Residents march for public services and a ‘Barnet Spring’

Barnet residents will demonstrate this Saturday 23rd March in defence of public services and against cuts and the One Barnet outsourcing programme. The ‘Barnet Spring’ march, organised by Barnet Alliance for Public Services (BAPS), will assemble between 11am and noon at Finchley Central tube station to hear speakers, then proceed to Friern Barnet Community Library for a final rally and celebration of Friern Barnet Library’s 79th birthday. There will be a bus available for those who prefer not to walk.

BAPS coordinator Tirza Waisel said:
“BAPS was at the High Court this week supporting Barnet resident Maria Nash’s application for Judicial Review of the One Barnet outsourcing programme. We heard the Council say they did not need to consult residents about whether the bulk of our services are run by a private company or in-house as at present; they said our input on such questions was not useful. It is attitudes such as this that we want to challenge with our march.”
“Residents are right to be worried about what will happen if One Barnet fails to deliver the expected savings and means further cuts in services. This is already happening with Your Choice Barnet, set up under the auspices of One Barnet to make a surplus. Now it is making a loss the management want to cut service levels and are asking Barnet Council for a bailout. “Part of the evidence in court was how Barnet Council banned us from discussing policy matters at our own residents’ forums. Barnet residents have a right to be consulted about the services we rely on and pay for. We need more democracy in Barnet; we call for a Barnet Spring!”
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This message is a press release from the Barnet Alliance for Public Services