Last night Monday 19th November 2012 along with my wife Ida
and my daughter Susan I attended the showing of the film " The Billion
Pound Gamble ", that is all about what is happening in Barnet. We also
watched a brilliantly animated film
about the financial risk and the threats
of the One Barnet programme for Barnet residents public services that they rely
upon, from the threatened One Barnet programme.
Thanks to the help of Labour MP Dave Anderson we were in committee
room 12 of the house of commons and we were not alone, this very large
committee room was packed with Barnet residents from the elderly to the very
young. We had all travelled on a cold November evening from Barnet to central
London, to what is referred to across the world as the mother of democracy.
The place where decisions were made to challenge the tyranny
of the likes of Hitler and fight for our democratic rights and our freedom of
speech our right to be heard. The same mother of democracy that has in recent
years made the decision to spend billions of British taxpayers pounds and at
the cost of many young British lives, to fight for the democratic rights and
the right of democracy and freedom of expression for the peoples of Sri
Lanka , The Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan , Libya and now considering
spending millions supporting democracy in Syria.
Yet the most definitive and siren call from the people of Barnet
that attended the showing of these two films was their collective cry for
"Democracy " for the right to be heard, the right to be consulted on
as huge a decision as the "One
Barnet Billion Pound Gamble". I have often referred to the London Borough
of Barnet in recent months as a " Democracy Free Zone ", but last
night it became clear that I am not alone in this opinion.
A small group of arrogant ideological and dogmatic Barnet Tory councillors are pushing through
the One Barnet Billion Pound Gamble in the face of opposition from a large portion
of Barnet residents that include experts that reside in Barnet, and experts
that have been engaged by Barnet residents to voice their professional opinions
on the One Barnet programme, who have refused and are still refusing to consult
with the people of Barnet on this huge gamble. Rather than consult they have chosen
to abuse those opposing this programme, by referring to us as Luddites hags and
other offensive descriptions. They have and are trampling over the rights of
the Barnet residents to be heard they are smothering democracy, in fact if this
One Barnet programme is forced through what little remains of democracy in
Barnet will be finally snuffed out.
The people of Barnet will have no control over the destiny
of their public services for at least ten years, neither will their elected
representatives have any control because all issues and challenges will be
outsourced and subject to commercial sensitivity. Based on facts and the
history of privatisations to date and not the fiction being spouted by Tory
councillors about the One Barnet programme ,the contract of which they have to
date not even seen to date. There is a better than 25% chance this Billion
Pound Gamble will fail and services across the board will suffer dramatically,
yet still these undemocratic dogmatic and ideological Tories press on with privatisation
at any price . Driven by their lust for privatisation and their hatred of the welfare
state and the need to support the weak the vulnerable the disabled the
unemployed, that with their help and the
assistance of our Prime Minister and the right wing press have been converted
in less than 3 years from being poor dears to scrounging bastards.
What I learned to my absolute horror last night in the very
bowels the very womb of democracy in this house of commons , is that Barnet is now officially a
democracy free zone, and according to Barnet Tory councillors the ballot box is
no longer relevant certainly for the
next three local elections. Because this One Barnet programme is for a minimum
of ten years, so at least until 2023 and possibly as long as 2028 Barnet
residents elected representatives will have no control over the provision and
or the quality of public services in Barnet, democracy in Barnet will in effect
become redundant as will the need for electing local councillors.
Can I ask the people of Barnet reading this blog to sit
quietly and try to imagine what a huge a colossal sum of money One Billion
Pounds is, I know it will be difficult
but you should all try because it is so important. Don't for one second believe " not me guv " " it doesn't
affect me " " I am not
affected " . On the factual basis that there is a better than 25% chance
this project will fail by at least 25%, the loss to the taxpayers of Barnet
will be one quarter of one billion pounds. that can be added to the millions
that Barnet councillor s have already lost in recent years on other failed
privatisations of public services that were also supposed to have robust
contracts to protect the residents of Barnet from loss. Everybody will be
affected when this lunacy goes belly up, road repairs refuse collections, adult
services, childrens service , health services and every other service right across
the board will have to be subjected to huge cuts to make up the deficit.
Barnet council were referred to by a leading expert in
public services , as the council with the worst record of outsourcing (
privatisation ) of public services he had ever encountered ( or words to that
effect ). Professor Dexter Whitfield another leading expert in this field has
made it clear there is a better than 25% chance the wheels will fall off this
One Barnet programme. Yet Barnet Tory councillors refuse to listen, refuse to
engage in discussion or meaningful consultation with these experts representing
the fears of Barnet residents. These supposed elected representative of the
people of Barnet that are ignoring the siren cries of Barnet residents, and
refusing to meaningfully consult on such an enormous issue. Are stifling
democracy in Barnet and the light of democracy in Barnet will finally be
extinguished, if they are allowed to force through the One Barnet programme.
It is truly frightening to witness in the very heart of
democracy the very house of parliament that has spent billions of our taxes bringing
democracy to many foreign lands, to hear Barnet residents crying out for and
demanding their democratic rights their right
o a democratic an opinion and a voice. The democratic right of meaningful consultation
in the face of the ideological and dogmatic Tory councillors that are denying
them their democratic rights, along with their democratic right of a referendum
on as huge an issue as One Barnet.
I learned last night that I am not alone in believing that
London Borough of Barnet is now officially
in the eyes of many Barnet residents of all and no political persuasion
" A Democracy Free Zone ", and until the people of Barnet wake up and
smell the coffee, we are all heading for disaster at the hands of our inept
incompetent dogmatic and ideologically driven undemocratic
Barnet Tory councillors.
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John Sullivan is a parent/carer of Susan Sullivan. He has launched legal action against Barnet Council asking for a judicial review of the One Barnet Program. He explains his reasons in this video. Guest blogs are always welcome.
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