The Carpathia isn’t coming to rescue this government still swimming in the mire, writes LINDA PENTZ GUNTER
THIS month’s damning report by government watchdog the National Audit Office into the privatisation of probation exposes Chris Grayling’s vandalism on a vital public service.
The Audit Office normally uses very measured language, but in the case of Grayling’s privatisation it says: “The ministry set itself up to fail.”
The report also shows why so many other privatisations go bad. Probation services try steer ex-offenders out of crime and into jobs and housing — they are a kind of crime-fighting social work.
Despite Labour’s promises to bring things ‘in-house,’ the Justice Secretary has awarded notorious outsourcing outfit Mitie a £329 million contract to run a new prison — despite its track record of abuse and neglect in its migrant facilities, reports SOLOMON HUGHES



