BBC - The Street

The BBC programme The Street should be compulsory viewing for those who think the private sector can take over public services or that it can be left to 'communities' to sort out themselves - the so called Big Society.

The street was in Preston, but it could be pretty much any street in any town or city except for one thing. The residents of this street agreed to take part in a unique experiment. They agreed to live without all the services their council tax pays for - all, that is, except for schools for their children and the emergency services - and to let the BBC film how they got along or, more often, how they did not.

UNISON Scotland did its own version of this last year with what we called 'A Day in the Life'. We also costed the private alternatives. It would bankrupt most people. The simple conclusion - Public Works.