Ombudsman Services: Justice First. (485)

To the Business Secretary
For Clarity - Attempt 485.

485) Ombudsman Services: Justice First.

Dear Mr Javid,

In a modern, healthy and forward-looking democracy the people, through their elected representatives, would play a key role in saying what justice was or wasn't.

Not ours.

Instead, private, "civil justice"  has been sub-contracted out to unelected ombudsmen. Future historians or sociologists of, "The Age of The Ombudsman" will reveal a process whereby decisions were taken behind the scenes by unelected brokers engaging with and politically influencing; MPs, Ministers and Senior Civil Servants. The day-to-day practicalities in how to successfully rig the property market and get away with it - apparently.

Things haven't changed much since the days of Tom Paine.
"Legislators who were elected by no one were accountable to no one and, consequently, should be trusted by no one."
(Edward Vallance: A Radical History of Britain)

Who elects ombudsmen? No one. Then why should we trust them? To whom are they accountable? That's a moot point and depends on which brand of ombudsman you're talking about and what you take to mean by, "accountability."

In the case of the Ombudsman Services:Property ombudsman that one appears to be accountable to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) who modestly announce that they are, "the world's leading  professional body for qualifications, and standards in land, property, infrastructure and construction."

The world's leading professionals in property standards where openly criticised by the late Consumer Focus who themselves became history after revealing that, "Sometimes an entire market has developed practices that are not working in the customer's interests. We believe that the problem has its origins in the RICS apparent inability to adequately regulate its Members and Regulated Firms."

Professionals at leading the world and his dog up the garden path.

Those writing the history of, "Ombudsman Schemes and Scheming Ombudsman in The Early 21st Century" will find it a challenge to access source material. Not only did Consumer Focus become history but their quote did too, vanishing from the internet.

Also airbrushed from history are Ombudsman Services' minutes. As for their Annual Property Report? It's not worth the paper its written on. Searching questions no longer being asked - embarrassing answers no longer needing an explanation.

No accountability. No transparency. So no justice.

Was Consumer Focus axed because it had the temerity to openly criticise the RICS for it's apparent failure to adequately do its job and regulate its Members and Regulated Firms? Surely a regulator that doesn't regulate isn't a regulator - it's something else. A  rigger of so-called redress. Scandalously, everyone apart from Consumer Focus whistled as they looked the other way.

Why weren't questions asked in Parliament at the time? Is the rigged property market so important to the economy that those rigging it must be protected at all costs?

Q. Mr Javid, why has the RICS allowed practices to develop that are not working in the customer's interests?
Q. Where were the Privy Councillors when this happened and where are they now as it continues to happen?

We won't know until someone in the press or media starts asking questions or a MP stands up in Parliament and does likewise. Clearly, no one in Government is listening to ours.

As a result it's dirty business in the RICS regulated property market as usual.

When the BBC with its Royal Charter is under constant attack from certain sections of the largely self-regulating media, the Byzantine RICS with its Royal Charter and world leading position in setting standards in the property market barely warrents a mention.

Q. Mr Javid, this ain't justice bro is it?  

Yours sincerely,
Steve Gilbert  The Ombudsmans61percent Campaign.