Facts before politics (From Gazette Series)

Facts before politics

SIR - Over recent weeks there have been several letters and articles about the no vote for the transfer of Stroud District Council housing stock. Much of this correspondence appears to be attempting to make political capital out of the situation rather than convey the facts.

The Conservative administration were, and indeed still are, obliged to consider the large-scale transfer of council housing because of financial and other pressures from the central (Labour) Government.

Scores of councils in England and Wales have already transferred their housing successfully and to the satisfaction of their tenants or are going through the process. Over 150 councils no longer own any housing stock and these councils include Lib Dem, Labour, Conservative, Independent and coalition-controlled administrations.

We, the Lib-Dems, supported the administration in the process of allowing the tenants to decide. Unlike a few other councillors, and in particular the Labour leadership, we do not believe that we must oppose anything and everything proposed by any other party.

The disposal of our housing stock, in an ideal world, would not be supported by the vast majority of councillors. The financial and other constraints place on the housing revenue account by our government mean that the situation is and will continue to be anything but ideal. Our main concerns have always been the best interest of our tenants, our staff and the interests of local people desperate for a home.

Central government policy leaves local government housing authorities impotent as far as provision of social housing is concerned. District councils are not permitted to build council houses, the grants for support of housing association buildings have been slashed and day by day councils' existing stock is reduced by "the right to buy" process.

Our MP, David Drew, has been blamed for the no vote. I do not, nor does anyone else, know whether this is true. Until now Stroud Lib-Dems have had a very good working relationship with David Drew, based on our respect of the perceived integrity of the man and his efforts for our constituency. We have refrained from public criticism and supported him in some of his endeavours.

Unfortunately David Drew took no part in any discussion or meeting leading up to the tenants' vote, he attended neither of the tenants' conferences, he did not discuss the issue with the housing officers, he did not discuss, or offer to discuss, the issue with Stroud district councillors or the tenants' representatives.

Our MP, after totally ignoring the democratic process of consulting and informing our tenants as prescribed by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, intervened during the actual ballot with a factually incorrect letter.

Some councillors, again particularly the Labour leadership, made a great issue of us being gagged. Utter rubbish! A procedure was adopted by the council to have statements on the housing issue checked for factual accuracy by the Office of the (Labour) Deputy Prime Minister.

The Conservative administration, the Lib-Dems, the Independents and the leadership of the Greens all accepted it - but not the Labour Party. Reasons for the Labour group not wishing to have their expressed views checked for factual accuracy by their own government are not known. One may therefore assume that either they do not trust a Labour government or dogma and spin come before truth.

As councillors, we have now to deal with the consequences of not just the democratic decision of our tenants but the conduct of some of the people who participated in the process. Trust and mutual respect between some tenants, council officers, councillors and our MP is probably at an all-time low.

We still have a housing waiting list that is increasing day by day. Those needing a home have had no say in the process. The projected financial deficit in the housing revenue account is now greater than forecast in the ballot information provided to tenants.

The advice from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is that we should go through the process again. If we do, the total costs may approach £1 million pounds. We must work together to solve these problems and forget about short-term gains for political parties.

Cllr Dennis Andrewartha, Cam West Ward and Lib Dem group leader Spark Hill, Cam