Barnet residents Shape their own Future, Wednesday 4 March

I have been helping to organise a meeting called 'Barnet residents: We can Shape our own Future'. It's at 7-9pm on Wednesday 4 March at Barnet Multicultural Community Centre, Algernon Road, NW4 3TA. I invite you all to attend!

Regular readers will spot the reference in the title of the meeting to Barnet Council's 'Future Shape' plan, which started out life as a grandiose plan to privatise vast swathes of the council's services, but - since that aroused the ire of vast swathes of the Barnet populace - is now being sold as 'oh, nothing out of the ordinary, just the odd bit of contracting out here or there'. Or perhaps I am being too optimistic...

At the meeting, Professor Dexter Whitfield, of the European Services Strategy Unit, will describe the context - political, economic - for local government moves to privatise. Those who want to can ask more detailed questions about Future Shape, and share campaigning ideas. There will also be a chance for other campaigners from the borough to describe their work. And a representative of the postal workers' union, CWU, will put the case against part-privatisation of Royal Mail.

It promises to be a very varied evening, hopefully with everyone able to contribute some ideas and get inspiration for their own work. Please try to get along, and please tell friends, colleagues and neighbours about it. Email info@barnettuc.org.uk with any questions or to request leaflets/posters.