What’s the future of public ownership? It’s up to you
Cat Hobbs introduces an event on 7 May looking at public ownership in the 21st century
Public ownership. Public services, public spaces, public resources that work for all of us and belong to all of us. Some say it belongs in the past. We know it belongs in the future.
Of course, it’s true that we’re on the back foot after 30 years of being told that ‘private is best’. We’re living in a country:
- Where the government is completely committed to transferring property from public to private hands
- Where George Osborne is trying to sell off national treasures like the Land Registry as fast as he can
- Where outsourcing of public services to private companies doubled under the last government
- Where the government uses cooperatives and charities as an excuse for more procurement – but big corporations often get the contracts
- Where inequality is growing and people who most need resources are denied them
- Where cuts to public services are biting and undermining dedicated public sector workers
- Where public space is being taken over by corporations
But there are signs of hope too. We’re also living in a world:
- Where cities like Paris are taking control of their water
- Where energy is being run for people not profit through exciting new projects like Robin Hood Energy
- Where polling shows most of us want public ownership
- Where councils are starting to see the benefits of bringing services in-house
- Where new co-operatives are bubbling up
- Where junior doctors are fighting for the future of our NHS and teachers are fighting for the future of our schools
- Where mass trespass actions are questioning the right of corporations to control public space
So what will things look like in 2030? It’s up for grabs – and up to you. How do we respond to changes in technology (like the potential for robots to deliver public services)? How do we create the future we want to see? Let’s talk about the future of public ownership.
Join us at Own the Future: Public ownership in the 21st century, Saturday 7 May in London. Get your ticket now.
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