Tory prime minister David Cameron wants to give private companies and charities the right to run public services—to end what he calls the “state monopoly” over them.
He says he wants a “battering ram” to take schools, hospitals and council services out of “the grip of state control”.
Instead of the government passing laws every time it wants to privatise, it will pass “one clause” that lets it privatise anything it wants.
It will give private companies a “right” to bid for public sector work. The only exceptions will be judges and spies.
Terrifyingly, Cameron writes, “Instead of having to justify why it makes sense to introduce competition in individual public services—as we are now doing with schools and the NHS—the state will have to justify why it should ever operate a monopoly.”
Cameron is picking a massive fight—united we can beat him.
Library campaigners in Oxford and Doncaster have won a victory as councils delay their cuts plans.
In Oxford, the council has postponed the closure of 20 libraries for at least a year after a massive campaign.
And Doncaster council will not decide until next year whether to close 14 libraries.
These are major victories but there are still many more libraries left to save.
A staffing crisis in the NHS
Health workers set to strike across four Manchester hospitals
Bus workers rejected an offer and came back out
