What’s the future of public ownership? It’s up to you

Own the Future: Public ownership in the 21st century

7 April 2016

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
Where you can ‘buy’ a bit of Mars
Where we depend on corporations like facebook to help us connect

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 the evidence is mounting against privatisation
Where junior doctors are fighting for the future of our NHS
Where teachers are fighting for the future of our schools
Where mass trespass actions are questioning the right of corporations to control public space
Where a handful of cities are starting to ban advertising billboards
Where open data and transparency are increasingly recognised as important
Where amazing public institutions like Ordnance Survey are innovating - for example, mapping Mars for public benefit
Where we can connect more than ever before and make more decisions collectively

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 7th May in London.

Get your early bird ticket now https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/own-the-future-tickets-22781065781