Rob Shorrock

 Duncan Kerr (CEO of SKDC) offers a reason as to why the business plan for South Lincolnshire Homes is not forthcoming:

"Housing associations are in competition for H Corporation grants and for tenants. The government has in the past encouraged this believing that a diverse market of social housing providers will drive-up quality. In this environment it is up for the SLH and not the Council to determine whether all or any of the information contained within its business plan is made public."

So does Frances Cartwright (Housing Portfolio holder):

The business plan for South Lincolnshire Homes was prepared by Enterprise BWNL, the financial consultants who are also working for the Council pre ballot.  It should suffice to know that they have confirmed that the business plan for South Lincolnshire Homes would be capable of delivering all the promises in the Council's Offer.  That has also been endorsed by the accountants for the Independent Tenants Advisors, Libra who have had the business plan to scrutinise on behalf of tenants."

Spot the conflict of interest? Financial consultants help prepare the business plan for a housing association and are the financial advisors to the council. Both these bodies will be contracting with each other under the stock transfer arrangements.

Spot the admission that housing associations are run like private businesses. Not the image that is being presented to tenants in the offer document!

For what its worth, some thoughts:

 Gordon Brown - Has all the prime mnisterial charm of a wounded cobra on a snake charmers wedding night. OK he can do a deal with Amicus and ultimately Unison, but do they really belive this is long term? In fact they know that he gets rattled easily. Deal on pensions....coming up (for 5 years at least..)

 John McDonnell - Would actually be superb in government but can't get there with some of the people he associates with. Big shame, because he is very clever and very good.

 Alan Johnson - Has the edge on Brown because he has kept his wise head, rather than his arrogant head, since coming into government. Very good credentials and able to give the impression that there are no tight corners only huge empty spaces with magnificent opportunities. That is not to say he like an estate agent, but I may have enough trust in him to buy the apartment!

Why can't we have South Lincolnshire Homes business plan? Because, according to Francis Cartwright, Housing Portfolio holder, it "could mean that another landlord could usurp South Lincolnshire Homes." Puzzled? Well, yes. Given that South Lincolnshire Homes has been set up by the council to receive housing stock and there are no other competitors.

 Perhaps the real problem is that the business plan for South Lincolnshire Homes is so fragile that any predatory Housing Association would think that it is ripe for takeover if it was made publically available, or more alarmingly for Cllr Cartwright, tenants might think stock transfer is not the safe bet the £1 million worth of publicity says it should be.