Cornwall brings back its plans to privatise council services
Cornwall Council chiefs have revived a controversial venture to privatise services – a project which cost former Tory leader Alec Robertson his job last year and plunged the authority into political chaos.
The council's cabinet met this week and agreed to issue a tender for communications giant BT to take on services including IT and payroll in a new joint venture.
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Cornwall brings back its plans to privatise council services
The authority has been criticised for treating councillors "like children" over the issue after deciding that documents with key details of the plans should be kept secret and handed back by councillors.
Such is the sensitivity at senior level over leaks that cabinet papers are now printed individually with members' names as a watermark on every page to guard against copying and to clearly identify whistleblowers.
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The revised plans are described by the council as a "£14.4m contract" which is said to offer guaranteed savings and an undisclosed number of new jobs in the Duchy.
Critics fear there may not be "much change left" out of the costs of setting up the deal.
The outsourcing plans are said to cover a range of services, including "IT support, Telehealth and Telecare, document management, invoice processing, payroll and employment support and improving information sharing".
Ordinary members have seen so-called "pink papers" – confidential records of the meeting – but are not allowed to disclose any information.
Council staff will transfer to BT under the new scheme, but new jobs created are expected to be less than half the 500 originally claimed.
The controversial and valuable "procurement" rights have been removed.
Independent councillor Andrew Wallis, who led a campaign to debate the original plans at full council, a move which forced a major rethink, said "smoke and mirrors" still surrounded the plans.
He said he was "frustrated" to have been gagged from speaking out but did reveal that the savings were "no way near what was hoped".
"There is still concern because at the end of the day do we really want to lose control of council services to a private company?"
"It frustrates me that I cannot actually say what has been agreed – it is in the public interest, it is using tax payers' money and there is only one bidder left in the mix."
The council agreed last year that the cabinet explore a so-called "light" version of the plans.
The ruling group voted on Monday to go ahead with only Bert Biscoe against.
BT will now be asked to submit its bid later this week.
It will be evaluated and a report setting out the results will be brought back to the cabinet later this month for a final decision.
18 Comments
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by IBM_Out
Friday, March 08 2013, 4:58PM
“Cornwall Council rushes to sign BT outsourcing deal before elections:
http://tinyurl.com/a3b2afk
"Cornwall Council, by the way, has one of the best local authority websites I have seen. If the website is a reflection of the imagination and efficiency of its IT department, Cornwall Council should be selling its IT skills to BT for a small fortune – not giving staff away."”
by IBM_Out
Friday, March 08 2013, 4:56PM
“"Cornwall Council, by the way, has one of the best local authority websites I have seen. If the website is a reflection of the imagination and efficiency of its IT department, Cornwall Council should be selling its IT skills to BT for a small fortune – not giving staff away."
Cornwall Council rushes to sign BT outsourcing deal before elections:
http://tinyurl.com/a3b2afk”
by kernewekonan
Friday, March 08 2013, 10:50AM
“What a clandestine and treacherous Shower they are. First the back stabbing then they do the very thing they stabbed their colleague for in the first instant. The quicker this lot is got rid of en-block the better for all of cornwall. i have no faith in any of them they Certainly get a vote of no confidence from me. Privatisation is nothing more than easy money for the boys which have been seen on most occasions in the past and like most other things that have gone down the same road brings rubbish and third or forth class service at the expense and detriment of the people. It makes me wonder as to why these people wish to go down this road.?????? i only hope people will remember when it comes to the election and give them the order of the big boot.”
by eu_blues
Thursday, March 07 2013, 8:38PM
“Cornwall brings back its plans to privatise council services
This is Conwall
It's nice to see the "agenda" is back on track again. There must be a Satan.”
by Jonny2010
Thursday, March 07 2013, 7:37PM
“"Local government" is really just a sham. The unelected "employees" effectively tell the Councillors how to vote and what to approve. Ultimately it's just direct rule from London masked by smoke and mirrors.”
by shagrats
Thursday, March 07 2013, 2:55PM
“Not really a bidding process when its just one company is it. However In some ways I support this as its not the whole roll over and sell the crown jewels like "Lavery and Robertson" wanted. This should be just enough to show that BT will make a complete balls of this, so it should then put the people who think that outsourcing of compliceted council services can be done for a profit by a private company.
This will fail and it will fail causing people alot of misery.
Bring it on ... I'm in BUPA.”
by DoUntoOthers
Thursday, March 07 2013, 2:16PM
“Waveface you are right. The contract will be written to describe what activities and responsibilities are in scope for the service provision. BT will make their money on all the adhoc, knee jerk projects that fall outside of scope. BT I am sure are very very good at writing contracts of service. I cannot say the same for CC.
BT says : Pick up the soap Cornwall.”
by Newquay_Loyal
Thursday, March 07 2013, 1:39PM
“The elected councillors were voted in to SERVE the people of Cornwall, not play political games with the peoples money, jobs and lives.
Party politics has ruined too many local parish, town and district councils up and down the country. If Cornwall is truly different as we all hope it is, then those who have the hands on the tiller of HMS Kernow had better realise this... A mutiny in coming, those that fail to SERVE the people of Cornwall, WILL walk the plank in May.”
by Trecurnow
Thursday, March 07 2013, 12:52PM
“SAY NO!!”
by Jonny2010
Thursday, March 07 2013, 12:51PM
“As a nationalist I want to see "Cornwall Council" swept away and replaced by a proper assembly... having said that, the same clowns would be in charge!!! God help us either way!
There are many 'good' Councillors however they are in the minority I'm afriad.”