Most years we go to the polling station to elect our local councillors, but who is running local government? Characteristically a few names crop up over and over: large offshore businesses that have successfully privatised our former public services.
In Birmingham Capita have rules the show ever since the Tory/Lib.Dem coalition took control in 2004. Labour are highly critical of Capita, not as a private entity, but because they have proved unreliable and not met their promises. They would prefer KPMG to take over. Two years back I asked Stephen Hughes to account for Capita in his budget presentation on swingeing cuts then (nothing like now!) He responded with a bland statement of how “they were saving us money”. I didn’t know organisations like them came cheap. There was no suggestion then that they should share in the burden.
The names crop up all over the place, KPMG just last night on Channel 4 news. This was in the context of the HBOS fiasco where a group of out of control bankers trashed it. Where were the auditors then? Who were they? Well KPMG. Why wasn’t this scrutinised by the former FSA? Because it was led by the former head of KPMG at the time could be the answer.
The truth is the Thatcher legacy runs root and branch into our society, operated by all parties returned to power. Changing it again will not be achieved by tinkering and meanwhile it will continue to serve to divide our society to its core.