The broken system of Tory outsourcing: Mirror Politics morning briefing
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The warning bells have been ringing for some years now.
We should have noticed when G4S failed to provide the security for the Olympics.
We should have sat up when Serco bungled the prisoner tagging programme or when Atos failed on the fit-for-work assessments or National Express gave up the East Coast Mainline franchise.
Perhaps Carillion should have served as a final warning?
Or the Stagecoach and Virgin Train’s running of the East Coast Mainline (again)?
What has become clear is the Tory policy of outsourcing public contracts to private firms has become increasingly untenable.
In the last seven days Allied Healthcare has warned it may not be able to continue providing day care for 13,000 elderly and vulnerable patients and Capita has been forced to ask its shareholders for an emergency bailout.
Each of these firms can point to specific difficulties or circumstances but at the heart of this is a system whose flaws have been exposed because of austerity.
A cash-starved state is forced to tender contracts for services which companies can only deliver by cutting corners or exploiting their workforce.
To fulfil the contracts and ensure shareholders get healthy dividends these firms often use flexible labour paid at the minimum wage.
Permanent contracts which require the paying of pensions, holiday, paternity and sick pay are regarded as an expensive luxury.
Councils, whose funding have been cut by 49% since the Tories came to power in 2010, are forced to outsource services because they cannot afford to deliver them themselves.
The Government appears blind to the failures of outsourcing.
Chris Grayling is still handing out rail franchises to companies who have walked away from previous contracts leaving the taxpayer out of pocket.
There is anecdotal evidence some major firms are now stopping bidding for tenders.
They realise the margins are too low to make profits and provide decent services while treating staff fairly.
Are we witnessing the death knell of forty years of Tory ideology?
(Image: PA)
Jeremy Corbyn will today meet Jewish leaders to explain how he intends to tackle anti-Semitism within the Labour ranks .
The Labour leader has pledged to combat the hatred and abuse with a “zero tolerance” approach.
But he was slow to react to the poison and hatred spewed by supporters acting in his name.
There are still those who believe that because many of the victims of anti-Semitism are not Corbyn allies the issue is being used to undermine the leader.
It should not matter if the victims are Blairites, Lib Dems or Conservatives, anti-Semitism is abhorrent regardless of the political affiliation of the target.
Congratulations to Caroline Criado Perez.
A few years’ ago she was cycling through Parliament Square and noticed all the statues were men.
Today, thanks to her campaigning, a statue of suffragist Millicent Fawcett will be unveiled in the Square .
Wonderful.
Today’s agenda:
9am - The Prime Minister chairs Cabinet.
9.30am - Work and Pensions minister Kit Malthouse is quizzed by Work and Pensions committee on the universal credit.
11am - The unveiling of the statue of Millicent Fawcett in Parliament Square.
11.30am - David Gauke takes Justice questions in the Commons.
2.30pm - Various newspaper editors are quizzed by the Home Affairs committee on hate crime.
5pm - Jeremy Corbyn meeting with Jewish leaders.
What I am reading:
An excellent piece by Jason Cowley on how austerity is ruining our public realm
What I am listening to:
Our latest Ayes to the Left podcast . I'm joined by Nicola Bartlett and Dan Bloom to discuss Windrush, anti-Semitism and how the parties will fare in next month's local elections.