ENVIRONMENT Secretary, Caroline Spelman, has lashed out at a Guardian columnist (and Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central) for suggesting that Treasury Chief, Danny Alexander, is considering selling off British Waterways' assets as part of a £400m fire sale.
In a letter to the newspaper (5th February) she accuses Tristram Hunt of not understanding governments proposals, writes Allan Richards.
Guardian article
The Guardian article suggested government is holding Britain's cultural heritage in contempt with a byline 'The Port of Dover is now on the market. How does 'big society' talk fit with flogging off our heritage?'
If one substituted the Port of Dover for a little known inland wharf or a canal side house or cottage, Tristam Hunt could have been writing about British Waterways. It has been squandering our inheritance for years!
However, the gist of the article, as it applies to BW, is that there is a battle within government between Defra and the treasury, and BW's portfolio is still at risk.
No flat denial
Hunt appears to know what he is writing about having a keen interest in waterways. Indeed, he gained an assurance from the waterways minister in June last year regarding BW's non operational assets.
Richard Benyon told the house 'For the third sector model to work, British Waterways will have to have access to its estate, or a large proportion of it, for it to gear up funding for sustainable funding in the future. I can assure him that it will not proceed unless it is locked in in that way. Those are the negotiations that we are taking forward with British Waterways'.
Peculiar then that no flat denial has been issued!
Ignored question
Benyon's boss, Caroline Spelman, has ignored the question of a sell-off still being under consideration and a battle taking place within government. Instead, her letter to the Guardian says '....both we and British Waterways have been very clear that a civil society body should be its future. We have every confidence in British Waterways to work with others to improve the long-term financial sustainability of the waterways, allowing those that use and live by waterways to bring their expertise and passion to the organisation'.
Disagree
Unfortunately, those that use the waterways do not agree that financial sustainability will improve in the long term. British Waterways admits to underfunding our national treasure by over £30m a year. Indeed, because the costs of doing so rise and BW's mismanagement of its property assets, it is probable that this year the figure will be nearer £50m. A financial contribution of £17m from 'civil society' ten years down the track simply does not address this.
It has been stated before. Governance and funding go hand in hand. Until such time as government ensures that a workable funding plan is in place, the accusation that they are simply dumping BW on the third sector will always remain.