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| Outsourced |
News from Labour
London Borough of Barnet Labour Group
We’re on your side
For immediate release
6 December 2012
www.labour4barnet.com
www.betterbarnet.org.uk
Barnet to agree easyCouncil mass outsource today.
Tonight, 6th December at 7pm, the Barnet Conservatives will be making a decision at Cabinet which will fundamentally change the way Barnet Council is run and how services are delivered.
Customer Care, Council Tax collection, Benefits, I.T., finance, procurement, estates and H.R. will be outsourced on a 10 year contract worth up to £750million pounds to Capita.
Next month the council will also outsource Planning, Licensing, Environmental Health, Trading Standards, Regeneration and Housing Strategy, Highways, Land Charges, Cemetery & Crematorium and Building Control.
This is a huge risk which is unprecedented in size and scope - 70% of council services will be out of the council's direct control. It is a fundamental change to the democratic control which residents and councillors will have over local services. In 2014 residents will be able to vote out councillors responsible for this decision, but we cannot vote out Capita.
Tonight’s decision is more than just a vote on how services are delivered. It will be a vote that affects the openness, transparency and democratic accountability at the heart of our local Council.
Leader of Barnet Labour Group, Cllr Alison Moore said: “This could mean the end of local democracy as we know it. A vast swathe of critical council services will be tied-up for at least 10 years, with no guarantee that the service will be better or cheaper, and no cost-free get out of jail card. I appeal to all those Conservative councillors who are having private doubts to vote according to their conscience, not the Tory whip, and send this proposal packing.”
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