Not a penny more to Serco - Give local, public teams the cash!

Not a penny more to Serco! Give local public teams the cash!

12 August 2020

National Day of Action on Track and Trace contracts - Tuesday 18th August

Matt Hancock needs to scrap Serco and Sitel’s failed contracts now instead of renewing them on August 23rd.

The government must give the £528 million allocated for these contract extension to local authorities and Public Health England teams instead. Privatised track and trace has been a disaster that is costing lives. 

It’s time to put local public health teams in charge of the whole system. They have the tools and the local knowledge they need to do this vital work before any second wave this winter. Now they need the money.

Please join our Day of Action on Tuesday 18th to say: Not a penny more to Serco - Give Local Authorities the cash!

  1. Organise a group to meet at your local authority building or landmark, (or Serco site if you're nearby). 
    • Remember to bring a camera!
  2. Download and print this picture of a penny to take with you, along with this placard and bring one penny per person for the photo! Alternatively you can make a bigger cardboard cut out of a penny! 
    • Remember to check out guidelines on how to stay safe and stay socially distanced. Gloves, hand sanitiser and masks are a must and We Own It can reimburse you for them!
  3. Let us know you're organising the action. We'll help with the local press! Email Chris at christopher@weownit.org.uk 
    Let others know! Make a Facebook event too and invite other people who might be able to join! Main Facebook event here.
    You can also let your local radio or newspaper know that you're organising this.
  4. On the day, make sure to share your photos with us at info@weownit.org.uk.
    Share the action on social media tagging us on twitter, facebook and instagram too.
    Lastly, email your picture to Matt Hancock directly! 

Can't make an action in person?

Send your ‘Not a penny more’ message to Matt Hancock. You could take a photo, ideally with you in it, holding a penny, to share on social media for example. 

Make sure to tag Matt Hancock (Here’s his Twitter and Facebook) and include the caption: 

Not a penny more to Serco - Give local, public teams the cash! Sign now: https://weownit.org.uk/save-lives-scrap-serco-now

Privatised track and trace has been a disaster that is costing lives. It’s time to put local public health teams in charge of the whole system. 

Join in a Day of Action on Tuesday 18th to show you support safe, local track and trace for your community! 

Actions already organised

Not a penny more to Serco! Give local public teams the cash!

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Comments

Gordon Stevens replied on Permalink

All funding should go to local council teams

Debby replied on Permalink

Here is an example of local contact tracing in Sheffield which shows how thoughtful and thorough it needs to be, and how the government talk themselves up while failing everybody but the private sector. Website is https://www.communitycontacttracers.com/ and their webinar is well worth watching at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv033Qm2qIg&feature=youtu.be

Kim Edwards replied on Permalink

Only government thinks track and trace is best run by large for profit organisations. Its time the government listened to and took heed of the thousands of voices calling for track and trace to be operated by local authorities at a local level, funded from the millions presently earmarked for private companies. Transparency and accountability should be part of the track and trace process.

Katerina Porter replied on Permalink

So much has been given to for profit large private companies, some with a bad history.

Much time has been lost on this approach when from the beginning it was known that local councils etc were the best. There has even been comments about contribution to the conservative party which if true is truly bad.

Andrea Gilbert replied on Permalink

Stop Paying SERCO

John Ridley replied on Permalink

Wherever possible health should not be for profit. I didn't pay my National Insurgence so people could get rich from it.

Jennifer Stoneman replied on Permalink

I’m with typu

Beverley Ferron replied on Permalink

We need to pass it to the public team and not give no more money to serco. Time the public took over and get the job done properly.

Susan Cosgrove replied on Permalink

let's put this into the safe hands of local initiatives rather than serco, who have proven they are not up to the job.

David Randell replied on Permalink

A disgrace to give Serco a renewed contract,reward them to fail again?

Eliza Blue replied on Permalink

Public services and people’s health should never be about profit, privatisation exploits the most volunerable

Barry Noakes replied on Permalink

I live in Italy and you will not accept my postcode

Anonymous replied on Permalink

The successes of our children are ignored and downgraded governed by bigotry. Their work is disregarded yet here our government is rewarding incompetence spending millions on work badlydone and not producing the results expected. Rewarding friends for rubbish results and punishing our children’s successes by robbing them of grades they have earned. How mealymouthed arrogant and void of any sense of justice.

Janice Green replied on Permalink

The Track and Trace has been a dismal failure. No more funding to companies who cannot deliver the goods. Give the money to local authorities to contact anyone. This government constantly pumps money to companies who are friends or family but unable to perform their contractual duties !!

Gyta Nicola replied on Permalink

If anyone's organising a protest in Milton Keynes, please let me know.

Pascale replied on Permalink

Hi Gyta,

Is there any chance you and a friend have time to go? It only needs a few people for a quick photo which we can help to get into local press?

Don't hesitate to email if you want some help to get going! I'm on Pascale@weownit.org.uk !

Gayle Sheriff replied on Permalink

Far too much public money has been wasted on things that fail, PPE etc now Track and Trace. Not a penny more

This must be given to local areas to use and adapt current successful systems that have cost 1/10 th of the one our stupid government decided upon. I suspect it’s a Dommie idea and one he and others are profiting from. Government of liars, charlatans and idiots. Worst cabinet the Tories have ever had.

Anna Smith replied on Permalink

We Own It is doing a tremendous job. Thank you.

Stephen Collingwood replied on Permalink

Public services like health, education, public transport, water supply, armed services etc must be run directly by local/central authorities and never for private profit from them being monopolies for providing essential services for the communities.

Paul crummypaul... replied on Permalink

No more profit ,, people's NHS not serco

Yvonne Wilson replied on Permalink

I fully support your campaign for money to go to public services. Track and trace should be run by local communities who have the necessary skills to contact the public regarding corona virus. Outsourcing has been a complete failure, so why would you give them new contracts? It’s madness

Anthony Haslam replied on Permalink

Stop throwing money to these incomptetent companys! and put it where it will do some good the NHS!!1111

Carole Broughton replied on Permalink

Public sector has very good history, professionalism of trace and track .

Dr A R GREENWAY replied on Permalink

Disgraceful waste of taxpayers money on failed privatised firms - give local democracy the resources

Captain Gary Lam replied on Permalink

Serco was preciously involved with fraudulently invoicing like Group 4 security.

These companies should be fined and the people responsible charged with fraud not giving them more contracts at inflated charges and toy add insult to injury they did not perform on what they tendered for currently.

If this continues Boris Johnson should be investigated and charged along with the minister who gave the contracts to Serco as I am sure there is some form of back hander involved.

Linda Lister replied on Permalink

It is about time Mr Hancock that you learned what our Public Health is really all about. The name gives it away, “Public Health “. It seems to have eluded you that for decades Public Health has been a system that we have just had in operation in our country for decades. Without them, we would have not stopped typhoid infections or discovered many answers to medical problems which were often rampant amongst us all. Wake up before it’s too late; stop offering out to your cronies, finances to to “set up” a new Track and Trace! We have one, IF ONLY YOU WOULD START AND USE IT. Public Health is more than capable of tracking and tracing, if but YOU Mat Hancock, would give them the correct funding.

Anonymous replied on Permalink

We need to stop spending so many millions In tax payers money on private companies that never really do the job properly. Do you not think you owe the tax payers you are forcing to work longer and longer at least the courtesy of telling the truth. Because you have to know with reports like this that very few of us actually believe a word you say any more. We feel like you treat us all as idiots who dont deserve to know what you are really doing with our money. What we need is something new, AN HONEST PARTY.

Mitchell A Mccarthy replied on Permalink

Not a penny more for you Serco.

L replied on Permalink

Serco are not fir fpr purpose

Leslie Holland replied on Permalink

No more bloody money for useless Serco

Alexandra Hall replied on Permalink

No more £ to mates! Making richer people richer at the sake of those working class people

Carole Doherty replied on Permalink

We must have better track & Trace

Stop giving private companies the business.

Fund those with the laboratory expertise.

Stop waiting public monies

Joe Feely replied on Permalink

10 years & counting of these thieves robbing the public to line the pockets of there rich friends.

Alan John Fountain replied on Permalink

Could we please ask mister Starmer to ask some more searching questions and stop being so polite to the buffoon.

Gwen Campbell replied on Permalink

Not a penny more to Serco Give local teams the cash to allow them to do what they are good and qualified for.

Rewarding a failed system (Serco) is criminal. People's lives are at stake

People before profit

Cathy Sumner replied on Permalink

Public service for the people keep it local

nicolas de jong replied on Permalink

Does Cummings have an interest in Serco?

Sindie replied on Permalink

I trust on everything MP Jeremy Corbyn says it is the best solution and safe for us, for NHS, for future..

John Puntis replied on Permalink

We will be organising something in Leeds outside the Civic Hall. Dont have a time as yet but will post on Leeds Keep Our NHS Public Facebook page when agreed (hopefully this will be at activists meeting tomorrow).

Sarah Gale replied on Permalink

The key to fighting this pandemic is the expertise of our great Local Authorities - their knowledge of their local communities and great Public and Environmental Health teams are the people who should have been used from the start. Serco et al...the usual Tory stooges given millions by this disgraceful government whose brinkmanship has cost the deaths of so many of our citizens.

John Kelly replied on Permalink

The government insidious relationship with Serco is so obviously underhanded and corrupt that every single contract awarded to serco should be reviewed post haste!! Stop this terrible example of crony capitalism!!

Jane Champion replied on Permalink

Not a penny more to private companies which cannot do the job.

Anthea Dennis replied on Permalink

Not a penny more to Serco

Raymond Blackhurst replied on Permalink

Hardly surprising but the people are disillusioned over the Government’s response to the Coronavirus at the moment. A close friend has been in hospital for many weeks with symptoms not related to the virus and she cannot have visitors.

Where I live while I don’t think I have ever displayed symptoms I honestly would not know where to go to be tested so a number of things need to happen now:

The political parties need to consider ‘cross party’ conultation; and

Get the people involved with information only the other day in the supermarket I witnessed people who were not wearing masks and it is also true.....

While I been wearing masks as required whenever I go out I should have been wearing the mask a certain way with the blue side facing out

A friend who was offered a ‘swab’ by the NHS because she is disabled was later informed that they can not be tested in this way because there is an issue with blood clotting

While it has been impossible to get an appointment with a GP there are Territorial Army and MoD headquarters in the local area where people could go (security allowing) to be tested

Ian Knight replied on Permalink

Sadly SERCO have a very poor track-record. The company has consistently failed to deliver on government contracts. They should not, therefore, be considered for any further involvement.

Paul Foreman replied on Permalink

Now"s the time to do the right thing and not give a windfall to regular failures. Please give the money to local communities not distant anonymous, untrustworthy bodies. Thank you

Kate Moss replied on Permalink

Sign up and put a stop to this misuse of our money by our government

Lynne Hurry replied on Permalink

Stop the insidious privatisation of our public organisations.

Stop wasting our taxes.

Gerald Harniman replied on Permalink

What was created in 5 years after the Second World War, the NHS, Social Housing and Care, Social Security for those in need of support, has taken Thatcherite politicians 40 years to dismantle, privatise and destroy all for the benefit of corporate enterprise. Public Service should be in public ownership. and just as in Europe Utilities should have Government influence/ownership.

Paul Richardson replied on Permalink

Any action planned in Newcastle or wider north east.

Pascale replied on Permalink

Hi Paul,

One is happening in Darlington but that might be a bit far? It would be amazing if you could organise a few people for a quick photo in Newcastle?

Don't hesitate to email if you want some help to get going! I'm on Pascale@weownit.org.uk !

Liberty Florence replied on Permalink

The NHS was never the governments to sell, we paid for it through our taxes and our hard earned money.

The NHS stands for EVERYONE deserves the right to a health care service. Insurance plans don’t help everyone.

Diana Tickell replied on Permalink

The track record of your Government over tracking is shocking. No more private companies ruining people’s lives. Tracking should be done locally immediately.

Teresa Herbert replied on Permalink

County Councils will be able to track and tace much quicker than an outside source like Serco. The money should be given to our councils not just one company who haven’t got a good rate of success

Philip West replied on Permalink

After 40+ years of unsuccessful private company involvement in public services isn’t it time to properly fund those public services to the benefit of the whole country.

Diane Kerrison replied on Permalink

outsourcing has been a huge waste of(our) public money and is is dishonest and undemocratic. It allows for corrupt interested parties to profit enormously whilst it disadvantages the rest of us. In the appropriate cases such as track and trace only allocate the resources to NHS and locally elected councils and the organisations which are able to be seen and to do the jobs properly and to be held accountable. Dont ignore the law which requires proper tendering processes to be followed when any contract is to be offered in any circumstances outside this.

Patrick George ... replied on Permalink

SERCO has cocked-up every contract it has been given by this corrupt Tory government. They keep getting awarded nice little earners with no experience of delivering such services. Bent or What?

John Woodland replied on Permalink

The awarding of contracts to private companies by this government is a disgrace. When will contracts be awarded based on proven ability to deliver rather than on whim and fancy by those unqualified to make those decisions.

E Kent replied on Permalink

Our Publuc Health teams are best placed, with their expertise, local knowledge and place within the community, so why is the work being outsourced to a disparate, mostly untrained, non-local workforce lacking in expertise. Our public health teams have been doing a far superior job, even though the government has starved them of funds over the last decade. Think of how much more they could do if given the same amount of money as the private contractors, and with so mych better results.

Giorgio DeMicheli replied on Permalink

We strongly believe in public services for people and NOT for profit.

emma scopsi replied on Permalink

Any action in Lewisham, London?

Profiteering of tax payers money while jeopardising lives.

Jenny Stiles replied on Permalink

Our taxes should be used effectively. In this case that is particularly important as public health is involved. The money should go to not for profit bodies eg NHS or local authorities. When you want to give presents to incompetent friends you should do so with your own money.

Linda Lister replied on Permalink

Public Health is exactly what we have got in GB. We do not need private companies taking our money that we have paid for with our NI Scheme. Why would we want to give this money to private industry who can’t get the work done. Stop this before it gets started.

Amelia Whately-Smith replied on Permalink

We should not give a penny to Servo. Track and trace should be done by our local authority.

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