Why doesn't @RishiSunak's furlough scheme work for charities? It's because it's designed for those whose jobs have become temporarily redundant. That includes some who work in charity shops, cafes etc, & in that respect, it's a good scheme. 1/

But many charity workers are being furloughed simply because the charity no longer has the income to pay them. They still have vital work to do & they're willing to do it, but @hmtreasury would sooner pay 80% of their salaries to do nothing. That makes no sense. 2/

In the case of conservation charities, it means paying people not to plant trees, not to lay hedges, not to foster wildlife, not to tackle climate change... Wouldn't it be a better use of public money to pay them to provide public benefit than just to sit at home? 3/

These points apply to charities in many sectors. For an insight into what the shutdown means for conservation, listen to @CraigBennett3 on this @GreenAllianceUK podcast, from 10.37. #EveryDayCounts 4/4