TAINTED QUANGOS STILL IN CONTROL

If the law is an ass,

where does

that leave 

Riverside`s

nodding donkeys?

Somebody once said that the law is an ass. Where does that leave Riverside`s nodding donkeys?And  where does it leave the “law”?

The “donkeys” are  from the Riverside Housing Association stable. 

They are on parade this week as Carlisle councillors get to grips with questions about them and just how  much nodding they do. (The questions are printed on  the previous post of this blog).

The  “donkeys”  get their name as members of Riverside Tenant Scrutiny Panel which was set up to give tenants a chance to get their complaints sorted out  in an independent way, free from Riverside`s bossy dictatorship.

But there is no independent way. The panel has donkeys on board, panel members who say yes to Riverside all the time. And that means that Riverside wins  all the time.

And about the law that is an ass?

Jimmy Devlin knows more than  a thing or two about this “law” and about housing association donkeys, whichever housing association stable the donkeys come from.

And Jimmy knows more than a thing or two about why these donkeys arrived on the scene  in the first place and  why  they nod so obediently.

Jimmy  is the veteran  chairman of  North West Tenants and Residents Assembly (NWTRA)  and recalls the consultations a few years ago that resulted in so-called co-regulation between tenants and housing associations that set up scrutiny panels.

In a message to Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation  Jimmy explains:

“ NWTRA  predicted  during the "co-regulation"  consultations that these tenants` scrutiny panels  would never be acceptable to the majority of tenants  because they were designed to be controlled by the landlords` organisations.

“I made this point repeatedly to everyone from government down to individual tenants and residents at all types of events for nearly  six  months following  the production of the idea which was then being implemented by the government .

“They failed to persuade us at NWTRA  at the time, and these questions from  your federation highlights again just how scrutiny is non- existent  because the panels are manipulated by landlords to avoid any proper scrutiny.

“Until Freedom of Information is applied to housing organisations , as Eric Pickles MP  the then communities secretary wanted, tenants, tenant  groups and even councillors will struggle to uncover the real situations inside the housing companies .

“(In April,  Mr Pickles said that housing associations needed to accept more transparency voluntarily, or else face this transparency at a future regulatory or legislative level.)”.

Jimmy goes on:

“We need real scrutiny and if councillors no longer feel sufficiently empowered to achieve this, tenants groups MUST take control and demand answers from housing organisations ....then demand answers from central government ministers until we receive accountability .

“Tainted  quangos  are still in control of tenants` involvement. Why ?

“Why aren't fully independent , democratic tenants' organisations properly funded to carry out these roles? Tenants should accept nothing less than full accountability.
“Co-regulation benefits nobody apart from the incompetent and/or corrupt.”

Freedom of Information may be on its way in Scotland.

This week it was reported that Scottish social landlords will be asked to give evidence to a committee of MSPs on the extension of Freedom of Information  laws to Scottish housing associations. I

That extension would be great news for Scottish tenants, particularly if some of them are suffering like some in Longtown(Cumbria) who cannot afford to heat their homes.

But spare a thought for the Scottish  landlords and the nodding donkeys.

The landlords`spokesman, David Bookbinder, director of the Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations  said  the Freedom of Information extension could mean a ‘disproportionate’ increase in bureaucracy for landlords.

Too much bureaucracy, Mr Bookbinder? At this news, tenants` hearts must surely bleed greatly in sympathy!

And the nodding donkeys, Mr Bookbinder? What about them?

Good riddance to them.

They will nod no more.