tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19208183.post477599561513055164..comments2023-10-22T14:14:16.419+01:00Comments on J. Arthur MacNumpty: The Sunday WhipWillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10978812670312106107noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19208183.post-65123547249792776152009-05-05T09:27:00.000+01:002009-05-05T09:27:00.000+01:00Will, re SFHA and Alex Neil - I have to agree that...Will, re SFHA and Alex Neil - I have to agree that both sides are trying to recreate some sort of constructive relationship. <br /><br />I found myself fairly impressed when I managed to have a good chat with Alex as he arrived at the recent Barrhead launch of the community empowerment ‘Action Plan’ (ironic it was at that event when you read my earlier remarks). <br /><br />I wholly agree that GHA is a now a great problem and one that I cannot profess to offer solutions on. I can, however, plead that at the very earliest start of the stock transfer proposals emerging, I was among those assertively cautioning on the dangers if the community empowerment elements of the proposal were not carried through in good faith. <br /><br />A few other complexities are winding on in all of this: One is that the SFHA itself has a challenging range of constituent membership interests. That includes some powerful ones that are genuinely apprehensive of local authorities returning to dominate the affordable housing scene – because of the authorities’ past track record. <br /><br />Another is that Alex Neil finds himself in a place where he needs anyone who can produce the houses (hence the immediate danger of falling for the local authorities’ line of, we-can-go-back-to-big-and-cheap-housing-production-so-we-can).<br /><br />By the way, COSLA man Watters’s well-intended remarks at the Barrhead launch event were a bit of a giveaway on the municipal mindset, and faintly embarrassing at times – like when he would nod in the general direction of the audience and refer to “you people” and I thought “does him mean us?”.<br /><br />The SFHA needs more encouragement and support at this time so that it and the broadly supportive membership can better engage with the SNP government – equally the Government needs its agents for delivery. But if you want quality and sustainability as part of the equation, then the associations are the agents. <br /><br />I’d be willing to bet that Alex Neil and his…err… more robust… approach is what is needed at this time. I, of course, wasn’t privy to the Government workings but my impression was that preceding Minister Maxwell was perceived as a good sort and all that, but just not the tough-love type that is needed in the role right now.<br /><br />On another incidental, I felt that with Linda Fabioni (the other junior Minster to go at the same time as Maxwell) it was a case of the players out there at large in the culture sector badly letting her down, i.e. with leaks to the media and direct approaches to John Swinney on funding. <br /><br />That sector has now got what it may not have bargained for in the shape the present Culture Minister … by the way, is he back from Canada yet?Ted Harveynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19208183.post-24292999609386638462009-05-04T17:03:00.000+01:002009-05-04T17:03:00.000+01:00Ted, the SFHA visited the SNP Conference and the r...Ted, the SFHA visited the SNP Conference and the relationship they were developing with Alex Neil seemed fairly cordial, so hopefully HA's will have a part to play.<br /><br />Having said that, I think the GHA experience hasn't helped the standing of Housing Associations, particularly in ex-municipal stock, in the eyes of the SNP. The existing HA's do their job very well indeed, it's the stock transfer issue that seems to have engendered suspicion so on that basis, extra Council Housing is a bonus in areas where it's possible. Though, to be frank, as you say, we mustn't overlook Housing Associations, especially not the long standing ones.Willhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10978812670312106107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19208183.post-31911981536903082402009-05-04T16:53:00.000+01:002009-05-04T16:53:00.000+01:00Sorry, but after a couple of problems with trying ...Sorry, but after a couple of problems with trying to get my previous post posted I ended up with a bit of a messy one.(The blog seemed to go and off line?) Apologies and it should have read:<br /><br />On an incidental point I felt that Margo MacDonald was sidelined to an almost discourteous extent on the panel yesterday mornings BBC politics programme - just why was that old-style male Labour MP given an almost adulatory treatment?<br /><br />On the parliamentary business;<br /><br />“also notes the Scottish Government's initiative to kick-start a new generation of council house building”<br /><br />Brrr… for many of us in the business that includes affordable housing that very statement sends shivers up and down the spine. Already we have had the head of South Lanarkshire Council Housing chuntering on at a conference about how they have been lobbying John Swinney on how they could manufacture (sorry, ‘develop’) blocks of 1.000 units of social rented housing at a cost of £4 something per week.<br /><br />I almost felt physically bad at hearing that – have councillors and council housing officials learned nothing from their disastrous history; and are they intent on sidelining and marginalising the successful and hugely popular housing associations?<br /><br />The SNP Govt seems to have a massive and naive blind spot on the governance motivations and capabilities of local authorities - affordable housing, community planning and community empowerment all being handed over to the local authorities; and to still call the latter 'community empowerment' after handing it over to local authorities is little more than an insult to the communities concerned.<br /><br />(Will, you might want to delete my previous attempt?)Ted Harveynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19208183.post-61172903266712188852009-05-04T10:18:00.000+01:002009-05-04T10:18:00.000+01:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Ted Harveynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19208183.post-52800501555598391062009-05-03T23:56:00.000+01:002009-05-03T23:56:00.000+01:00AFAIK, Anon, no one gets the seat: if a list ends ...AFAIK, Anon, no one gets the seat: if a list ends up being exhausted at an election, they simply disregard any extra seats for that list and move to the next; but my reading of the Scotland Act is that if a list is exhausted mid-way through a Parliamentary term, the seat simply lies empty...Willhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10978812670312106107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19208183.post-10712249394789268232009-05-03T23:45:00.000+01:002009-05-03T23:45:00.000+01:00Out of interest, who gets the seat if Margot stand...Out of interest, who gets the seat if Margot stands down before the parliamentary term is over?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19208183.post-5806044331214895052009-05-03T23:21:00.000+01:002009-05-03T23:21:00.000+01:00She compared him to Brad Pitt in the Chamber on Th...She compared him to Brad Pitt in the Chamber on Thursday (and any Brad Pitt/Chamber jokes have already been thought, thank you!). Maybe the pork bar- emm, Capital City funding is making her sympathetic to JS again.<br /><br />Or maybe this is her way of telling us that she won't be seeking re-election in 2011: we saw an element of <I>détente</I> creeping into Dennis Canavan's relations with Labour in the year or so leading up to the 2007 Elections. Obviously, sad personal circumstances forced his hand, but the possibility of him standing down was considered... perhaps it's the same for Margo as well?Willhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10978812670312106107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19208183.post-48285266789953929192009-05-03T23:06:00.000+01:002009-05-03T23:06:00.000+01:00Margo was singing John Swinney's praises in the Su...Margo was singing John Swinney's praises in the Sunday Post. Perhaps she has had a change of heart.subrosahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00151702590329788260noreply@blogger.com