Mitie sues Ministry of Justice over court cleaning contract November 24, 2019 Mitie is suing the Ministry of Justice over what is claims was a botched tendering process for a contract to clean and repair courts and tribunal buildings. The outsourcing giant has lodged a High Court claim after losing the contract to French rival Engie last month. Read more: Mitie’s clients hold back on spending until [...]
Revealed: Government faces mounting pile of complaints over contract issues November 11, 2019 Whitehall is facing a spiralling number of complaints from companies bidding for government work, as officials move to counter growing disquiet over a series of botched contract awards in recent years. The number of complaints rose by nearly half in 2018 to 235, up from 159 the previous year, according to data released under the [...]
Exclusive: Outsourcers told Michael Gove no-deal Brexit planning is stalling industry October 10, 2019 Whitehall has come under pressure from some of its most prominent public service providers for slow decision-making, as time and resources are increasingly directed towards no-deal Brexit planning. Three sources with knowledge of the matter told City A.M. that de facto no-deal Brexit secretary Michael Gove has been urged to “get a move on” so [...]
Carillion saga continues: Watchdog probes Whitehall salvage attempts on unfinished hospitals October 6, 2019 Britain’s public spending watchdog is to launch in investigation into Whitehall’s attempts to rescue two major hospital projects which ground to a halt when Carillion went bust last year. The unfinished Midland Metropolitan and the Royal Liverpool University hospitals were left hanging by a thread when the outsourcer collapsed in January 2018, eventually lumping taxpayers [...]
Outsourcing failures have ‘undermined public trust’ in policy September 15, 2019 The government’s repeated failure to outsource public services effectively has “caused harm and waste,” stoking calls from Labour to nationalise them, according to research. In a stinging rebuke of outsourcing failures over recent years, the Institute for Government (IfG) said this evening the policy has, at times, “let down” the people most in need in [...]
Capita return to growth ‘distinctly possible’ as turnaround starts to do the trick August 1, 2019 Capita’s market value shot up today as investors toasted the first fruits of a sweeping turnaround plan. The outsourcer’s share price jumped 17 per cent on the news margins had grown in four of its six main business divisions. Capita runs the Ministry of Defence’s recruitment programme for the British army. The figures Pre-tax profit [...]
Serco continues to power ahead of outsourcing crowd after US deal July 31, 2019 Serco shares rose today after it reported a nearly one-third jump in first-half underlying profit. The outsourcer, which has increasingly looked overseas in recent years, said the increase was in part down to revenue growth in North America. Read more: Serco fined £19m for government tagging contract fraud Shares rose five per cent today. The [...]
Interserve names former Seadrill finance chief as new CFO July 23, 2019 Interserve has appointed former Rolls-Royce finance boss Mark Morris as its chief financial officer. Morris, who was previously finance boss at drilling contractor Seadrill, will join the outsourcer on 1 September. Read more: Interserve losses narrow to £111m Last year, he helped the firm through a major restructuring to keep the driller afloat. Seadrill, once [...]
Industry slams Labour plan to bring outsourced public services in-house July 21, 2019 Business leaders have pilloried a Labour policy announcement to bring local council jobs like construction, bin collection and school dinners in-house. John McDonnell this weekend said the party wants local councils to carry out the services themselves rather than pay companies to do it. The Confederation of British Industry’s chief UK policy director Matthew Fell [...]