Live discussion: can local government survive without the private sector?

Author: The Guardian, Local Government Network   |  

Senior Policy Officer at Localis, Steven Howell, participated in a Guardian online debate about the relationship between the public and private sectors.

Other participants included:

Jonty Olliff-Cooper, director of strategy and policy at A4e, and formerly senior researcher at the think tank Demos.

Councillor Peter Fleming, chairman of the Local Government Association’s improvement and innovation board and leader of Sevenoaks district council.

Paul O’Brien, chief executive of the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) for the past 10 years. Paul previously worked with South Lanarkshire council.

Abigail Lock, head of external relations for Mears, the UK’s leading provider of social housing maintenance and domiciliary care services. Working in partnership with over 75 local authorities, Mears employs over 13,000 people. Abigail has also spent four years as an elected councillor.

David Walker, contributing editor to the Public Leaders Network and former director of public reporting at the Audit Commission.

Ian Gillespie, chief executive of Vanguard Healthcare Solutions. Vanguard works closely with the NHS and private healthcare providers to supply mobile surgical facilities during periods of refurbishment or to provide additional capacity in order to meet high demands for surgery.

Edward Davie, Labour councillor and chair of Lambeth council’s health and adult social services scrutiny committee

Henry Stannard, consultant at OC&C Strategy Consultants and has worked extensively with investors and senior management at private and voluntary sector organisations, to provide services to and on behalf of local government.

Denise Le Gal, cabinet member for change and efficiency at Surrey County Council.

Tim Manning, freelance business architect and service designer, with extensive experience in the design and delivery of public services, by both central and local government.

Please click here to read the full debate

Please click here to read a summary of the debate