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Tenants in poll position
• THE Tribune claimed that New Labour leader Catherine West was “unable” to explain why councillors Barbara Sidnell and Richard Greening, Homes for Islington (HfI) board members and party colleagues, had supported the removal of the Federation of Islington Tenants’ Association’s (FITA) funding (Labour politicians under fire as tenants’ group cash is axed, February 27).
Not so. Cllr West in fact appeared to expect sympathy for them and defended their actions by telling tenant representatives at last Wednesday’s special FITA meeting that her colleagues had actually been in a “very difficult position”. Things then went from bad to worse for Labour.
Seeing that his leader’s lame excuse had gone down like a lead balloon, another Labour councillor, Gary Doolan, then went on the attack, laying the blame for FITA’s demise on tenant board members in a shameful attempt to deflect criticism away from his party. The irony of his comments, of course, is that HfI’s tenant board members have absolutely nothing to do with Islington’s democratic tenant movement and that most of them are anyway New Labour party members or supporters. Another own goal.
By now Labour representatives at the meeting were on the ropes and the response by Cllr West to questions about her government’s key housing policies dealing with massive waiting lists, privatisation, rent rises and underfunding – that she was “not a housing expert” – signalled the knockout blow.
Little wonder then that talk at the meeting quickly turned to the idea of tenant representatives standing as independent councillors at the next election.
SHARON HAYWARD
Independent Working Class Association
WC1
• IT’S a bit rich that Labour councillor Gary Doolan makes comments on his Labour colleagues. He criticised his colleagues, councillors Barbara Sidnell and Richard Greening, for not supporting FITA and claimed that if he had been in a similar situation: “I would have walked out.”
Does he do this when he is in Town Hall meetings when his colleagues are discussing issues about HfI? After all, he is employed by HfI as a resident caretaker. Does he do this when the council is making decisions on his trade union members’ jobs and services?
Cllr Doolan should tell us, the residents, what he does in the “similar situation” when it comes to voting on these issues.
NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
• FITA provides the last independent voice for the tenants of Islington. Where else will we be able to go to voice our opinions, have them heard and seriously considered? HfI? I think not, as HfI is completely biased in its way of thinking. It may consult residents, but then decides on the answer it wanted in the first place.
It is not good enough for HfI chief executive Eamon McGoldrick to say in the Tribune that 50 per cent of residents have a tenants’ or residents’ association, and that HfI will work with them on the way forward. What about the other 50 per cent?
On the Popham Street estate, we had our first meeting in 15 months on Monday. I questioned chairwoman Barbara Coventry on why she, as a member of the HfI board who did not support FITA, was allowed to chair the meeting, and why FITA had not been invited to this or any other Popham Street tenants’ meeting over the years.
In fact, most people at the meeting had never heard of FITA for the very reason they had never been told about it. Perhaps this is HfI’s way of getting rid of FITA – by not letting residents know it exists. Now the excellent work by FITA chairman Brian Potter could be lost forever.
When FITA stands in the local elections next year, make sure you place your X in their box if you want a truly independent voice for residents.
M RUTHERFORD
Terling Walk, N1 |
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