The next government...

[Rock chick]

Well, it'll be one or the other one, I suppose. Like most of us, I was beginning to think that there wasn't much to choose between them, but this is dangerous thinking for a Labour-to-the-marrow-working-class-and proud-of-it kind of girl. The more I read about the Tories plans for us, the more I realise just how screwed we're going to be if they are successful.

For example, today in the Daily Heil Mail.....


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1251360/Tories-public-sector-workers-power-sack-boss.html


I have very grave reservations that the Tories have any real understanding of what a cooperative actually is. I strongly suspect that we will not end up with anything that resembles my understanding of the concept.

In that Utopian world we all strive to achieve, the workers will manage the business with expertise, compassion and frugality, all for one, and one for all, to each according to his need and all that. They will cut waste, improve services and re-invest the profits which their good management will generate into improving services in the future - and we'll all love them for it.

However.

Firstly, it all seems very rushed – for example, who will be awarding the contracts? How are overworked and inexperienced and under-qualified public sector staff going to find the time to set up these co-operatives and teach themselves to run them? Are jobs lost if a contract isn’t awarded?

Many co-ops find that the task of self-management is initially beyond them and engage professional management companies who will happily drink half your funding leaving you even less with which to operate. And that 'non-profit making’ label could be manipulated in a hundred ways.

To even start managing this, the National Pay agreements will have to be scrapped, which will end a relatively peaceable decade of industrial relations at a stroke. And the unions will struggle to represent and protect such a fragmented workforce.

The net result of this so called 'decentralisation of power' is in fact the opposite. The role of the local authorities being removed means that all the decision-making power goes back to the Government. This does not fill me with confidence - even MacDdonalds are seeing the benefits of localisation right now.

You can't get a quart out of a pint pot, however well you market it. It’s an underhand ploy to set providers in competition with each other and force them to take ownership of how cuts to services are delivered on the ground.

There seems to be a hidden agenda here – to set up these so-called co-operatives to fail, descend into chaos and end up in such a mess that the only solution will be to bring in the private sector.

What does everyone think – can anyone see this working?

[RichardAKing]

Reading the Daily Mail article, there does not seem to be any input allowed by the users of these services. I think it would result in mini dictatorial bureaucracies running education, social services, local services, etc. It would result in fierce local competition between, for example, schools for funding and could cause extreme measures to be taken to ensure such funding. It the employees are allowed to decide their own pay rates based on savings achieved, the temptation to cut services to this end will be huge.
As you suggest, Carol, it would probably all descend into such chaos that only the privatisation of these essential services would sort things out. The end result then would be financial considerations deciding that 'uneconomic' services would be stopped so that the most vulnerable would lose out.

[ronniesoak]

Jeez, Is this a serious idea? Agree with both of you, will descend into chaos, with public services fighting each other for money, and no clear leadership. Taking ideas from a business whose end result is purely profit related is not the way to run the public sector whose end result is not to make money, but spend it on improving the lives of the users of the particular service, Have they learned nothing from the failure of hospital trust and GM schools?
We have no single electable party at the moment, and PR is becomming more and more a viable option. Either that of turn the whole thing over to Brussels, because they couldn't do any worse than what we have right now.

[Simon]

I have grave concerns about the Tories coming back into power, for purely selfish reasons, I'll be honest. I'm not ready to give up the rights people like Peter Tatchell have fought so hard for. And Cameron supported Section 28 to the bitter end. Something I can't ever forgive him for. I suspect he's gone all homophobic wolf in gay sheep's clothing...I'm seriously concerned what he might do to me and my ilk.

And that's before I even THINK about anything else they might get up to!

[Rock chick]

I don't think he even bothered with the sheepskin, Simon - Cameron gives it all 'I call a spade a spade, I'm not PC' shite and I think, given the power, there will be plenty of us who have cause to regret his election.

The best thing about this sad and sorry land we live in is the protection we offer our minorities and the acceptance we extend to them all - I wouldn't underwrite for cash the future if they come to power -  for any of us, particularly those who (stereotype warning alert) unlike many gay men and women find it hard to have an articulate voice.

Be very afraid.

[ronniesoak]

Nicholas winterburn on R5 last week, a reason to consider that maybe guy fawkes was right.

[Nubs]

The way I see it... every single politician needs to get their head out of their arse, and smell the roses. Not one of them has an idea of how to run this country. From their bickering school-yard behaviour in the commons, and consistent slagging each other off when ideas are aired to improve or make changes to the NHS, education, care for the elderly, policing and crime initiatives, as well as a possible change to refuse collection of fortnightly instead of weekly, to 'save money'; the expenses scandal (ongoing) where these thieving bastards obviously have little or no conscience at all.

The Tories screwed the country BIG TIME in the 80's and 'The BITCH's' actions are still evident even to this day.

I believe that IF the Tories ever came to power again, there would be a mass exodus of people leaving to live in other countries, no less the higher-paid celebs, while those unable to afford to leave will be crushed.
   

[ronniesoak]

Neither the labout aprty, nor the Tory party are fit to govern right now. I think that this election will have a very low turnout, as there is no credible opposition in the tory party, and people distrust labour so much.
MY nan used to have a saying when she was going to the toilet, she used to say "Just off to the houses of Parliment" when I asked her why she said this, her reply was because of the amount of crap that they goes on there. I have now adopted the saying.
(I am missing the libdems out on purpose, as a lifelong supporter, I don't want to preach my party politics on you).

[Paul H]

God help us if the tories get in. Mind you, they're all a shower of shite as far as I'm concerned.

[Susie-J]

Mind you, they're all a shower of shite as far as I'm concerned.

Aptly put - but, true!!

[Rock chick]

Mind you, they're all a shower of shite as far as I'm concerned.

Agreed, on the surface, there isn't a pick to choose between them, but my very grave concern is that this very pervasive thinking will just encourage people not to bother to leave the house and vote. And that's where the real danger lies, in my opinion.

[Susie-J]

I agree RC! But we must hope that people will turn out and exercise their right to vote - whatever their choice may be, it's got to be better than the current situation! (if only to put Gordon out of his misery)

[Paul H]

Never got the opportunity to vote for the next PM when Blair went. They just said Gordon Brown would be PM and that was that. That's not democracy. But I'll be voting, for definite. However, it will be a tactical vote. Most people I know will be doing the same.

[clashcityrocker]

Never got the opportunity to vote for the next PM when Blair went. They just said Gordon Brown would be PM and that was that. That's not democracy. But I'll be voting, for definite. However, it will be a tactical vote. Most people I know will be doing the same.

With respect Paul, our system of government does not allow us to vote for the next PM, only our own constituency member of parliament. Your point about Gordon Brown could also have applied to John Major when he succeeded Margaret Thatcher, or Jim Callaghan and Harold Wilson, so it's not as if the current situation is without precedent.

[Paul H]

Just goes to show how farcical it all is then.