At least one more resignation is needed

The Audit Commission's annual audit and inspection letter has just been published - and it makes gloomy reading.
The lowlights take just a few words.
"The Council does not have the financial or managerial capacity to deliver its plans.
"The level of constructive member scrutiny and challenge is insufficient.
"Key objectives are not being achieved and monitoring of performance and value for money is poor."
The report says that the council must strengthen its capacity to manage service improvement and finance. It must also "strengthen the capacity of members to understand, scrutinise and challenge performance, and policy and strategic developments."
Here, we are obviously not talking about the opposition having to work harder. They are already doing the best that they can given the circumstances.
What the report is saying is what others have said for years.
The BBI membership to date has largely been the cat's paw of the leader, and until recently the deputy as well, and the time has come for that to change.
If, as is so often churned out as its mantra, the BBI is a coalition of independents, with like minds rather than a political party per se, then the Audit Commission wants challenges that are beneficial to the electorate of Boston rather than beneficial to the BBI.
The Commission also wants the council to introduce rigorous member monitoring of budget and service performance throughout the year - something we thought they should have been doing already.
And finally there's a call for action to improve both cultural and strategic housing services.
The council is now ranked 330th out of 388 authorities.
Disappointing isn't the word for it.
It shows what many have feared all along, that the BBI is a well intentioned bunch of amateurs who simply aren't up to the task of running the affairs of the borough.
With almost two years still in power they need to get their act together, and soon.
We had heard that the report was to have been published on the borough council website by now - but somehow it has slipped through the net. The council probably feel that it is better not to publish it than try to "spin" as was tried with the damning housing report.
The Audit Commission letter is long and detailed - too long and detailed to go into here.
You can read it on the Audit Commission website.
Using the now familiar trademark of putting his telescope to his blind eye, council leader Richard "Papa Dick" Austin is quoted in the local press as welcoming the report and trying to shove most of the blame in the direction of the previous administration ... a stunt that he has used time and time again, and which he apparently still believes that the voters will fall for!
Let us hope that the interim Chief Executive, whose appointment was announced on Tuesday, will take a no-nonsense stand against this bunch of amateurs who think they know best.
And wouldn't it be nice if Councillor Austin had the decency to follow in the footsteps of the late chief executive by himself resigning and giving the borough the fresh start it so badly needs.
Austin? Decency?
Don't hold your breath!

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