A White Paper just published, Open Public Services, aims to open every public service, except for national security, frontline policing and the judiciary, to competitive tender from private industry.
Presenting his vision for the future of public services, Mr Cameron said: “It’s about ending the old big government, top-down way of running public services and bringing in a Big Society approach; releasing the grip of state control and putting power in people’s hands.”
Mr Cameron believes the provisions in the White Paper would mark the first step on the road to a “better, fairer country” in which people enjoy more choice, less bureaucracy, improved services and equal access for rich and poor enshrined in law “a general right to choose” in areas like education, health, social care and housing.
Mr Cameron stated he is “absolutely determined” to put through the reform of public services in its entirety.
The proposals have provoked union fury by promising a “presumption” that private providers could run all but the most sensitive public services and they have accused the coalition government of seeking to break up the public services.
“I know there are those who thought we might be pulling back or losing heart for the task ahead,” he said.
Mr Cameron added, “The old dogma that said Whitehall knows best – it’s gone. There will be more freedom, more choice and more local control.”