Barnet Council committee vote to bring two services in house, but continue Capita relationship for now

Barnet Council rejected calls to cut ties with controversial contractor Capita last night.

Barnet Council rejected calls to cut ties with Capita this week.

The town hall’s policy and resources committee instead ratified the decision to begin a phased review of its outsourced services.

This decision was revealed in November in an email sent to councillors by chief executive John Hooton before being passed by a meeting of the council’s urgency committee.

At the meeting on Tuesday councillors and members of the public complained that the report requested in July – containing full business cases for keeping, altering, or ditching the contracts – was not given to the committee.

Opposition leader Cllr Barry Rawlings (Lab) said: “Clearly this will be a decision made on values, not figures we can’t rely on.”

Council leader Richard Cornelius welcomed the majority decision and said: “I would like to congratulate the council officers who have achieved this remarkable settlement with Capita.”