The problem with competition as the solution for all ills

Private firms have to make profits, keep shareholders and directors happy - look at executive pay in the private care system and see how much that creams off
To compete they reduce costs, that usually translates to cutting pay, conditions and ( of course!) pensions - for most of their workers..... a result is (for example) all the care home scandals where the private firms try and run them with as few staff as possible nd keep them on minimum wage - less if they can get away with it....
And if they don't do that, someone else will possibly even worse
Competition may be fine for widgets and things (although that's why manufacturing is a small of our economy), but for things we all really need and rely on - like health care - it's a really s**te system
The was a recent international report (OECD, I think) that showed the NHS to be one of the most efficient in the world - including less spent on bureaucracy and admin

..... oh, and the irony is not only that the Government sees this as the solution, but that ultimately competition leads to a few large firms dominating as the more profitable take over the least profitable and get bigger.

Posted By: Tressells Broadbrush, Dec 1, 09:09:04