12th May 2008
McNeil Condemns “Slur” on
Inverclyde’s Tenants
MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Duncan
McNeil, has attacked the insulting suggestion that his constituents who voted in
favour of transferring their homes from Inverclyde Council to River Clyde Homes
were too stupid to realise what they were doing.
Speaking
in a debate on housing policy in the Scottish Parliament, Mr McNeil told MSPs
that his constituents took an informed choice when they voted for the homes they
wanted, where they wanted.
“The
stock transfer has a real mandate in Inverclyde. There was a 65 per cent turnout – the envy of any politician
– and a yes vote of 72 per cent,” he told the Chamber.
But,
he continued, “I have heard it said here and elsewhere that the people who
took part in that vote were the victims of blackmail and that they were duped
and bribed. That view is an insult
to, and a slur on, those who took part and who voted to take their housing needs
into their own hands. There was a
real enthusiasm for the transfer.
“The
transfer gave power to the people. We
should be congratulating them on their wise decision because we now know that,
if they had not made that choice, their lives would not be changing as they are
now. The size of the turnout and
majority made it impossible for the Government, despite its opposition to
housing stock transfer, to do anything other than accept the will of those
people.”
And,
Mr McNeil added, subsequent events had proved Inverclyde’s tenants right.
He said:
“After
five months, delivery is well under way. Community ownership has allowed a real focus on Inverclyde's
housing needs. Where rents were
among the highest in the country, they are now capped by the retail prices index
for five years, with the aim of holding them to that for 14 years.
“Improvements
to services, tenant support and neighbourhood relationships, measures to tackle
antisocial behaviour, welfare rights and a more responsive repair service are
all in place and working.
“Investment
of £83 million is in place for internal and external programmes in one of
Scotland's smallest local authorities, and 850 new homes will be built by 2015. Importantly,
that will link in with the wider regeneration activity and ambition for the
area. Crucially it will give people
quality homes in the areas they want to live in.”
Mr
McNeil also warned, however, that this success could all still be put at risk by
the Scottish Government:
“We
are concerned about the uncertainty around housing association grant funding.
This could scupper the policy of affordable rents, force rents up and
affect our ambitious development plans. We
are concerned about the drive to efficiency, which in everyday language means
that cuts hang over our ambitions.
“I
ask the Government to recognise that housing associations that are managed by
their tenants are delivering. The
Government should be careful that whatever actions it takes do not harm the
progress and delivery that are changing people's lives for the better in my
community.”
ENDS
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