That's it from me

I have just spoken for the final time on behalf of Lambeth UNISON supporting Barnet branch in their opposition to privatisation at UNISON Local Government Conference.

Seven years ago Barnet branch Secretary John Burgess and I wrote for the Guardian warning about both Tory Barnet's "EasyCouncil" and about Lambeth's "Cooperative Council - and calling for the improvement of public services rather than outsourcing.

In both Tory Barnet and Labour Lambeth some considerable damage has been done to public services and public servants over the course of the intervening seven years.

However neither privatisation nor mutualisation has triumphed in either borough - and now the tide is turning and (if you'll forgive a mixed metaphor) the long dark night of neoliberalism seems to be drawing to a close.

I hope that UNISON members and trade unionists in Lambeth and beyond will continue to oppose all forms of privatisation - and that we shall soon be working with a Government which shares that opposition.

Good luck comrades.