Camden ALMO vote is victory

The resounding democratic decision by the tenants of Camden to tell this government what it can do with its arm's-length management organisation is a blow for residents tired of being pushed around. The imposition of extra responsibilities, at the expense of tenant rights, in order to join a sustainable community should be resisted.

ALMOs will serve more as a threat to those who choose not to be included in a sustainable community, and promise roles for middle-class busybodies. But is this vote in Camden a rejection of the authoritarian "sustainababble" and "communitwaddle" that underpins the ALMO idea? I think not.

Camden council tenants may have frustrated the plans of their housing managers for a while, but the illusory promise of living in a sustainable community has not been consciously rejected.

Relentless housing managers will come up with some other scheme to turn the estates of Camden into a compliant place, where complaining residents, not convinced that the government's idea of "decent housing" is adequate, will be recast as antisocial.