Andrew Dismore

Andrew Dismore in last minute appeal to Conservative backbench councillors

Andrew Dismore, Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet & Camden has today written by email to Barnet backbench Conservative councillors, asking them to think again about their support for ‘One Barnet’ (Copy below).

Mr Dismore said:

“The future of public services in Barnet is in the hands of the backbench Conservative councillors. We know there is considerable disquiet amongst them. They know they have no mandate for this wholesale privatisation. I urge them to have the courage to stand up against this crazy plan, which will cause so much damage.”

Dear Councillor

OneBarnet: My Advice for Backbench Conservative Councillors

The more opposition to One Barnet grows, the closer it comes, as the ruling cabinet look to force it through, after their choice of Capita as their preferred bidder. It is not often that I agree with Brian Coleman, now suspended from the Conservative whip, but his apparent late conversion against One Barnet is right.

The problems of privatisation are well known. Ever since I was appointed to the London Fire Authority this Summer, we have been bogged down in sorting out the mess of the failed AssetCo fire brigade fleet maintenance contract, with the last straw sacking of the contractor for persistent underperformance a couple of weeks ago, as the bank pulled the plug on them too.

What is clear, is that once a service is privatised there is no going back, especially if the jobs are moved hundreds of miles away, as the Council propose. “TUPE” is of little use to our loyal staff who want to stay in London, rather than move to Belfast.

Whatever the administration say about safeguards in the details of the contract, in practice the proposed 10 year deal will allow the contractor to hold the Council to ransom, with all our eggs in one basket. The people of Barnet may be able to vote out the councillors responsible at the next election, and may well decide to do so -but they cannot vote out Capita, and that will be the case for the next 3 local elections, too!

This first contract is just the start. The Council plans to privatise more services, like planning control. Where will this be run from? As it is, one of the biggest complaints is that the Planning Inspectorate appeal system is run from distant Bristol, with no local knowledge! How much worse will it be if the Council’s own planners are based elsewhere, too?

The Conservatives have no electoral mandate for what they are doing, as leaked internal emails show. It was not in the last Conservative council election manifesto. Yet we are told the Council “Tory boy” leadership behind this crazy idea intend to impose a heavily whipped vote on their backbench colleagues. When I was MP for Hendon, my view was that if I was asked to vote for something not in the election manifesto, then I was entitled to use my discretion whether to follow the whip or not – and on many important occasions, I did not.

I urge you, the Conservative backbenchers on the Council to adopt the same approach and at the 11th hour to reject this awful scheme.

Yours Sincerely

Andrew Dismore