We wrote yesterday about the need for local councillors to start a blog to keep in touch with voters at both borough and ward level.As far as we knew then (see Late News, below,) only one member of Boston Borough Council did this - Conservative Councillor Raymond Singleton McGuire.
Well, there's a sort of exception in the form of Council Leader Richard Austin, who posted a test message on the Lincolnshire Independents' site on 12th August 2006, and another one on 8th May 2008 - a total of five words in the better part of three years. Samuel Pepys has nothing to fear from this man, who strangely remains listed as the Independent county councillor for Boston South - although the current incumbent may well have a view on that claim.
By contrast Councillor Singleton McGuire's blog is awash with information and opinion, and has published many letters about the Geoff Moulder Leisure Centre.
Other items on his blog include the "sensational moment" at last week's full council when the Deputy Leader Peter Jordan apparently declared that Boston Borough Council was virtually bankrupt!
Elsewhere he hits out at Councillor Austin's comments to the papers about why he commissioned the report into BARC - the Boston Area Regeneration Company - publishing on his blog his letter of reply, which says: "Councillor Austin frequently mentions that both himself, together with his Bypass Party are working together with other Councillors for the better of Boston and I quote…'Our hope is to work with councillors to improve services for the people of Boston, which is at the end of the day the most important thing and the reason why we were all elected’ I feel Councillor Austin’s article to be contemptuous and does little for a working partnership. It is a shame that Councillor Austin preaches such endearing qualities but fails to put them into practice. Sadly, this is yet another ‘showcase’ of political showmanship by Councillor Austin, and therefore let me inform your readers of the facts...."
There is positive action as well.
We can see from the blog that a letter to members of the borough cabinet highlighting the stresses being put on the Revenues and Benefits department by the recession helped lead to the creation of two extra posts in each department.
This is what the public wants to see - a councillor who is doing something and keeping the voters in the picture.
Doubtless many of his colleagues feel that Councillor Singleton-McGuire should not be blogging, and probably give him the cold shoulder as a result. We would go further and say they would probably like to ban his writings if they could.
But a council is not private club whose rules and activities are for members only, and whose decisions are kept as remote from the general public as possible.
Councilor Singleton-McGuire told Boston Eye: "There is nothing on my blog that the public cannot hear or see for themselves if they attend the meetings. All I am doing is bringing the council meeting to their front room and giving them a voice if they want to reply in the comfort of their own home. Times have changed, and technology has moved on, all I'm doing is keeping pace. My views are with, and of the public and should not to be embargoed or suppressed. I allow freedom of speech and would not publish anything that I would not say in person. With a blog I can do exactly that and let everyone know I've said it at the same time.
This is what the public wants to see - a councillor who is doing something and keeping the voters in the picture.
Doubtless many of his colleagues feel that Councillor Singleton-McGuire should not be blogging, and probably give him the cold shoulder as a result. We would go further and say they would probably like to ban his writings if they could.
But a council is not private club whose rules and activities are for members only, and whose decisions are kept as remote from the general public as possible.
Councilor Singleton-McGuire told Boston Eye: "There is nothing on my blog that the public cannot hear or see for themselves if they attend the meetings. All I am doing is bringing the council meeting to their front room and giving them a voice if they want to reply in the comfort of their own home. Times have changed, and technology has moved on, all I'm doing is keeping pace. My views are with, and of the public and should not to be embargoed or suppressed. I allow freedom of speech and would not publish anything that I would not say in person. With a blog I can do exactly that and let everyone know I've said it at the same time.
"There are of course matters that fall under the Information Act and I respect that confidentially."
Well said.
So come on councillors, fire up your PCs and laptops and get blogging. You owe it to your electors.
You can read Councillor Singleton McGuire's blog here http://www.smgblog.co.uk/
Late news. After this piece had been written, we heard of a second Boston Borough Council blogger. He is newly elected Conservative Councillor Myles Larrington, and although he says his blog doesn't contain much yet, he hopes shortly to post some information on last week's meeting of the full council.
So come on councillors, fire up your PCs and laptops and get blogging. You owe it to your electors.
You can read Councillor Singleton McGuire's blog here http://www.smgblog.co.uk/
Late news. After this piece had been written, we heard of a second Boston Borough Council blogger. He is newly elected Conservative Councillor Myles Larrington, and although he says his blog doesn't contain much yet, he hopes shortly to post some information on last week's meeting of the full council.
Councillor Larrington's blog can be found at http://myleslarrington.wordpress.com/
You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.
You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.
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