Tag Archives: outsourcing

Vince’s IPPR speech

Lib Dem leader Vince Cable MP was invited by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) Commission on Economic Justice to speak this morning. You can watch the speech here, with Vince’s bit from 10:38 in.

The entire speech is a long-read for lunchtime, from the end of this blog, but here is an overview of what Vince is calling for when it comes to outsourcing public services, which has come under fire in recent months following the collapse of Carillion and the financial woes of Capita.

Vince’s five-point plan calls …

Posted in News | Also tagged , , and | 4 Comments

Opinion: Can Local Government really cope with outsourcing?

 

Council Officers have a strong public service ethos and some are excellent managers. But does their experience give them enough insight to negotiate outsourcing contracts? They have, after all, chosen a career pathway other than that of private sector business. They inevitably lack a deep understanding of the very different attitudes, styles and pressures of work and management in the private sector.

During the procurement process, these rather sheltered public servants are faced with slick teams of well-resourced professionals adept at putting on a good show and armed with as much carefully selected evidence as they need to demonstrate their company’s capability and good standing.

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged | 23 Comments

Opinion: Let’s Have John Lewis Public Services

One of the themes in the loosely constructed narrative the Liberal Democrats have deployed in recent months has been industrial democracy – in catchphrase terms the promotion of the John Lewis economy.

This presents a radical, if embryonic, approach to the private sphere and a unique contribution to the debate on how to rescue capitalism. Looking at how to adopt the themes of this approach to the public sector should be the next logical step. First, though, we have to resolve the …

Posted in Op-eds | 8 Comments
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Recent Comments

  • James Brough
    It's a disturbing situation, isn't it? I can't help but see the irony in this. A group who claim their concern is to keep certain spaces for themselves are insi...
  • Jennie
    I'll be there...
  • Suzanne Fletcher
    Good summary thanks Caron. Like you I am at home, not the same, but I am grateful to those making the livestream possible, and I must admit that I am seeing mu...
  • Nonconformistradical
    @David Le Grice "And for this those of us who have a tendency to do things later in the day, or who suddenly realised they need to go out and buy something fro...
  • Hugh Young
    I can see both sides of the argument, but remember people who work in supermarkets are low paid and work hard, surely they deserve some time with their families...