Barnet Alliance's first AGM, Tuesday 12 June

Coming up in the next few weeks, a lot of important dates for Barnet residents already persuaded of the need to resist the council's mass privatisation plan 'One Barnet' - and those who simply want to find out more about what it all means. I'll post some advertisements for these over the next couple of days.

First off, the inaugural meeting of the Barnet Alliance for Public Services (our first AGM). These details are from our website:

Barnet Alliance annual general, Tuesday 12 June

The first Annual General Meeting of the Barnet Alliance for Public Services will take place on Tuesday 12th June 2012, 7-9pm, at the Greek Cypriot Centre, Britannia Road, N12. All who support our aims or would like to find out more about the Alliance are welcome.

Our recently finalised constitution will be available with the agenda closer to the date. Please contact barnetalliance4publicservices@gmail.com if you wish to be sent the agenda and constitution.

There will be an opportunity on the evening to join BAPS and gain voting rights. The amount of membership subscription will be decided during the AGM; the constitution allows for a reduced subscription for those on benefits or who are unemployed.

It is also possible for groups and campaigns to affiliate to BAPS. Again, please contact us for details or attend on the evening to discuss.

The guest speaker at the AGM will be Professor Dexter Whitfield, who will talk about the dangers of privatising council services, here in Barnet, through the One Barnet programme, and more widely.

Dexter Whitfield is Director of the European Services Strategy Unit and Adjunct Associate Professor, Australian Institute for Social Research, University of Adelaide. He has carried out extensive research and policy analysis of regional/city economies and public sector provision, jobs and employment strategies, marketisation and privatisation, modernisation and public management (European Services Strategy Unit website).

He has undertaken commissioned work for a wide range of public sector organisations, local authorities and agencies and worked extensively with trade unions in the UK at branch, regional and national levels, and internationally. He has advised many tenants and community organisations on housing, planning and regeneration policies.

Please join us! We have a very important year’s work ahead of us and we need the involvement of as many groups and campaigns as possible.