Literary prologue to Wednesday’s budget

In ‘His Final Bow’, Sherlock Holmes last story Conan-Doyle provides Holmes with a patriotic speech to Watson.  

"There's an east wind coming, Watson."

"I think not, Holmes. It is very warm."

"Good old Watson! You are the one fixed point in a changing age. There's an east wind coming all the same, such a wind as never blew on England yet. It will be cold and bitter, Watson, and a good many of us may wither before its blast. But it's God's own wind none the less, and a cleaner, better, stronger land will lie in the sunshine when the storm has cleared."

While the story was based in 1914, prior to the war it was written in 1917. Conan-Doyle had the benefit of hindsight as he knew the consequences of the 1914 -18 war. Watson therefore becomes a foil for Holmes, who is obviously aware of what is to come.

Perhaps using a comparison between the First World War and the potential devastation to our civic organisations and services about to be ‘let loose’ by the Conservative Government may be a bit perverse and over the top.

As a Voluntary and Community Sector we are preparing for the ‘east wind’. Let us not be a “Good old Watson” a “fixed point in a changing age”. The devastation will not be the physical devastation of war but the cold and bitter change to the funding and structure we have become used to will continue and increase in impact.

Many groups may wither, many individuals will suffer, and we can but hope that a stronger and better service will emerge when the storm has cleared.

For that to happen the VCS should not be Dr Watson and miss the ‘signs’ of change that Holmes has outlined to him throughout the story.

We need to focus on all the changes taking place, Combined Authorities, Budget cuts, Public sector commissioning and the potential to co produce/ design services etc.

We need to recognise that we, as a sector, have little chance of preventing the changes. We do however need to read the signs, put our foot in the door, even when we aren't invited, and snatch the opportunity to shape and influence the changes.