FOR the past three years, my colleagues and I have been speaking out on behalf of the residents of New Bradley Hall Residential Care Home in Kingswinford, in order to keep them safe, secure and give them peace of mind.

Over these years, the Council have tried various ways of getting it off their books, with its latest stratagem being to “Outsource” it.

The councillors and officers responsible for doing this have gone to great lengths to explain the concept and merits of privatisation/outsourcing to us and have told us that there is no other option and that it is a no brainer.

We couldn’t fully understand what they meant by that and asked if they could explain.

It appears that privatisation/outsourcing will bring in lower costs, bring in more efficient methods of working; deliver services as and when we need them and at a price which is more affordable in our present times of austerity.

We were told that these arguments are compelling, positive, logical, and the only way to achieve what the government are currently imposing on local authorities.

I asked how the privatised, Gas, Water, Electricity, Trains and Buses etc had benefited us but was told that they were different.

So this set me thinking, if privatisation/ outsourcing is so efficient and positive for our local communities and services, why not take the next logical step and outsource our councils, which are run by well meaning but what can only be described as, enthusiastic amateurs.

A career as a probation officer, forklift truck driver or manual worker etc, does not really set you up with the qualifications to handle a multi million pound budget or determine the lives of thousands of people with specialist needs, does it?

If you follow the logic, the privatisation/ outsourcing of our local councillors, by a small board of full time professional people should deliver our essential services at a much lower cost than at present.

Savings from the attendance allowance and expenses alone would go a long way to solving the deficit.

Is this is the real no brainier, because if outsourcing is right for us, then surely it as to be right for them and there can only be a win win situation for everybody involved.

If our politicians are serious about reducing the deficit and we are all in it together, then surely options of this nature must be considered, unless of course our politicians are only in it for self interest.

I would suggest you ask your local councillor what their views are before deciding who to vote for in May.

Phil Vanes New Bradley Hall Action Group