcrank »

But the hard right of the Tories have always been the ones who profited most from the relatively modern form of charity: exclusive private provision funded by tax relief.
Oldjohnw
Posts: 7764
Joined: 16 Oct 2018, 4:23am
Location: South Warwickshire

Re: National Trust Elections

Post by Oldjohnw »

I support charities: I don't support tax relief. I prefer a level playing field.
John
thirdcrank
Posts: 36776
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: National Trust Elections

Post by thirdcrank »

I'm talking about the entire charity sector(?)

As a large part of the reason for its existence is to benefit from tax relief, it seems obvious to me that the biggest beneficiaries are likely to be those liable to pay the most tax. Then, in spite of more recent protests, the biggest beneficiaries of charity provision tend to be the most well-off. In short the concept of "charity" has tended to preserve the class-based structure of our society.

So much of modern life depends on spin, and the authors/ translators of the Authorised / King James Version of the Bible have inadvertently turned out to be excellent spinners ie charity is beyond reproach.

What would be lost if a wave of a magic wand repealed charity laws overnight? And how much of that would be replaced by state provision? AFAIK, quite a lot of charities depend on grants from public funds anyway.

And while I'm on, voluntary tax payments in the form of National Lottery betting are not IMO a sound basis for funding charities, especially as this has morphed into "good causes."
rjb
Posts: 7200
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 10:25am
Location: Somerset (originally 60/70's Plymouth)

Re: National Trust Elections

Post by rjb »

Oldjohnw wrote: 13 Oct 2021, 10:17am I support charities: I don't support tax relief. I prefer a level playing field.
So will you be returning the tax you saved on your personal tax free allowance?
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
Oldjohnw
Posts: 7764
Joined: 16 Oct 2018, 4:23am
Location: South Warwickshire

Re: National Trust Elections

Post by Oldjohnw »

rjb wrote: 13 Oct 2021, 10:39am
Oldjohnw wrote: 13 Oct 2021, 10:17am I support charities: I don't support tax relief. I prefer a level playing field.
So will you be returning the tax you saved on your personal tax free allowance?
I never mentioned personal tax. That is available for every individual in the land, rich or poor, black or white, straight or gay, pensioners and babies, unlike tax relief of charitable donations. Why should taxpayers subsidise churches and private schools, for example?

A disingenuous comment: a straw man argument.
John
thirdcrank
Posts: 36776
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: National Trust Elections

Post by thirdcrank »

Why should taxpayers subsidise churches and private schools, for example?
If it's not clear, that's part of the case I'm making. They shouldn't or rather, if things are to receive state finance - ultimately "taxpayers" - then it should be allocated by the state.

This came about to facilitate the passage of rich men through the eyes of needles, or rather to guarantee them a passage through the Pearly Gates. As I said, it's an anachronism. IMO
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: National Trust Elections

Post by reohn2 »

TC,Spot on!
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Oldjohnw
Posts: 7764
Joined: 16 Oct 2018, 4:23am
Location: South Warwickshire

Re: National Trust Elections

Post by Oldjohnw »

thirdcrank wrote: 13 Oct 2021, 10:51am
Why should taxpayers subsidise churches and private schools, for example?
If it's not clear, that's part of the case I'm making. They shouldn't or rather, if things are to receive state finance - ultimately "taxpayers" - then it should be allocated by the state.

This came about to facilitate the passage of rich men through the eyes of needles, or rather to guarantee them a passage through the Pearly Gates. As I said, it's an anachronism. IMO

That is, of course, an entirely different thing to what this thread is about. It is a good discussion - and I agree with you - but it doesn’t invalidate the point made in this thread, which was a bunch of climate deniers, anti equality dinosaurs trying to take over this institution.
John
Ben@Forest
Posts: 3647
Joined: 28 Jan 2013, 5:58pm

Re: National Trust Elections

Post by Ben@Forest »

Oldjohnw wrote: 13 Oct 2021, 8:16am Many will have seen items in the press regarding an attempted takeover of the NT. it is all part, in my view, of the government plan to control every institution. They are trying to have a political appointee running the Charity Commission. They have already declared war on the NT on account of its stance over slavery and equalities. Others want to stop attempts to restrict hunting whilst others want to halt all climate work.

Here is a list of such candidates, which include some quite terrifying individuals:

https://www.restoretrust.org.uk/agm-202 ... candidates

And an article on the process:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... SApp_Other

Might I urge any members to use their vote wisely, thoughtfully and well?

This is a curiously garbled interpretation of events. I don't see that because some backbench Tory MPs (59 apparently of 362) back Restore Trust that is a government plan to control every institution. And having read the profiles of the six candidates that Restore Trust are asking their members to vote for only one has a seemingly inappropriate profile and I'd say certainly four of the remaining five have perfectly eminent backgrounds and experience to offer an organisation like the NT - so much so that one of those five is actually on the Nomination Committee's list of recommendations to vote for. Some of the other profiles (there are about 46) are seemingly more inappropriate, less objective, and less experienced choices than those recommended by Restore Trust (though of course that is a subjective choice).

And of course, the National Trust is in a uniquely political position. It isn't just a charity it's founded by Act of Parliament and has a legal duty. I don't think it does everything wrong but it has a background of being run by (former) civil service and academic apparatchiks who have a tin ear when it comes to what its staff and the public expect or want.
Post Reply