SHADOW LEADER TOOK LEGAL ADVICE

Riverside,

"Brexit” and

yet another

Tory war

To leave...or not to leave? No, not the European Union and the national referendum debate. This is about  an equally controversial authoritarian organisation, Riverside Housing Association and whether the  Carlisle City Council should cut its long-standing links.

In Carlisle, there are uncanny similarities to the  Brexit debate and the referendum, As David Cameron struggles to hold the Tory party together nationally  and the Guardian proclaims “Tories at War”, there is a parallel divide in the Tory party locally 300 miles away.

The Carlisle Tory  “war” surfaced  during the current public storm about the Carlisle Careline service,  Riverside`s vital telephone helpline organisation for  the elderly and  vulnerable.

During that storm, Councillor Ray Bloxham, a well-respected  long-serving Tory councillor slammed Riverside over Careline in an attack in front of fellow councillors. 

Then, five weeks later he again faced councillors and  returned to the attack. He said Riverside falls far short of other housing associations which are open in their dealings and transparent in their operations.

SHADOW LEADER MALLINSON

Councillor Bloxham  said he doesn`t  like Riverside`s bossiness and he doesn`t like Riverside`s secrecy - their failure to be  open and transparent with everyone including their 50,000 tenants. Councillor Bloxham`s  critical views about Riverside are shared by  some other Tory councillors.

But other Tory councillors - notably, the shadow Council Leader, Councillor John Mallinson - have a much more supporting view of Riverside, particularly Councillor Mallinson when he dealt with the Longtown heating scandal- sixty of his Longtown electors  living in Riverside  ice box homes who cannot afford to heat them.

The sixty could get no one to help them fight Riverside. So, as a desperate last resort they called in a tenants` organisation. That organisation, Carlisle Tenants` and Residents Federation met Councillor Mallinson to urge him to press Riverside to do something about its dodgy boilers in the ice-box homes which were  causing  the problem.

Mr Mallinson could be  only partly supportive. He told the Federation that he wanted to be neutral between the tenants and Riverside, But amazingly, he agreed with Riverside and wanted the talks   to be kept secret in case of possible press interest.

The Federation refused to be secret. The press, radio and TV gave the sixty tenants maximum publicity, But today two years later despite all that support, the ice-box homes remain ice boxes.

Longtown`s ice box tenants are very critical of the claimed neutrality of Councillor Mallinson .They say he sides too much with Riverside and is not supportive of them.

RIVERSIDE DIRECTOR MRS MALLINSON

Within the city council, the fight goes on against against bossy Riverside and its ramshackle organisation.

 And searching questions are being asked about those wider Carlisle council links to Riverside that have lasted since that Merseyside organisation took over the city`s  7,000 council houses 14 years ago. 

Nearly twelve per cent of the present council has divided loyalties and conflicts of interest through their direct links to Riverside.

The searching questions are being asked particularly about the five city councillors who sit on the Riverside governing board.

 One of the  council Riverside directors is the Carlisle Mayor, Councillor Steve Layden who has been criticised in the past about his divided loyalties and conflicts of interest. Another director is Councillor Mallinson`s wife, Councillor Elizabeth Mallinson.

RIVERSIDE DIRECTOR MAYOR LAYDEN

Councillor Mallinson was asked about  his wife`s Riverside directorship when he was approached about the Longtown ice-boxes. He  assured the Federation that there were no divided loyalties and conflicts of interest.. To be absolutely sure, he said he had taken legal advice .

  Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation publishes this blog. Information about the Federation is available on 01228 522277 or 01228 532803.