If I was in London today I would definitely go along to this lobby of parliament which is against the privatisation of public services. Organised by Public Services Not Private Profit .

I can see very little, if any, benefit which privatisation has brought t to the public sector. In fact in a number of cases which I’ve seen close up, the reality seems to be that it has cost the tax payer a great deal more.

In other areas such as the railways, privatisation has led to huge subsidies to people like Richard Branson (a second Robert Maxwell if ever there was one - pension fund anyone?), a terribly inefficient system and some of the highest fares in the world. How does this help anyone other than a handful of fatcats? Answer it doesn’t.

On a related note, the book ‘Plundering the Public Sector’ is being read and passed around across the public sector. I’ve lost count of the events I’ve been to in recent weeks where people have been talking very favourably about this publication.

When exactly are the government going to start listening? And to who? The public, or the expensive consultants?