Demonstrators line street to protest against One Barnet scheme (From Times Series)

Barnet Alliance demonstrators line street outside Capita headquarters to protest against One Barnet scheme

11:00am Friday 21st December 2012 in News By Chris Hewett

Protesters gathered outside Capita’s London headquarters yesterday to demonstrate against the awarding of a £320million One Barnet contract to the company.

The business processes firm recently won a ten-year deal to take over the running of Barnet Council’s back office scheme under the authority’s outsourcing project One Barnet.

Members of the Barnet Alliance for Public Services (BAPS) took to the street outside the national firm’s St James’s Park offices to voice their opposition to the move.

Almost a dozen demonstrators waved placards and chanted during the one hour protest.

Opponents to the One Barnet scheme say the council is gambling with taxpayers' money by putting its services into the hands of private companies.

The council says it will save £120million under the ten year Capita contract, money it says would otherwise have to be found by cutting front line services.