Tory County Council plans to privatise 10,000 posts (Ipswich Liberal Democrats)

Ipswich Liberal Democrats <info@ipswichlibdems.org.uk>

Tory County Council plans to privatise 10,000 posts

February 18, 2007 7:53 PM

Cllr Cann campaigning against Tory plans to privatise Suffolk County Council

The tory county council administration has asked for councillors to grant it the powers to see through a radical reconfiguration of service delivery in order to save money at the County Council. On the face of it no one could disagree with these proposals.

However Liberal Democrats have uncovered secret plans to reduce the number of people working at the County Council (excluding education) from 11,000 to just 700 some via redundancy and many via privatisation. The plans add up to nothing less than the dismantling of the County Council and the throwing on to the scrapheap, or the mercies of new employers, of up to 10,000 dedicated, skilled and experienced employees. There are a number of concerns with these secret plans:

* The key document outlining the depth of cuts the tories intend to make has been kept away from the public and county councillors, including tory backbenchers;

* Cllr. Andrew Cann revealed last year that tory plans to modify redundancy terms actual resulted in redundancy and compensation payments being slashed for all employees. With retrospect this was clearly done in order to pave the way for mass redundancies. So not only are they going to thousands redundant they are also robbing their families of appropriate compensation;

* Neither the county councils staff, (including many senior officers), or the vulnerable users of county council services have been told about the depth of these plans;

* County councillors are expected on Thursday to rubber stamp proposals to allow reconfiguration of services to go on. However none of the county councillors have been told honestly and up front what the Tories plan to do with these powers once granted. The powers would enable them to dismantle the entire county council without recourse back to the councillors and ultimately the people of this county who the councillors represent. These secret plans prove that is what they want to do;

* As with Schools re-organisation the Tories did not put these plans into their election manifesto. I believe the people of Suffolk have a right to be consulted on these plans that is why Liberal Democrats are trying to amend the Tories plans in order that detailed proposals are brought to full council not a slash and burn charter as at present;

* The Tory administration is keen to dispose of 10,000 skilled and experienced employees for the sake of £40m - £50m (at best). That sounds a lot until you realise that that is only 5% of the county councils budget. 10,000 people for a 5% saving doesn't sound like a good deal to me especially when once done these changes will be irreversible;

* The Conservatives believe that there are voluntary organisations and private companies queuing up to provide services at less cost than at present. Recently Liberal Democrats have called in to question Tory claims that privately run day care centres were better value than Suffolk County Council ones. There is no evidence that like-for-like services can be provided at less cost by the private sector. In truth service quality will have to give in order to make the savings the Tories claim can be made through privatisation. That means that your services are going to be cut again.

Overall one should not be surprised by these revelations. Over the last 2 years the Conservative administration has shown a contempt for the services it is supposed to deliver, a contempt for the staff who provide them and now a contempt for the elected members of the County Council. I recommend your readers take an interest in how their County Councillors intend to vote on Thursday - we must not repent at leisure.