It has come to our attention that Bury Council are seeking to privatise and outsource ALL services that they currently provide. The purpose of this strategy, potentially, will be to hand over services such as library and leisure facilities, youth provision, learning disabilities, parks and highways, for example, to private companies, charities or voluntary groups. The consultation process will end on the 20th March will a decision due on the 24th according to the Council website.
Bury Action Group would vigorously oppose such a move. We would suggest that services such as those mentioned above can only be run by an organisation (i.e. the council) which is accountable to the people of Bury and which puts the needs of its residents first over profit. We are asking supporters to contact their councilors and to lobby them to come out in opposition to this regressive policy which will see private profit put before social needs.
There are two articles on this in the MEN and Bury Times. You can view the Transformation Strategy by clicking here
Further statements will be released in due course
Will wonders never cease ? Just a week after the derisory 'consultation' over the Con-Dem cuts programme ended and the cuts voted through, suddenly, out of the blue, another 'consultation' is about to begin. Why no mention of the plan to hand over public assests and services to the private sector BEFORE the vote on the budget ? Are we to believe this plan suddenly popped into the collective skulls of the Con-Dems moments after the budget vote ? If you believe that you'll also believe the Lib-Dems half-hearted bleating that there is no sweetheart deal with the Tories. This whole process must be stopped - public service and private profit do not mix. The result of this plan will be that the bankers sieze those services which can be exploited, whilst those which can't will be thrown in the bin. This is simply the local impact of the Juntas national policy. Nobody voted for this - PROTEST AND SURVIVE ! DOWN WITH THE CON-DEM JUNTA !
ReplyDeleteBy the way, whatever happened to all those sandal wearing, muesli eating, 2CV driving, Save The Whale / Nuclear Power - No Thanks ! Liberals ? Totally square, but ultimately quite nice and well meaning, they were always a bit of a political laughing stock. Well who's laughing now ? In retrospect they were really like the wierd kid at the US High School, bullied by the Jocks and avoided by the Cheerleaders....until one day they go bowling then head for school with pops M16. Is this all some twisted revenge mission because we all fell about when David Steel (or was it Owen ?) said 'Go back to your constituencies and prepare for government' ?
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