Crawley Homes - the Lib Dem viewpoint

1.33.12pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 26th Jun 2006

The Crawley Borough Council Lib Dem group have confirmed their view in advance of this Wednesday's critical Extraordinary Council Meeting on the future of Crawley Borough Council's Housing Stock - that it should be the tenants who make the choice and this should be as early as possible.

Cllr Gordon Seekings "our stance has not changed at all, it's the tenants who should make the decision."

Speaking today (Monday) Gordon Seekings, leader of the Lib Dem group said "our stance has not changed at all, it's the tenants who should make the decision. There is no doubt that the argument for the Borough Council's housing stock to be 'privatised' is a valid one - after all the Labour government have rigged the system to make sure this is the case. However, although we think that financially it would be better for the housing stock to be 'privatised' the fact is that most of Crawley Borough Council's tenants do not want this. That has therefore got to weigh heavily on our decision as to which way to vote."

Gordon continued "Sadly I think that if the decision is to stay under Borough Council's 'ownership' then it will not be the end of the matter. This government will expect us to go through the whole process again in 5 or so years. Basically our heart's are still with Council Housing Stock retention."

In a wide ranging statement on the views of the Liberal Democrats on the Crawley Homes debate Gordon said:

1. In view of the comments made by some Labour Councillors we cannot see how financially the Borough Council Officers can recommend anything other than what they are doing. For them to be accused, as some of them have been, of changing their views since 4th May is wrong. Politics is as much about coincidences and cock ups as it is conspiracies. The fact that the Borough Council is now Conservative, rather than Labour, run is just that - a coincidence.

2. The initial findings of the report that is causing this Extraordinary Council meeting was known (at least in outline) we believe to several Labour cabinet members pre-4th May and the change of Council control. Labour may want to pretend that is not the case but that does not stop it from being true.

3. The Labour party stance in Crawley is, typically, one of total hypocrisy. The whole attitude from them (collectively) is one of political expediency and not what each individual Councillor necessarily thinks is best. The number of Labour Councillors whose views have seemingly changed since 4th May is, to say the least, suspiciously high.

4. Crawley Borough Council, as all Councils, have the responsibility of being "community leaders". That does entail taking a stance and trying to persuade by force of argument the rights of that position. And yes, that does entail a cost. We happen to think that cost is legitimate no matter what we may think of the argument or whether that argument is one we accept. It therefore must be correct for the Conservative run Council to suggest this even if we do not like it.

5. We still believe that the so called "4th option" - where the Borough Council will be allowed to keep it's existing housing stock with the financial regime in place being the same as a 'privatised" housing association - is the best one.

6. We believe that there should be an all party delegation to the Housing Minister from Crawley's Councillors to put over the view that the so called "4th option" should be allowed - and we think this should happen no matter what the decision is at the Council meeting on Thursday.