Who Really Runs Britain? : The Private Companies Taking Control of Benefits, Prisons, Asylum, Deportation, Security, Social Care and the NHS

'Outsourcing' ­– when will the horror stories stop coming? Every year the government gives private companies like G4S, Serco, Capita and ATOS £80 billion of taxpayers' money to handle some of our most sensitive and important services – but where is their transparency? Immigration is perhaps the most challenging and divisive issue of our time ­– so why has our government abdicated responsibility? As privatisation looms over an NHS in crisis, how do we hold these companies to account? Now, White speaks to campaigners, Whitehall insiders – and the companies themselves. Who Really Runs Britain ? is a shocking compendium of what happens when outsourcing goes wrong – and what we do now. Every year the British government spends £80 billion outsourcing public services. Today, private companies are responsible for fulfilling some of the most sensitive and important roles of the state – running prisons and providing healthcare, transport, legal aid, even child protection. These organizations have been handed enormous amounts of power and yet for the most part they operate with no transparency or accountability. From deportations to NHS cutbacks, Alan White exposes what goes wrong when the invisible hand of the market is introduced into public services. Informed by exclusive interviews with senior managers, campaigners and whistle-blowers, Shadow State is the first book to examine the controversial phenomenon of government outsourcing. Not only does White provide the full story behind scandals involving G4S, Serco and ATOS, but he also reveals previously unknown cases of system failure in areas such as social care, welfare and justice. The picture that develops is deeply troubling. -- Provided by publisher

Who do you think is running our prisons, providing healthcare, transport, legal aid and child protection? You might think it has to be the government, but in reality £80 billion of public money is given every year to private companies to handle some of our most sensitive and important services. These organizations have been handed enormous amounts of power and yet for the most part they operate with no transparency or accountability.Award-winning journalist Alan White exposes what goes wrong when the invisible hand of the market is introduced into public services. Informed by interviews with senior managers, campaigners and whistle-blowers, as well as with the companies in question, Who Really Runs Britain? is the first book to deal with government outsourcing, giving the full story behind scandals involving G4S, Serco and ATOS, and revealing system failure in areas such as social care, welfare and justice. The picture that develops is deeply troubling.

Who do you think is running our prisons, providing healthcare, transport, legal aid and child protection' You might think it has to be the government, but in reality 80 billion of public money is given every year to private companies to handle some of our most sensitive and important services. These organizations have been handed enormous amounts of power and yet for the most part they operate with no transparency or accountability. Award-winning journalist Alan White exposes what goes wrong when the invisible hand of the market is introduced into public services. Informed by interviews with senior managers, campaigners and whistle-blowers, as well as with the companies in question, Who Really Runs Britain' is the first book to deal with government outsourcing, giving the full story behind scandals involving G4S, Serco and ATOS, and revealing system failure in areas such as social care, welfare and justice. The picture that develops is deeply troubling A shocking compendium of what happens when outsourcing goes wrong - the horrifying stories, damning statistics and what we do now