Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
"This will not usher in new era of privatisation"
This evening, as Full Council vote in Nick Walkley as the new CEO of Haringey Council, Claire Kober assures residents via Twitter that there is no plan for "a new era of privatisation"
The leader of the council went on to say that it is politicians that set the direction of the council and there are no plans to implement Barnet's agenda here. There were three votes against and one abstention in the vote to ratify Nick Walkley's appointment as the CEO.
Nick Walkley has been at the centre of Barnet Council's controversial EasyCouncil plan but recently stood down citing personal reasons to apply for the role vacated by Kevin Crompton.
Tags for Forum Posts: nick walkley
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Seema Chandwani on
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We might not get a 'new era' of Privatisation, maybe just one that is already happening... *cough* Leisure Centres, Cementries, Childrens Homes *cough*
Im not against the idea of services which are not run directly by the council, I think organisations like the Citizen Advice Bureau are a good example of how a service people need can be run independently.
I do not challenge 'The Leader's' belief that she will not usher in Privatisation, maybe this term means different things to different people. Privatisation in regards to the Thatcherite understanding was a complete sell off of public assets such as we have seen with British Telecom, British Gas etc, so no we won't be seeing that in Haringey as it is not really possible to do that anywhere in local gov
What we could see, and in some places are seeing is a Contracting of Frontline Delivery to the Private Sector, the Council may still 'own' the service, but they do not run the service and have also to a large extent passed on accountability to the tax payer via the delivery agent, so it is them who we interface with.
Should it matter who delivers the service, if it is the service we want? Ideologically, yes.. Reality, probably not if we just look as us being a service receiver and all works fine. In all honesty it doesnt affect me if our Lesiure Centres are run by Fusion or Haringey Council as long as the service is good. Where it affects me, is if there are Health & Safety concerns, financial mismanagement, a drop in quality of service. Are we calling a call centre in India to make a complaint?
With services that involve care for people, I have a huge concern. I am not sure how many times we can watch TV programmes exposing shoddy standards of care, unqualified staff, dangerous practices and abuse of the old, young and vulnerable. The closure of the only two council run Childrens homes, which according to the reports were part budget driven is a worrying sign.
More wider, (and possibly not everyones concern) is employment rights, are the 'savings' due to a drop in working standards and conditions, a drop in pay, including London Living Wage, no real monitoring and accountability on race and gender employment monitoring, poor training etc.
Lastly, is the fear of budget forecasting and projected spend when we 'Commission' long term contracts, Local Gov normally have 3 year budget cycles (although in year claw backs can be made by Gov). A council is not a business, it can not increase/decrease 'trade' to increase profit and income. Therefore, its income is static and in the current climate more likely to decrease for us to have any long term contractual committments on it. Demand on spend is likely to increase as Austerity brings in other pressures on demand.
Based on this, I would much prefer bringing as many services in house to increase the direct ability to adapt to change.
The real problem here, unlike what we have seen in Islington, Hackney (or actually Barnet) is we have no plan (or not one that I am aware of). At least in Barnet you can see the 'vision' and strategy, you may not agree with it but at least you knew what it was. What is the plan and strategy for Haringey? It all appears reactionary, like a multiple return trip to the shop everytime you think of someone to buy an Xmas card for... Just make a damn list and buy a multipack box of cards.
Anyway, thats my opinion from my sofa in the comfort of an 'online community' ... Im only a tax paying pleb, what do I know
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Permalink Reply by David on
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I do think there is a difference between privatising services to, say, a collective of former council employees and just dumping it one of those rubbish companies like Mouchel or Crapita. What matters is delivery, and those companies have shown through their past performance that they cannot deliver well. I would like to see a council where the best employees can propose to run services themselves because they know they can do it better without management/other dead wood - not just more outsourcing to Crapita.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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As you say, Seema, a Barnet-style "Big-Bang" change has at least the merit of honesty. Just as Barnet's Cllr Brian Coleman is notorious for his honest remark that he would never knowingly undercharge for parking.
Also as you point out, Haringey has been carrying out a series of smaller privatisations. Which I had thought were almost entirely pragmatic and cuts-driven. So was there, after all, an underlying change plan? I doubt it. Having over a couple of years watched Claire Kober stumble from one bad decision to another, I favour the cock-up theory.
Of course I may be completely wrong. A poker player himself, our friend Ian Willmore is fond of the poker saying:
“If you’ve been in the game 10 minutes and you don’t know who the patsy is, then you’re the patsy.”
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Permalink Reply by Christopher Fowler on
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According to newspaper reports, Barnet is now in a Big Mess because Walkley has jumped ship at the moment when they are considering millions of pounds worth of contracts, to basically privatise all of Barnet's services. So, two strikes against Walkley: i) he's an ace privatiser ii) he's jumped ship from Barnet just before the distastrous results start. What a wonderful choice to manage Haringey! "New era of privatisation"? No, just continuing the present drive by the council to "outsource" everything they can. And they call themselves "Labour Party"! More like closet Tories...
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Closet????????
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Seema - I was using the term "closet" in the general sense of hidden in the closet (cupboard) rather than being out in the open. No disrespect was intended to anyone of whatever sexual orientation. I remember vividly the period before law reform (late sixties) and how awful that was.
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Permalink Reply by pamish on
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Yep, TehGaze has given this word to the world - it's now used all the time to describe a hidden tendency, not even value-laden. (Closet Tories may prefer to stay hidden.) It's another USianism - 'Coming out of the wardrobe' doesn't quite have the same ring to it.
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I laughed at the notion that you meant closet as in hidden..., I dont believe any hiding is going on!!
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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" Closet " has a long and honourable history - think " water closet "
Don't let the meaning of this lovely word be restricted.
While we're at it, give us back " gay " as in lively, brightly coloured, animated, merry.
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Tory-Tory folks should stick together,
Tory-Tory folks should all be friends.
Barnet privatisin' services,
Kober followin' Barnet trends.¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
As you can see I need to do more work on this before it's ready for singing on marches etc.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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Yes, it'd need more work.
But it'd still be easier than defending the choice to close day care and drop-in centres for the elderly, ahead of council publicity (including HP magazine), whose budget has recently increased, I understand.
I'd make up a ditty about the closures of services for the elderly myself Alan, but I'm sorry but I just can't see any humour in it. The council's priorities are wrong.
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Sorry you're not a Rodgers and Hammerstein fan.
Clive, I'll let you into a little secret about me. Humour is one way I avoid rage and tears at what some national and - as I deeply regret - some local politicians are doing.
Also because I've been trying to follow the advice of Nicole Sullivan in her video on how to try reaching someone like you who only partly behaves like an internet troll.
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