Scotland's largest social landlord could be without a boss until the autumn, despite mounting speculation the Scottish Executive could force it to give up its housing stock.

Glasgow Housing Association has been without a chief executive since January, when Michael Lennon returned to his home in Australia.

Interviews two months ago failed to turn up a replacement, despite the post being offered to one applicant, a Toronto-based housing executive.

A new round of interviews is scheduled for the end of this month, with the organisation itself even unsure if it will yield a suitable candidate.

It is believed GHA is again looking overseas to places like Canada and Australia.

Even if it is successful this time, the applicant could have to give three months notice, leaving the post in the hands of an acting CEO until late September or early October.

But in the meantime, GHA is expected to be the latest organisation to fall under the microscope of the Nationalist administration.

Observers and local housing organisations, which are desperate to access GHA's stock as part of the promised second stage transfer (SST), believe the SNP's comments in parliament on the issue suggest a hands-on approach to solving the row that has dogged the organisation since it was founded.

Despite its pledges from 2002 to hand over control to LHOs, GHA has yet to transfer a single house, claiming its figures do not add up and that to do things piecemeal could be to the detriment of thousands of tenants. Both Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond have promised to look again at the issue.

Meanwhile, the community-based organisations that already control large swathes of Glasgow's social housing have signalled an increased militancy if SST is not delivered.

A newsletter that went out to tenants signs off with a thinly-veiled message to lobby the SNP at every level to force through the handover.

It says: "In our opinion community-based organisations have been hugely successful over the past three decades. Now is the time to review our direction as a movement. It is clear that we must influence the policy agenda."

Focus