As the neoliberal notion that virtually all public services should be put out to tender gathers pace once again ( Report , 11 July), one has to ask why those on the left have been so reluctant to defend the idea that services such as education, health and social care should be publicly funded and provided? The idea that such services are inflexible, paternalistic, inefficient, remote and unresponsive to the "expressed" needs of citizens needs to be firmly rebuffed. While there have been shortcomings in such provision, the emphasis on choice, competition, personalisation and questionable...