When The Independent launched the Brick by Brick campaign last September for women trying to escape domestic abuse, it undoubtedly touched a nerve with our readers. The initial target of £300,000 was hit after only a month, and we decided to build a second safe house as more than £585,000 was raised. We thank our readers for supporting this deserving cause so generously.
The first home is occupied, and the second, also built by Persimmon Homes, is now ready for another family to move in. The campaign, run jointly with Refuge, the domestic abuse charity, won the support of politicians, royalty and celebrities, including the Queen, Sir Keir Starmer, Dame Helen Mirren, Dame Joanna Lumley, Olivia Colman, Victoria Derbyshire, Andi Oliver, David Morrissey and Sir Patrick Stewart. Other backers included The Julia Rausing Trust and Nationwide.
Sir Keir said: “My government has a commitment to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) and we will need to pull every lever across society to make this happen, which is why I am so proud of campaigns like this that show what we can achieve when we stand together.”
The Independent, too, is proud of what we and our readers have achieved. It will make a real difference and, as Refuge noted, potentially save lives.
While the government’s pledge to halve VAWG in a decade is welcome, campaign groups and some Labour MPs are understandably worried about an apparent lack of tangible progress during the first year of Sir Keir’s administration. Some are starting to lose patience with Jess Phillips, the minister for safeguarding, who had an impeccable record on the issue in opposition and knows what she is talking about as a former manager of Women’s Aid refuges in the West Midlands.
The problem might go deeper than Ms Phillips. The Home Office budget was squeezed in the spending review published by Rachel Reeves last month, and Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, was the last cabinet minister to settle with the Treasury. Regrettably, there was no mention of VAWG in the chancellor’s statement. Gemma Sherrington, the CEO of Refuge, said the message from it was that the pledge “is not the priority the government claims it to be”.
A long-awaited strategy to address the issue is now due this autumn. It will be a pivotal moment. With VAWG accounting for 20 per cent of recorded crime in 2022-23, the Home Office seems keen to prioritise prevention. But The Independent believes the blueprint must ensure a genuinely cross-government effort so all relevant Whitehall departments – including those responsible for health, education and technology – play their part, rather than regard domestic abuse as someone else’s problem.
The prime minister’s plan for “mission-driven government” is laudable, and closer cross-departmental working is supposed to be a key part of it. Yet the traditional battles between individual departments and the Treasury ahead of the spending review showed that the old, silo-driven mentality is alive and kicking in Whitehall. Domestic abuse is one area where Downing Street must intervene to bring a more holistic approach.
Crucially, the new strategy should include not only direct investment in lifesaving schemes such as accommodation, but must also guarantee enough money for the day-to-day services needed to deliver the promise.
As the Commons home affairs select committee noted in a report this month, “funding remains fragmented and poorly aligned with evidence of what works”. Although cross-departmental boards have been established, transparency is limited, and trust in the Home Office’s ability to lead remains low, the committee said. Ominously, it warned: “We are not convinced that the department has the capacity or imagination to deliver on its target ... Without determined and coordinated action by ministers, the government will not meet its target to halve VAWG in a decade.”
The Independent will be watching closely to see whether the government puts itself on track to meet its target.
While our campaign has more than achieved its goal, there remains much more to do. It's not too late to support Refuge. Donations will be spent on its lifesaving work housing survivors of domestic abuse. Donate to Refuge | Help Stop Domestic Violence
