A letter published in the Swindon Advertiser
Swindon tenants are drowning under the deluge of ‘neutral information’ from the council.
So far we have had four editions of Housing Matters, drop-in sessions, meetings in sheltered housing complexes, doorstep visits and home phone calls from council staff, a 48 page Offer Document, a DVD featuring selected shadow board members masquerading as “ordinary tenants” and now text messages.
The council has also contracted a private company to telephone canvass tenants. There are billboard posters in Fleming Way.
All we need now are loudspeaker vans touring the estates and we’ll have seen it all. What we haven’t seen however is any attempt to put both sides of the question. All we hear is that transfer (sell-off) is the council’s preferred option.
No information about the downside of being an assured rather than a secure tenant for example. Nothing about the £199 million debt the housing association would have at start up.
This campaign, for that is what it is, rather than a consultation, has been a disgraceful example of an overbearing authority attempting to pressure its tenants into agreeing to a sell-off. All those involved in this shabby exercise should be ashamed.
Eileen George
Swindon Tenants Campaign Group 
Voting for this sell off is a vote to pay higher rents and other charges! It’s like turkeys voting for christmas.
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I find it hard to believe someone somewhere isn’t going to make a killing at the tennants expense if this sell off sorry er transfer goes through.
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A very grubby campaign to make a fast buck whilst shedding their responsibilities as elected representatives of ratepayers. This is not the time to be selling the family silver on the cheap. They should be planning the building of another 5,000 council homes, that would provide employment and ultimately accommodation for the young people of Swindon, whilst boosting the local economy. Sadly SBC has not had the guts to stand up to central government, just roll over and take the money. In my neck of the woods the SBC bullying and insulting campaign seems to have made tenants very angry and has been counter productive. We have already posted our NO VOTES
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