Tai Cantref: Merger at Gunpoint

Although shareholders voted on Tuesday to push ahead with the merger with Wales and West, the battle may not yet be over.

It is becoming increasingly clear that shareholders were told that the choice was merger or bankruptcy, with the Welsh Government's secret statutory inquiry and report having spooked creditors.

Mystery also surrounds the timing of a government press release claiming that the vote was unanimous when it was not.

Jonathan Edwards MP and Adam Price AM are now calling for a National Assembly Committee Inquiry into the merger.

Citing concerns over the role of the Welsh Government in the merger and the lack of consultation with tenants by Tai Cantref, the Plaid representatives argue that an inquiry would allow for an investigation into the Welsh Government's regulatory oversight of Tai Cantref.

In a press release Adam Price said an inquiry would allow the findings of the Welsh Government's statutory inquiry into Tai Cantref to be made public – an essential step considering that the findings of that report not only constituted the basis for the merger but put Tai Cantref on the brink of financial insolvency.

"Given the strength of other options open to Tai Cantref, such as support from a local authority and other local housing associations, there is an opportunity for the Assembly committee to consider whether existing legislation needs amending to allow for a more dynamic approach to the provision of social housing in Wales."