Yesterday I attended a seminar at the Farset International House…on Capital Assets Transfer. It was first notified last week on the “Slugger O’Toole” website and I was susprised that such a relatively obscure subject was given such weight. Unusually in my experience, there was a lunch provided even though it was just a morning event. Originally I had other plans for yesterday but was able to re-arrange something and notified my intention to attend.

The seminar was organised by the James Rowntree Trust who have sponsored research into the subject  at Queens University Belfast. Stratagem the Belfast based lobby group has JFT on their client list. And Stratagem has “the ear of Slugger O’Toole”, Norn Irons previously independent website. I have to say that I attended for two reasons…an interest in Capital Assets Transfer itself……and an interest in how all this comes together.

It is of course generally known that JFT is a major donor to the Alliance Party. I had always assumed that the donations were within reason but was surprised that the amounts donated over past few years is a staggering £98,000. I am indebted to the blog “Hearts of Oak and Steel” for this figure..

While there is no up to date client list on the Stratagem website, there is interesting information available on clients advised in previous years. The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is a client. Healing Thru Remembering is a recipient of Rowntree money. Cross-Border peace initiatives are also supported by Rowntree. The Rowntree Trust relies on advice from Stratagem in respect of its Norn Iron donations. I note there is a moratorium on some funding to the Republic of Ireland.

All of this might explain the protective moderation policy which Slugger O’Toole seems to employ in respect of certain criticism of “lets get alongerist” threads. I dont mind anyone having an agenda. I certainly have one. But lets not pretend we are authorative or independent.

I was not overly impressed by the rhetoric of empowerment. People who talk about empowering others are usually in the business of empowering themselves. At times the seminar seemed like one of those seminars about pyramid selling. The Sky was the limit. A community in Humberside put together a business plan (and could get funding of £100 million) to buy the Humber Bridge. And whole islands were owned by Scottish community groups?

There was of course much talk about the poor and dispossessed but few in the room struck me as poor and dispossessed. The cuts in benefits will apparently necessitate communities looking out for themselves……….which is interesting in the week that the Alliance Party bankrolled by the Rowntree Trust could not bring themselves to vote against benefit cuts.

The word “empowerment” is much overused. Thatcher “empowered” council house tenants to own their own homes……is that a good example? She “empowered” members of building societies to become shareholders. Another triumph? A community buying up assets……is that just the latest development which will enrich a few……the people driving it all.

There is a hard nosed “business” case. There is a “community good” case. But they dont sit well together. Indeed Brendan Murtagh from QUB made the point that there were three types of transfer……..one which is essentially the community as “a steward”, one where the issue is “community development” and the third which is an “entrepeneural” case……hmmm that last one worries an old socialist so much. I cant even spell “entrepeneur” and I refuse to use spell check.

I am not totally against “the third sector”………Community Sector is just as important as the Public Sector and even ……God forgive me………the Private Sector. But I tend to worry about middle class people who intend to empower the working class by becoming just like them.

Of course in Norn Iron, the three sectors have a mistrust of each other. That is unfortunate because good work is done by all. I have often heard regular politicians speak of their suspicions that “community groups” undermine them. And certainly from the floor yesterday there was some anti-politician and anti-civil service rhetoric. Thats to be expected……but just for the record, I am a taxpayer and not exactly thrilled at the notion that politicians and civil services give away or sell cheaply assets which already belong to me.

Certainly in Norn Iron the situation is a little more strained by the development of “community groups” over the years. Sometimes it seems that there are more community groups than people.

From my jaundiced eye, community groups first emerged in the 1970s. In the darkened streets and “Northern Ireland Housing Executive” estates, people leafleted houses stating “we have formed a tenants association”…totally unrepresentative and little more than a front for politically motivated groups such as The Workers Party and Sinn Féin.

Of course they and other less politically motivated groups got off the ground and certainly in the 1990s were able to get their collective snouts into the trough of grant aid…whether from Britain, Ireland, Europe or the United States. There is no shortage of charities, Trusts and governments anxious to throw money at “Northern Irelands” problems.

Indeed………with Capital Assets Transfer……”grants” do become an issue. With assets transferred, community groups become people of property and as such cannot actually go round with the begging bowl to the gullible on two continents. Their “assets” might disqualify them for grants but might be useful in the financial world. …getting a loan from a bank.

Put crudely there are some groups more at ease with “grants” than “repayable loans”.

Thankfully not all groups can be dismissed as scroungers. Indeed most are useful. But I do not like the “Humber Bridge” example. Small is Good.

Take the example of the “Northern Ireland Housing Executive” the public sector rental home provider. With 90,000 homes…….they have already transferred assets……34 commercial assets, 24 land transfers and 320 residential units. The NIHE representative at the seminar gave an interesting presentation showing the good use to which some of these had been put. For example, converting a shop to a meeting place for residents or for “activity centres” for youths, “after school groups”, “creches”………….and of course these are very beneficial for the community ………turning round the image of estates, making them desirable places to live, raising aspirations and providing employment for local people.

Essentially there are two ways of looking at Capital Assets Transfer. One is not far removed from David Camerons “Big Society” idea…..a conservative model which sees locals providing services (eg libraries) which are at present in the hands of a cash-strapped public sector. The other model is essentially a socialist model which genuinely empowers the working class. From my perspective, I of course identify with the socialist ideal but fear this whole process has been driven by a capitalist agenda.

For example……….the question of “crown estates” (ie properties and lands currently owned by the government) and forestry land or water resources is a much bigger issue. My feeling is that the NIHE model of helping the working class is being used as a fig leaf to enable “big” communities to get their hands on extremely valuable assets for profit.

But………..seemingly there will be a need for capital assets transfer (supported by Rowntree) because the public sector wont provide because of government cuts. In an unrelated move the Alliance Party (bankrolled by Rowntree) cant bring themselves to vote against cuts to benefits.

Now that doesnt add up. Or does it?

Despite the best efforts of Slugger O’Toole…..indeed extraordinary efforts by Slugger O’Toole…….the debate has hardly been noticed on its website. Nobody cares. Which is a pity because unless we take action to advance SOME capital asset transfer and take action to stop SOME other schemes, we will sleepwalk into Capital Asset Transfer being a reality.

But Slugger does not want a real debate. Slugger wants a phoney debate. Indeed contributions to the debate were encouraged from those who attended yesterdays seminar……..because seemingly they have a degree of expertise (and I would argue self interest!!!) and seemingly the general Slugger commentator has no real insight.