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Launching The People Vs PFI

Saturday 1st November, 2014 @ 9:00 am – Sunday 2nd November, 2014 @ 5:00 pm

Follow us on twitter @thepeoplevspfi and help spread the word by using the #PPLvsPFI hashtag

PFI – The Biggest Scam You’ve Never Heard Of

You’d never be able to tell from the outside, but hundreds of our hospitals, schools, prisons roads and even homes are no longer controlled by us, the people. Why? Because politicians have given away our public buildings to private companies – only to have us rent them back at extortionate cost. Our money is making these tax-avoiding corporations rich, while we end up losing frontline services. This is what they mean by the Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

PFI – Doesn’t Make Sense

Every year PFI costs us £10 billion – more than the entire 2012 Olympics! The UK taxpayer will pay almost £300bn for PFI – but most of that will end up in offshore tax-havens.
The government and private contractors consistently conceal details of PFI contracts. Why should public spending be allowed to be kept secret?
The worst part of it all is that the public were given no choice about PFI. PFI was implemented by corruption of the democratic process. We need to take back our rights.

PFI – Needs To Go

There is an alternative – there are cheaper and better ways to provide public infrastructure. It’s time for us to stand up and say NO to the politicians and private contractors that want privatisation-by-stealth. It’s time to make public services ours again. Join public sector workers, professional groups, trade unionists, campaigners, researchers, journalists and members of the public for a one day event to launch this vital campaign to end PFI. Hear from experts in the field to learn how you can make a difference, and tell your own story about how PFI is harming you, your family and your country.
To find out more, learn how to contribute and register, email: [email protected]

Morning

9-9:45 am Registratio9

8:45 am Introduction Why This Conference – Dr David McCoy

10:00 – 11:30 am  Why PFI is Unacceptable

PFI in context: financialisation, privatisation and the debt industry – Ann Pettifor (Advocacy International)

PFI impact on the NHS: financially disastrous and clinically unsafe – David Price (Queen Mary University)

PFI inequity: shifting the debt burden to the next generation – Ashley Seager (Inter-generational Foundation)

PFI and the Global South: financial extraction and the growing wealth gap – Nick Hildyard (Corner House)

PFI and social housing: ruthless profiteering at the expense of democratic accountability – Stuart Hodkinson (University of Leeds)

11.45– 1pm

Public Testimony Against PFI Campaigners, public service users, communities Chair: Dr. Jacky Davis, (Keep Our NHS Public)

2-4pm Parallel Workshops

Follow the money – how does private finance work as a corporate scam? Who pays and who profits? – Dexter Whitfield (European Services Strategy Unit) & Tamasin Cave (Spinwatch)

Freedom of Information for beginners – Sid Ryan (Centre for Investigative Journalism) & Megan Waugh (University of Leeds)

Getting stories into local news and social media – Centre for Investigative Journalism, John Lister (London Health Emergency) & Caroline Molloy (openDemocracy)

Contract monitoring – how to hold public bodies and private contractors to account – Stuart Hodkinson with PFI housing activists

Mobilising communities around protest and direct action – UK Uncut & Focus E15 Mothers

4.15- 5.30pm Roundtable Debate on How to Fight PFI

Roundtable Debate on:

  • How to Fight PFI
  • Legal challenges
  • Civic Strategy – local action
  • National co-ordination
  • Political strategy – providing the alternatives
  • Media and Public Education
  • Contractual Strategy – helping managers locally

Chair: Dr Guddi Singh (Medact)

Speakers: Joel Benjamin (Move Your Money) Fran Boit (Positive Money) Richard Brooks (Private Eye) Rosa Curling (Leigh Day legal firm) Cat Hobbs (We Own It) John Lister (London Health Emergency) Dexter Whitfield (European Services Strategy Unit)

BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW BELOW OR AT: http://www.peoplevspfi.org.uk/

Contact us: [email protected]

Click here to download a PDF version of the programme

Details

Start:
Saturday 1st November, 2014 @ 9:00 am
End:
Sunday 2nd November, 2014 @ 5:00 pm
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