Thursday 20th November 2008
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Plans to extend SERCO's stay
The latest issue of the Council's Forward Plan includes a report to be presented at the Elected Mayor's Board on 3rd December 2008 to extend SERCO's contract running the Children & Young People's Directorate. SERCO has been responsible for considerable disquiet, unrest and damage amongst communities in the City outraged by key aspects of their plans for the restructure the City's High schools. Hazel Blears MP, minister for communities and local government called her recent White Paper concerned with local democracy: REAL PEOPLE, REAL POWER. Every time real people attempt to speak with the real power holders in the City about the schools' issue they are, at best, treated with condecension and at worst, contempt.
There seems to be an enormous chasm between what the government pretends to advocate (real people having real power in the communty) and their actual practice of sending in dicatorial agents!
Whoever is responsible for putting forward the proposal to extend SERCO's stay would do well to reflect upon the enormous political controversy any such proposal will generate. It would be more than insensitive to pursue such a policy initiative during this unfortunately lengthy interregnum; it would be shere folly. Between the 23rd October referendum decision to end the dictatorship of the unelected Council Manager and the advent of a democratic executive system on 8th Jne 2009 is far too long a period to remain as things are. However cloaked with a pretended veneer of democratic legitimacy, the de jure position remains absolutely clear; it is the unelected Council Manager/Chief Executive that makes the decisions, not the pretenders draped with the august titles of portfolio holders.
The only possible way to ameliorate the situation and stave off either widespread political outrage or political impotence would be for the Council Manager to offer to establish a politically proportionate advisory working group. That would permit the presentation of a cross-section of political views and render redundant the divisive coalition cobbled together by the elected mayor in a desperate but vain attempt to hang on to power.
We are constantly being told that we need vision and leadership. Well, there is a vision and a lead so over to you Council Manager.
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It is very worrying to have SERCO's contract extended. They are already doing so much damage to secondary education; with the crazy BSF reorganisation plans, underproviding for the pupil numbers we have and forcing academies on us, without prolonging the agony. I am very concerned about post 16 education too, as that is due to move back to LA control after the LSC goes in 2010. We don't want that wrecked by SERCO also. (Recently I attended a Stoke-on-Trent 6th form college open evening and was very impressed.) You are so right about the gulf between what the government says it wants to do and what it actually does in practice. One thing that is especially annoying is when they talk about 'opportunity', which for them means what they will force on people.