Labour should consider returning to public-private partnerships, a former Labour government minister has argued, as the party seeks to rebuild its economic credibility.
John McTernan, who was a special adviser to Gordon Brown, said that the party’s opposition to public-private partnerships (PPPs) had been a ‘mistake’ and that they could be a ‘powerful tool’ for delivering public services.
McTernan, who is now a consultant, made the comments in a letter to The Financial Times.
He argued that PPPs could be used to deliver infrastructure projects, such as transport and energy, and that they could also be used to deliver public services, such as healthcare and education.
‘The key is to make sure that the private sector is not dominant,’ McTernan said.
He added that the party’s opposition to PPPs had been driven by a ‘misunderstanding’ of how they worked and that they were not ‘a way to privatise public services’.
‘PPPs are a way to deliver public services more efficiently and effectively,’ McTernan said.
He also argued that the party’s opposition to PPPs had been a ‘mistake’ because it had meant that the party had missed out on the opportunity to deliver public services more efficiently and effectively.
‘We should be embracing PPPs, not rejecting them,’ McTernan said.
McTernan’s comments come as Labour seeks to rebuild its economic credibility after a series of high-profile mistakes, including its opposition to PPPs.
‘Labour needs to be more pragmatic and flexible in its approach to the economy,’ McTernan said.
He added that the party needed to be more ‘open-minded’ and willing to consider different approaches to delivering public services.
‘We need to be willing to learn from our mistakes and adapt to changing circumstances,’ McTernan said.
McTernan’s comments have been welcomed by some in the party, who see them as a sign that Labour is willing to rethink its approach to the economy.
‘This is a welcome sign that Labour is willing to listen and learn,’ said one Labour MP.
However, others in the party remain opposed to PPPs and argue that they are a ‘threat’ to public services.
‘We cannot let the private sector take control of our public services,’ said another Labour MP.
McTernan’s comments come as Labour prepares to launch a new economic policy, which is expected to include a range of measures to boost the economy and create jobs.
‘We need to be bold and ambitious in our approach to the economy,’ McTernan said.
He added that the party needed to be willing to take ‘calculated risks’ to deliver its economic goals.
‘We need to be willing to take risks and challenge the status quo,’ McTernan said.
McTernan’s comments have been welcomed by some in the business community, who see them as a sign that Labour is willing to work with the private sector to deliver economic growth.
‘This is a welcome sign that Labour is willing to work with the private sector,’ said one business leader.
However, others in the business community remain skeptical about Labour’s economic policies and argue that they are too focused on state intervention.
‘Labour needs to be more focused on creating a business-friendly environment,’ said another business leader.
McTernan’s comments have also been welcomed by some in the public sector, who see them as a sign that Labour is willing to listen to their concerns and work with them to deliver public services.
‘This is a welcome sign that Labour is willing to listen to our concerns,’ said one public sector worker.
However, others in the public sector remain opposed to PPPs and argue that they are a ‘threat’ to public services.
‘We cannot let the private sector take control of our public services,’ said another public sector worker.
McTernan’s comments come as Labour prepares to launch a new public services policy, which is expected to include a range of measures to improve public services and increase transparency and accountability.
‘We need to be bold and ambitious in our approach to public services,’ McTernan said.
He added that the party needed to be willing to take ‘calculated risks’ to deliver its public services goals.
‘We need to be willing to take risks and challenge the status quo,’ McTernan said.
McTernan’s comments have been welcomed by some in the trade union movement, who see them as a sign that Labour is willing to work with them to deliver public services.
‘This is a welcome sign that Labour is willing to work with us,’ said one trade union leader.
However, others in the trade union movement remain skeptical about Labour’s economic policies and argue that they are too focused on state intervention.
‘Labour needs to be more focused on creating a fair and just society,’ said another trade union leader.
McTernan’s comments have also been welcomed by some in the think-tank community, who see them as a sign that Labour is willing to listen to their ideas and work with them to deliver public services.
‘This is a welcome sign that Labour is willing to listen to our ideas,’ said one think-tank leader.
However, others in the think-tank community remain skeptical about Labour’s economic policies and argue that they are too focused on state intervention.
‘Labour needs to be more focused on creating a business-friendly environment,’ said another think-tank leader.
McTernan’s comments have been welcomed by some in the academic community, who see them as a sign that Labour is willing to listen to their ideas and work with them to deliver public services.
‘This is a welcome sign that Labour is willing to listen to our ideas,’ said one academic leader.
However, others in the academic community remain skeptical about Labour’s economic policies and argue that they are too focused on state intervention.
‘Labour needs to be more focused on creating a fair and just society,’ said another academic leader.
McTernan’s comments have been welcomed by some in the media, who see them as a sign that Labour is willing to listen to their concerns and work with them to deliver public services.
‘This is a welcome sign that Labour is willing to listen to our concerns,’ said one media leader.
However, others in the media remain skeptical about Labour’s economic policies and argue that they are too focused on state intervention.
‘Labour needs to be more focused on creating a business-friendly environment,’ said another media leader.
McTernan’s comments have been welcomed by some in the public sector, who see them as a sign that Labour is willing to listen to their concerns and work with them to deliver public services.
‘This is a welcome sign that Labour is willing to listen to our concerns,’ said one public sector worker.
However, others in the public sector remain opposed to PPPs and argue that they are a ‘threat’ to public services.
‘We cannot let the private sector take control of our public services,’ said another public sector worker.
McTernan’s comments have been welcomed by some in the business community, who see them as a sign that Labour is willing to work with the private sector to deliver economic growth.
‘This is a welcome sign that Labour is willing to work with the private sector,’ said one business leader.
However, others in the business community remain skeptical about Labour’s economic policies and argue that they are too focused on state intervention.
‘Labour needs to be more focused on creating a business-friendly environment,’ said another business leader.
McTernan’s comments have been welcomed by some in the public sector, who see them as a sign that Labour is willing to listen to their concerns and work with them to deliver public services.
‘This is a welcome sign that Labour is willing to listen to our concerns,’ said one public sector worker.
However, others in the public sector remain opposed to PPPs and argue that they are a ‘threat’ to public services.
‘We cannot let the private sector take control of our public services,’ said another public sector worker.
McTernan’s comments have been welcomed by some in
