Commit to Publicly-Owned Services, Labour Told

The We Own It campaign is lobbying for the Labour Party to include a Public Services Users’ Bill in its election manifesto, and calling for all supporters of publicly-owned services to put pressure on Labour’s shadow minister for procurement, Jon Trickett.

“A Public Service Users Bill would mean more transparency, more accountability, less privatisation-by-default and less wasteful outsourcing,” according to the We Own It website. “The idea is a no-brainer, but the Labour Party is too scared to put it in their manifesto.

“Your doctor’s surgery, local police station, care centre or railway – they’re all your public services. But right now, they can be privatised or outsourced, and run by companies that don’t have to tell you anything.

“What about your rights? You don’t have any. Let’s change that with a Public Service Users’ Bill to give you a say.”

The group is campaigning for all parties to include the Bill in their election manifestos. Trickett will be putting forward his formal submission to the Labour Party manifesto very soon and We Own It are calling on campaigners to send him emails in support of the Bill, copied to Labour leader Ed Miliband, shadow chancellor Ed Balls and shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna.

“This would be a small but important step towards public services for people not profit,” it says. “Other parties are listening, the Greens are signed up. But Labour is too scared to take a stand.

“The Labour Party needs to stop putting corporate interests above the interests of the ordinary people they claim to represent.

“Jon Trickett has already committed to some good policies on outsourcing, and we know that he does really care about this issue. Tell him why you think he needs to take the next step by committing to legislation to stand up for public service users and against endless privatisation-by-default.

“Trickett wants to be on our side but he and other key shadow cabinet members need a push from you. Let’s give him the encouragement he needs to take a stand.”

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Click here to send an email to Jon Trickett and find out more about the campaign.