Defend Council Housing to challenge Lambeth Council ALMO ballot result

Another stitched-up ALMO vote just in time for the upgrading of housing (i.e. mortgagee home 'ownership') to Top Government Priority!  (For those of you who've just joined us, an ALMO is the pre-privatization of council estates palmed off either by Brezhnevite 'voting', as here in Lambeth, or by simple decree, as in Hackney, on tenants who stubbornly fail to volunteer for transfer to the private sector.)  In this case the miraculous 51% majority was delivered by excluding 'spoiled' answers to questions like:

 "Are you aware that the ALMO could attract over £200m of additionalinvestment to make homes decent in Lambeth?"[see end of document for full ballot paper text]  But the wording also draws attention to another staggering fact which seems not to have drawn any criticism so far (least of all from Defend Council Housing's Labour backbenchers, clergy and union leaders).  Voting on council estate privatization is closed to the countless people on housing waiting lists, those offered 'registered social' landlords as the only alternative to a lifetime on the waiting list, and those  who need sub-market shelter but are simply ineligible for bureaucratic reasons (immigration, undeclarable income sources etc).  On the other hand, the voting was open to existing tenants and to LEASEHOLDERS!  That's right, LEASEHOLDERS, people who either bought their own council flats under Thatcher's scheme, or could afford to buy them when the ex-tenants sold them on at market rates later.    DCH campaigned energetically against all this, but don't expect this broad socialdemocratic church to work out any time soon that there isn't some mistake: this, (wholesale fraud, the creeping return of property-qualification suffrage etc) really is 'what democracy looks like'.

Defend Council Housing News Release

Friday 20 July 2007 – immediate release

Defend Council Housing to challenge Lambeth Council ALMO ballot result

Defend Council Housing has reacted angrily to news that the Lambeth Councilhas declared a victory in the ballot on the future of the borough’s housingstock.

The council claims support for setting up an arms length managementorganisation (ALMO). But according to the council’s own figures only aminority of those voting (3,518 out of 8,385 valid returned papers) said“Yes” to the ALMO (see results below).

The vote comes as Gordon Brown has promised a new future for council housingallowing local authorities to build new council homes. But the PrimeMinister has not yet addressed in detail one of the key issues of allowingexisting council tenants an alternative to privatisation.  This is known asthe ‘Fourth Option’ and was supported by the last three Labour Partyconferences as well as a broad based alliance of council tenants, tradeunionists, councillors and MPsThe very real threat of two-stage privatisation by ALMO is today underlinedby Inside Housing magazine. Their front-age lead article “Transfers attractALMO interest” explains that several existing ALMOs are looking to sell offtheir homes. This is why many Lambeth tenants voted No to the council’s ALMOproposal and are backing the demand for the ‘Fourth Option’.

Yvette Cooper's office at the Ministry for Housing has advised:

"...a council has to provide clear evidence that it has fully consultedthose residents affected by the proposals and can demonstrate an informedbalance of support for the ALMO” (letter to Boundary Estate Tenants &Residents Association in Tower Hamlets who are also facing an ALMO).

It is clear that Lambeth Council cannot demonstrate majority support fortheir proposal.

Defend Council Housing, Lambeth Tenants Council and local MP Kate Hoey haveall criticised the ‘snap’ ballot, the leading questions on the ballot paper(see below) and the thousands of pounds of rent payers money the council hasspent distributing expensive glossy literature and DVDs to promote the ArmsLength Management Organisation (ALMO) to tenants.

Campaigners have criticised the rushed ballot. Lambeth had initially refuseda ballot and then conceded, saying it would be conducted in September. Infact they ran the ballot, with only one working days notice, from the thirdweek of June. The campaigners say that this meant few people had time tounderstand the implications of the proposal. Lambeth tenants reps also saythat many tenants have complained they did not receive ballot papers.

The wording of the ballot paper has also been criticised as an exercise inpropaganda. The ballot paper, which was approved by the Electoral ReformSociety, asserts that the ALMO would improve services, and deliver millionsof pounds in investment in council properties, all matters of contention.

Despite a catalogue of undemocratic practices Lambeth Council cannotdemonstrate a majority of those voting in favour of the ALMO when thecombined No votes and ‘Don’t Know’ are greater than those saying Yes.

Alan Walter, chair of Defend Council Housing, said today:“It is outrageous that councils can manipulate the democratic process in theway that Lambeth is attempting to do. In no other election or consultationwould this be accepted. Council tenants expect the same democratic highstandards as everyone else – we are not second class citizens just becausewe are not ‘home owners’“We know that government intends to publish two Green Papers responding tothe demand for direct investment in council housing. Lambeth Council shouldawait the results and support the call from the House of Commons CouncilHousing group for a moratorium on any changes until the new policy isannounced. This would give council tenants a real choice – including theright to get improvements without the risks associated with the ALMO.”

Stephen Hack, organiser of the Defend Council Housing campaign in Lambethsaid:

“The council have seriously misled Lambeth tenants and still the result doesnot give them a mandate to spend upwards to £2 million on setting up aprivate company with no guarantee of getting additional finance.

“Unquestionably people need better housing conditions but there is no reasonwhy the government could not enable Lambeth Council to improve our homes andestates without the risks involved with settting up a private company .

“There are many questions that need to be answered about the manner in whichthe ballot was conducted and about the result itself. In spite of all themoney Lambeth Council spent on promoting the ALMO, they have failed to comeout with a clear mandate for the ALMO - there is no way this vote should beallowed to stand.”

- Ends -

Further information on the Lambeth campaign from Steve Hack 07944 293 854Enquiries about the national Defend Council Housing campaign, comments onwhat is expected in the forthcoming Green Papers and support for the ‘FourthOption’ for council housing from Alan Walter 07802 176 639

Notes to Editors

1.    Defend Council Housing believes that ALMOs are two-stageprivatisation of council housing. The formula was devised when tenants inmajor cities made it clear they would reject privatisation in one stage viastock transfer.

 2.    Inside Housing magazine “Transfers attract ALMO interest” 20 July2007 reports that several existing ALMOs are looking to transfer (sell off)their homes to a private landlordhttp://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/article/?id=14...

3.    Tenants are now offered a bribe that if they agree to the councilsetting up an arms length company then government will make availableadditional money to improve their homes.

4.    DCH predicted that once the new companies have completed the ‘DecentHomes’ improvements there will be an attempt to complete the privatisationprocess.

5.    The National Federation of ALMOs has already promoted variousoptions for the future of ALMOs – including transfering a majorityshareholding into the private sector.

6.    The Treasury has previously indicated (during talks about a possiblesettlement to this issue in the run up to the 2004 Labour Party conference)that it had no interest in requiring local authorities to set up the newcompanies and would be prepared to offer the additional money available toALMOs to the local authority direct if it met the ‘good’ or ‘excellent’performance criteria.

7.    The above is one of the detailed issues being proposed by DCH aspart of the campaign for the ‘Fourth Option’ for council housing. It isknown that Ministers and senior civil servants are considering itsimplications as part of the government’s housing review and two GreenPapers.

Voting results provided by Lambeth Council to Kate Hoey MP

YES

NO

TENANT

2,735

54.3%

2,301

45.7%

LEASEHOLDER

783

42.5%

1061

57.5%

TOTAL OVERALL

3,518

51%

3,362

49%

OUTTURN [sic!]

28-29%    8,385 valid[Lambeth ALMO ballot paper]

Your chance to have your say

IMPORTANT

This ballot is being conducted by Electoral Reform Services - anorganisation independent of the Council. We guarantee to keep your votesconfidential. We will not tell the Council or anyone else how you havevoted.

Please tick the appropriate box for your view on each question:

Are you aware that there are plans to create an ALMO which would managehomes on behalf of Lambeth and improve services to residents?

YES

NO

DON'T KNOw

Are you aware that with the ALMO for Lambeth you will remain tenants andleaseholders of the Council?

YES

NO

DON'T KNOW

Are you aware that the ALMO could attract over £200m of additionalinvestment to make homes decent in LambethYES

NO

DON'T KNOW

Would you support setting up an ALMO for Lambeth to deliver theseimprovements? YES                                       

NO

DON'T KNOW

YOUR VIEWS ARE STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

PLEASE RETURN YOUR COMPLETED BALLOT PAPER