Ferguslie Park Housing Stock Transfer Ballot
18th November 2009
At their Branch meeting on Tuesday 17th November in Paisley Grammar, Gerry McCartney, secretary of the Renfrewshire Branch of the Scottish Socialist Party announced that the council tenants of Ferguslie Park had rejected the stock transfer of their council houses to Ferguslie Park Housing Association Ltd.
The campaign for a ‘No’ vote was led by the SSP in conjunction with Unison, the Scottish Tenants Organisation, Renfrewshire Anti Cuts Committee and other organizations and individuals, and the thanks of the Renfrewshire Branch goes out to all of them.
Gerry McCartney said,
"This is a great result for the people of Ferguslie Park.
The transfer of their houses to a limited company can only be seen as
a backward step.
"The council should be building more houses and not giving
away the few that remain.
"This is the second attempt by Renfrewshire
Council to divest themselves of their responsibility for the provision
of social housing at affordable rents and it is the second time that
the tenants have sent them homeward to think again.
"We hope that they
will now give up these silly plans and accept their responsibilities.
They can’t just walk away from Ferguslie, because the good people of
Ferguslie won’t allow it.’
Jimmy Kerr, SSP Renfrewshire campaigns co-ordinator,
added;
"Both New Labour and the SNP/Lib Dem coalition have tried to turn
their backs on their duty to bring the council houses in Ferguslie Park
up to standard.
"We hope that the council will now get moving on the repairs
and renovations that they have been delaying hoping for the ‘right’ result
and spend some of the money they have received on the people who deserve
it rather than on the vanity projects and fat cat salaries they hold
so dear.
"Their glossy brochures showed what can be done with these houses
and the SSP will continue to campaign to ensure that all of the stock
is brought up to the standard of the showpiece properties."