New book UK's 'marketisation'of government

[TrueBlueTerrier]

New book the focus for debate about UK’s ‘marketisation’ of government

http://media.uow.edu.au/news/UOW054129.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A highly topical book by Professor Warwick Funnell and Dr Jane Andrew of UOW’s School of Accounting and Finance, with Robert Jupe of the University of Kent, was recently launched in the House of Commons.

It was launched by Labour MP Jon Cruddas and Neal Lawson, chair of the think-tank Compass and a well-known political commentator in The Guardian and The Sunday Times.

Also on the panel of discussants were Sue Goss from the Office of Public Management and Professor Janet Newman, Professor of Social Policy at the Open University.

The new book, In Government We Trust: Market Failure and the Delusions of Privatisation, provided the focus for a public debate about the continued ‘marketisation’ of government. More than 100 people attended in the Grand Committee Room in the House of Commons.

In Government We Trust examines the promises and the often highly damaging consequences of the privatisation of core public services, such as transport infrastructure and public utilities, in major liberal democratic states which has occurred over the past three decades.

In particular, the book exposes the high level of financial and operating risk which remains with government after the privatisation of these essential services, requiring governments on many occasions to resume responsibility at great social and financial cost when the private provider fails.

Numerous critical failures of privatised services are shown to reveal the dangers of unfettered markets, dramatically confirmed by the current world financial crisis.

These failures also demonstrate that there are indeed limits to privatisation and that there are some things only governments can and should do.

The current proposal by the British Government to privatise a large part of the Royal Mail, despite the lessons of many failed privatisations of core public services, particularly engaged the audience which were resolutely opposed to this and any further major privatisations.

Professor Funnell, who is working at the University of Kent on a leave of absence from UOW, pointed also to opposition within NSW to the recently proposed privatisation of electricity distribution.

The book will be published in Australia at the end of January by UNSW Press and in the UK by Pluto Press.

[borders]

lets hope someone quickly gives Mr Mandelson a copy !!!

[borders]

joking aside , it seems the Excessives of Capitalism are slowly starting to unwind and we are now seeing how many parts of our economy and society are managed just to help enrich the people at the top table. we are now almost every day learning about some unbelievable stories, take RSB in 2007 it announced profits of 10.7 billion and it became the 5th largest bank in the world and just 18 months later it sets another record by announcing a loss of 28 billion [ Daily Telegraph ]. and according to the telegraph its demise can be summed up in one word-- GREED.

[borders]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/news ... f-RBS.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; . you can read the story here.

[borders]

i have just read all of the story and it is hard to picture that world ," The bank also acquired a £17m private jet, based in Paris, to ferry Sir Fred and his colleagues around their new global empire, and hired the golfer Jack Nicklaus, a hero of golf fanatic Sir Fred, as a global "ambassador".

[norbert]

i have just read all of the story and it is hard to picture that world ," The bank also acquired a £17m private jet, based in Paris, to ferry Sir Fred and his colleagues around their new global empire, and hired the golfer Jack Nicklaus, a hero of golf fanatic Sir Fred, as a global "ambassador".

Send for Big Al - there might be room enough for his ego in that private plane - the so called magic circle

The problem is New Labour's " Manageralism " - some of these people may be a success in their respective fields but a disaster out of them , you've also got Mr McBean's Enron style accounting with PFI & PPP - Alice in Wonderland stuff .

I'm waiting for McBean to bring back some more " retread "- once or even twice resigned ministers - maybe the Sheffield Stud - Blunkett ? , Patronizing Pat ( the Nurses Angel & part responsible for the Postal Services Act 2000 too ) - or give Alaistair Campbell a prominent role - imagine somebody telling him to calm down and go for a drink ?

The irony is that if a Marxist had proposed selling on debt like these banks have done , he'd have been called a lunatic .