On Thursday 20 December, residents from the London Borough of Barnet will visit the HQ of outsourcing giant Capita to talk to them about their proposed takeover of our council services.

We have asked to meet Capita CEO Paul Pindar, whose company has won the bid for a contract worth £320-750 million with Barnet Council, as part of Barnet Council’s ‘One Barnet’ outsourcing programme. Mr Pindar declined the meeting despite saying that he “would anticipate proactively continuing our engagement with local residents regarding their service requirements once the procurement process is complete”.

We have been battling against ‘One Barnet’ for four years. In that time, as far as we are aware, no one from Capita has ever spoken to Barnet residents about the future of our services. In correspondence with the Barnet Alliance for Public Services, Mr Pindar claimed that Capita “undertook extensive consultation with a wide spectrum of local groups and individuals in the borough” during the bidding process. However, we have seen no evidence of Capita consulting, and Mr Pindar would not disclose any further details about the claimed consultation. For Capita, and companies like them, ‘One Barnet’ is all about making profits, not about the quality of services, or accountability to local people.

BAPS coordinator Tirza Waisel said:

“Schemes like One Barnet are happening all over the UK, as outsourcing companies line up to take over services. They offer cash-strapped councils promises of savings that often don’t materialise. Meanwhile, they exploit council employees and services to make a profit. Barnet Alliance for Public Services invites everyone fighting privatisation and cuts, and ready to defend public services, to join us. It is high time the outsourcing companies faced the public!”