Guest Blog - It Will Be Noting to do with you until 2022 - by John Sullivan

By John Sullivan,

I attended a  Barnet Alliance for Public Services presentation of the rights and wrongs of the " One Barnet " proposal and the possible impacts on the people of Barnet last night , presented   by a specialist in local authority management and procurement who described the activities of Barnet council as dire. A man whose company act for local authorities all over Britain of all political colours so he was no left wing loon he was a specialist in his field. Who made it clear crystal clear ,the people of Barnet have to stop the " One Barnet Commissioning " to private companies of public services at all costs.

The level of incompetence and inability to get a privatisation right to date by Barnet councillors has cost us millions, yet they think they are competent and equipped to push ahead with an untried untested act of madness more commonly known as the " One Barnet Programme " that could cost us billions.

I found the whole thing quite terrifying, the thought that all of our public services could finish up in the same mess as Southern Cross, where the elderly and the vulnerable could so easily be placed at risk. Worst of all the current in house structures for all aspect of public service which include health and education of our children will cease to exist. Leaving a gun at the head of the council from private companies doing an Oliver and demanding more, because they know they have the power and the council are at their mercy.

What is left of Democracy in this undemocratic Barnet of ours will cease to exist, there will be little point in voting in the local elections until 2022, because these " One Barnet " Commissions are for  minimum of ten years. Which means that any incoming administration of whatever political colour , will, be bound by the  " One Barnet " commission contracts and helpless to do anything to make changes.In effect 5 councillors elected in 2010 will make the decisions on all aspects of council policy and responsibility from now until 2022, which in turn devalues your vote and makes it virtually worthless more importantly it will deny you the democratic right to demand change.

This " One Barnet " lunacy has to be stopped before it is to late the people of Barnet are sleep walking into a potential disaster driven by the ideology and dogma of 5 right wing megalomaniacs with their own agenda. There will be I repeat little or no point in voting from now until 2022, in other words  " THERE WILL BE NOTHING YOU CAN DO UNTIL 2022 " unless we stop this madness " "NOW"  if you want democracy in Barnet then you must oppose the " One Barnet " lunacy no matter your political persuasion.

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John Sullivan is a Barnet resident and carer. Guest blogs are always welcome at the Barnet Eye. Submit via the contact email link in the top right hand corner of the blog