Publish Secret Housing Report say Lib Dems (Lambeth Liberal Democrats)

Lambeth Liberal Democrats <office@lambethlibdems.org.uk>

Publish Secret Housing Report say Lib Dems

May 23, 2009 2:26 PM

Lambeth Housing Audit Commission Report Front Cover branded SECRET Liberal Democrat opposition councillors are demanding the publication of a damning report into Lambeth Living by Government Inspectors that Labour wants to keep secret.

Labour politicians are reeling from the sheer extent of the criticism of their flagship ALMO by the Audit Commission in advance of an official 2 star-rating designed to draw-down expensive loans from the Government to keep Labour's fanciful promise of new kitchens and bathrooms for Council tenants.

Almost every area of the privatised maintenance arm of Lambeth Housing comes under attack from the inspectors who confirm what is already the common-knowledge of tenants that almost every area of service from Lambeth Living has got worse since it was imposed on them by Labour.

Tenants' leaders are furious that Labour politicians have refused to make the report public - even though it has been leaked to the Press. Chillingly the secret report concludes that the ALMO may never deliver on the promises that Labour made of it.

News also reached us that further drastic cuts may have to be made to front-line staff within Lambeth Living, which is now more in need of Life Support just to keep the corpse breathing until the Council Elections next May. And tenants plan to march in protest on the Town Hall on Saturday May 30.

Liberal Democrats say that the report needs to be fully in the public domain so that the full extent of the problems at Lambeth Living can be assessed. Lib Dem Leader, Cllr Ashley Lumsden, has secured a special debate on Lambeth's Housing Crisis at Full Council on July 8th.

Lib Dem Leader Cllr Ashley Lumsden said, "Labour is lurching from crisis to crisis over this botched Housing ALMO and keeping the contents of this damning report secret from the very people who have had to endure the financial hardships and poor service it has delivered."

Cllr Lumsden said, "This reckless gamble by Labour is now exposed for all to see for the utter failure to live-up to its exaggerated promises. Labour now hopes to drag things out until next May's Council elections piling failure upon failure and misery upon misery upon Lambeth's hapless tenants."