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Former Peterborough mayor signals death of councils
Cllr Swift thinks councils are less relevant now. Photo: Peterborough ET
Charles Swift, fomrer mayor of Peterborough and the longest-serving councillor in the country has said the outsourcing of public services to private organisations signals the death knell for local councils.
In a letter sent to the Evening Telegraph yesterday, Councillor Charles Swift launched a damning attack on Peterborough City Council for allowing private firms to take on more and more council services.
The last two years have seen leisure services handed over to the culture trust Vivacity; city services go to Enterprise; and its Manor Drive administration services transferred to Serco.
The number of full-time employees employed by the council has dropped to 1,057, almost half the 2,084 full-time equivalents employed in April 2010.
Ahead of the next full council meeting in which more service cuts are expected to be ratified next Wednesday, Cllr Swift, a former city mayor who has served on the council since 1954, said the constant outsourcing is rendering local authorities meaningless.
In his letter, he said: “What we will be witnessing and taking part in on Wednesday is the death of local government.
“There will soon be no need for council prayers because, in a few years’ time, the system will be abolished.
“We have publicly stated in council minutes that we believe other agencies to be more competent and financially capable of running our affairs and administering the services our citizens require, than the elected councillors or paid officials.
“We have 57 councillors, equal to one councillor for approximately every 20 members of staff. As a councillor years ago, you could go direct to city council officers with your constituents’ problems; today we have to go through these agencies to solve them.”
Services still under council control include children’s social care, education, strategic growth, planning and, from March, adult social care.
Meanwhile, services carried out by companies and trusts include library services, waste collection, council tax collection, street cleaning and sports and heritage services.
But Peter Hiller, the council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods, housing and planning, argues that the council still plays the most vital role in local public services.
He said: “The council has outsourced essential services to make them more efficient and to save money.
“To suggest there is no need for an administration for the city of Peterborough is frankly nonsense.
“I have huge respect for Charles Swift’s experience but I think with organisations such as Enterprise and Vivacity we have seen frontline services improve.
“These are efficient, large organisations with expertise far above what an authority can match and its very much to the benefit of our citizens.”
What do you think?
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Comments
There are 10 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
FrankJWilson
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 04:48 PMJJ Carter. The way contracts have been awarded is indeed suspicious. Reference to: deals being done 'over brandies at The Lodge’ is entirely misguided. This is an honourable institution that places truth and integrity as cornerstones to their beliefs. Those in power at PCC appear the antithesis of this fraternity. Outsourcing can work very well; harnessing enterprise and innovation with economies of scale. However when the procurement is polluted by consultants who care for nothing but their own position and greed then we are doomed to a failed legacy for decades to come. The council should retain strategic and quality control. The in-house ‘intelligent client function’ should be just that. Sadly, it appears we have secured none of these before procuring our long term partners thus are destined to fail. Those consultants whom have taken so much from us bear none of these long-term risks and like parasites, once exhausted their host, seek new ‘public bodies’ to feed upon
Richard Olive
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 09:19 PMJJCarter@8. Not true I'm afraid. Provided the Council's contractors carry out what the contacts say the contracts cannot be determined without penalties being paid by the Council. And quite rightly so. A contractor, for say a 20 yr contract (the Enterprise waste contact is for 23 years) would have to take on extra bank loans, extra staff, equipment, vehicles and office space. If the contract was determined he, most likely, would have to make staff redundant, sell equipment and vehicles at a loss, sell leases, and not make the profits which he had expected to make. Even normal contract conditions would allow for such penalties to be paid. And usually contractors inflate their actual losses. neither 8is it advisable to try to vary the contract details. Any extras ALWAYS cost a lot more than if they were included in the original tender. The mistake is allowing such long contract periods. So, I don't believe, contracts will be determined by the Council unless contractors can be proven to be in default.
J J Carter
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 05:06 PM@6 Actually, if the contracts have been well written (a BIG if with the PCC), then the client has a an absolute right of termination. This is well established in public sector contract law, along with open-book accounting. Together, these should keep the outsourcing partner on their toes. Of course, the suspicion remains that PCC contracts are agree over brandies in The Lodge.
Reader22
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 04:18 PMWell said Cllr Swift. As the council has contracted everything out why do we need so many councillors and cabinet members? A never ending tax payer gravy train. Neighbourhood commitee chairs on £7k plus councillor stipend - where does it ever end?
Richard Olive
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 10:15 AMHenry@3. Yes the Council COULD determine (end) contracts and pay the penalty monies for an early determination (which are usually extortionately expensive). So Henry I presume you wouldn't mind more tax payers money being wasted?
JM
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 08:35 AMWell said Charles but as for the comments of Cllr Hiller he really needs to wake up and smell the coffee. If he stopped believing what the Directors at Enterprise told him and looked at the wider picture he would see that things have not improved at all are in fact starting to slip. Oh yes there are savings to be made but the service provision will be no where as good as it was and it cant be when you only have half the staff carrying out the work, its not rocket science!
HollygoLula
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 07:45 AMAgree 100 percent with Cllr Swift...but would our members want to give up their 'expenses' and go back to work in the real world? Also why do we still have such a highly paid chief executive? And why have none of her directors moved on?
henry
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 11:08 PMSub the lot out the PCC a load of rubbish, spends money like water maybe we will get some value for money. But if we don't we could always end the contract with sub-contractors and get a new ones.
J J Carter
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 10:06 PM50% reduction in staff, but all the executive officers keep giant salaries and gold plated pensions. Nice one, cheers!
Richard Olive
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 09:31 PMCharles is quite correct. Councils are losing control of local services due to out-sourcing. Many of the contracts are for up to 25 years. If the Council decides it wants to improve a service it is not allowed contractually to make changes. Also the contracts do not describe the manner in which the service is to be provided thus allowing private companies to decide how to do it. So what's the purpose of Councillors? I suppose some people will only want the cheapest possible service. OK until there's a problem. Then if you wish to make a complaint you'll find your councillor cannot do anything about it. Already we can see that the Council no longer has the expertise to do its job correctly: Bridge Street trees, Cathedral Square fiasco, poor performance of waste recycling treatment, fly tipping problems, poor public transport, temporary bus station etc. How did we get into this mess? Its the fault of the Peterborough electorate of course.
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