Niyamath Parveez

It can’t have failed to escape anyone’s attention but the past few months have been particularly rough on the Labor government in the United Kingdom. The credit crunch has caused great difficulties for all governments but the British Members of Parliament have had it extremely rough and the scandal over inflated expenses has created a huge division between the population and the people in power. These factors as well as the growing apathy that has enveloped Britain since Tony Blair first swept to power has reached a crescendo and it is extremely likely that there will be a change of government in charge of the country. The UK is not a two party system like the United States of America but there are only really two parties capable of winning an election so this means that it is extremely likely that the Conservative party will be in power when the next election comes around. There is the definite feel that it is time for a change in Britain and the only feasible party to take over will be the Conservative party.

This will lead to a number of changes with regards to how the country is run and many of the decisions with one being an increasing propensity to use outsourcing. Regardless of which political party is in power there is a huge need for administration and backroom staff to do many of the jobs and this can be seen at the Houses of Parliament and in the departments own buildings and offices. However, the Tories have announced their plans to outsource the administrative tasks for the government and gain the benefits of outsourcing.

It makes no difference what the political leanings of a person are; such a move is undoubtedly going to cause some trouble for constituents and members of the public. The Conservative party has a traditional backing from the middle class and right wing that have shown distrust towards outsourcing, unless it brings money to their companies. A key reason for this is that outsourcing has traditionally been seen to be heading offshore taking jobs out of the country and to other lands, something which the right-wing based followers of the Conservative party found difficult to swallow.

However, the benefits that can arise from using outsourcing to bring an extensive level of experience and cost saving to any firm or organization should ensure that any negative side or issue can be overcome. It is also true to say that many local businesses are now becoming part of the outsourcing market, so there is every chance the firm hired to provide the local outsourcing service will be based locally and able to hire local citizens. This is the sort of action that could prove to be a huge success with local constituents which is obviously something of great interest for a political party. It doesn’t look as though there is anything that will stop the Conservative party from gaining power after the next UK general election but this move will do them no damage at all.

Given the amount of scandals and problems involving MPs at the House of Commons in the British parliament, it is no surprise that there are many claims for these politicians to clean up their act and sort out the problems that cover the British politicians. News that some people are cleaning up the houses of Parliament and are doing a great job will cheer up the residents of Britain but when they hear the story behind it, they may not be as happy as they originally thought they would be. Yes, there is a clean up going on at the scandal hit Houses of Parliament in London but the cleaning up is being undertaken by Mitie, a firm which provides a lot of outsourcing work to a number of major bodies, including Eurostar.

At the moment when virtually all firms are looking to cut back and save money wherever they can, the news that Mitie have announced a rise in their profits of nearly 12% indicates that it is possible to be a success in the current climate and that not everyone is struggling. This announcement is even further proof of the great level of benefits that can arise from outsourcing and the fact that outsourcing firms are able to buck the current trend. As clients look to reduce their own budgets and cut back on costs, a reputable outsourcing firm should be in a perfect position to step in and take over the operations of many of the services of a firm which should be of benefit to all parties.

The recent changes have led to many re-evaluating the way that they do business and this has led to a greater number of longer term contracts being offered to trustworthy companies. Many firms are deciding to forgo a number of cost savings and benefits that can come from changing suppliers and negotiating deals but in the current climate, this may not be the best tactic. There is a greater need to safeguard the longer term future of the company and this means that short term benefits many not be worth pursuing in order to obtain a long term benefit. With pre-tax profits of just under £76m, it is clear that there is some good to be had in the current financial climate and firms can find a way out of their financial problems. It is fair to say that the current economic climate is causing many people to struggle but there are ways to make money through outsourcing.

There may always be corruption and dirt in the Houses of Parliament when it comes to the lives of British politicians but with Mitie having a great level of success, it appears that the Houses of Parliament building is always going to look clean and sparkling, even if its inhabitants do not always manage to do so. What Mitie have also shown is that it is entirely possible to be a success even in these difficult times and by providing a strong outsourcing service, it is possible to give firms support and the ability to improve their financial status.