Here we go again, what is it with our politicians
How can they be so consistently stupid? Privatisation may be good for some activities but not for soft public services like education, health etc. How can the profit motive provide a better police or health service at a cheaper cost to the public? The answer is not blowing in the wind – it is simple, ‘it cannot be’.
That politicians are congenitally incapable of rationality which is explained in my book. Hopefully my book be published just after the overblown Olympics have added to our debt mountain.
Even my hero, John Humphreys on this morning’s Today program failed to ask the right question.
Here is the unasked, but, perhaps, better question. “Please explain, Chief Superintendent, how can it be cheaper for a private company to perform the same duties currently performed by the police?”.
The question John did ask was this, “Why not just employ more PCs? You are going to spend money anyway!”. Answer came their none but waffle and evasion smelling of horse poo was there in plenty.
Chief Superintendent Phil Kay of West Midlands Police answer was a bunch of weasel words avoiding answering the question. His knighthood now assured methinks, for providing the politically correct answer. John you should be smacked for not pressing the man!
Here is the real answer to the question; “I’m afraid, Mr Humphreys, that Police officers retire far too early on overly high pensions, we simply cannot afford to employ more of these staff and anyway we have been told by Theresa May, the Home Secretary, to find ‘other and cheaper ways’ to get the same work done. Hiring people in the private sector who are paid far less and cannot afford to retire early is the obvious thing to do.”
It is “party politically” unacceptable to deal with the real problem. The “Greek style” employment perks enjoyed by the Police force (sorry “service”) plus over generous pensions paid to police officers who can retire in their 50s need to be dealt with but cannot be addressed.
I am sorry to have a go at the police but the public are not well served by senior officers going along with the Tory party line.
This is blatant short termism, fundamentally wrong. The start of the destruction of the police force which was the envy of the world, forced on us by politicians whose myopic 2/3 year view precludes rational thought.
