11 November 2008

 ESSEX TORIES TO PRIVATISE ALL COUNTY COUNCIL SERVICES

The Tories on Essex County Council are preparing to privatise ALL Essex County Council services including Education, Adult and Children’s Care, Libraries and Transport.

The startling decision is outlined in a tender process that the County Council has just began to seek a “partner” to run all the existing services.

Speaking about the amazing tender announcement Cllr Paul Kirkman, Leader of the Labour Group and Leader of the Opposition said:

“The Tories have gone nuclear on public provision of services. They are planning to privatise all public services as soon as they can and have started the tender process by inviting private companies to seek to take over our education, care, library and transport services as well as everything else the Council does. They have done this behind closed doors without any public discussion whatsoever.

In a very short space of time we could have NO public services provided by the County Council whatsoever. This Tory administration is driven by outdated Thatcherite ideology. We have already seen the disaster in Adult Residential care following the sale of elderly homes to private company Exelcare which has just resulted in the closure of Greenways home in Colchester as it was unfit for residents, we may soon see Exelcare Libraries, Exelcare Youth Services, Exelcare Children Centres, etc.

I am appalled and have never seen anything so disturbing in all my time in Local Government.”

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