Mass privatisation?

Local Newspaper has been given the story about 20 - yes, 20 - Local Authority services being potentially privatised by the current Council Administration ...

... all relates to a Report now going to the Policy and Strategy Committee next Tuesday - main Agenda here, and the specific Report here.

Here's the full list of services to be potentially privatised:

1. IT
2. Cultural Facilities
3. HR
4. Refuse Collection
5. Payroll
6. Street Cleansing
7. Legal Services
8. Ground Maintenance
9. Customer Services (Contact Centre, Front Offices)
10. Road Maintenance
11. Operational Property and Facilities Management
12. Fleet Management
13. Procure to Pay Process
14. Transport Services
15. Revenues & Benefits Administration
16. Building Maintenance
17. Financial Administration
18. Catering
19. Elements of Administrative Support
20. Cleaning

The announcement of this list today, astonishingly sent by e-mail to all staff, could thus basically lead to the privatisation of these 20 areas of service provision which are currently delivered directly by the Local Authority.

Such a mass-privatisation of Council services would - for me - be wholly unacceptable and would undoubtedly lead to a real diminution in the level (and probably the quality) of services provided by the Local Authority to Edinburgh citizens.

This is all about saving money - nothing else - and senior Administration politicians need to have the honesty to simply admit that.

Trying to spin it as an 'improvement programme' will fool no one.