Oh blogger! We didn't want a bypass after all

Boston Borough Council's Leader Richard Austin has dragged himself kicking and screaming into the electronic age with his very own blog site.
And, in a piece of remarkable political cynicism, he is asking readers to believe that they did not, in fact, vote for what they thought they did when they elected the Bypass Independents on 3rd May 2007.
"What did the people of Boston really want when they elected the council two years ago?" the Dear Leader coyly asks.
"Of course they were sick of the endless traffic queues and wanted a bypass, but most were telling us they were fed up of the way the council was being run."
Well, that's not our recollection from their manifesto, but apparently, those of us who are "realistic" knew we wouldn’t get a bypass overnight.
And, not for the first time, we are being offered jam tomorrow in the shape of a reformed council.
Councillor Austin claims that the damning reports of the Audit Commission became the "ammunition" needed to speed up reform. He salutes his own brilliant idea of an Improvement Board (though some say this would have been imposed on the council in any case) and says that together with the new acting Chief Executive, Richard Harbord, we can now move forward at speed. Which we're going to have to do of course, since Mr Harbord's appointment on 1st August was for six months and is therefore already almost half way through.
You can read Councillor Austin's blog in full here http://www.boston.gov.uk/LeadersBlog/
His blog is accompanied by his "official" photo.
You know the one we mean; the one with the slightly sneaky smile you associate with someone who has passed wind in a crowded room, but is confident that the stench will never be traced back to him.
Look at the picture again if you don't believe us.
Incidentally, talking of blogs, we clicked back through the years to the Bypass Independents' post election blog which is still online, and despite promising "this blog will be updated regularly to keep you informed on our progress, the latest issues and developments and also to give you the chance to comment and/or pose questions in an open forum," has remained stagnant for more than two years.
On Saturday, 12 May 2007, beneath the headline "What we stand for" the BBI proclaimed:
"Boston Bypass Indepedents (BBI) were elected at the local elections on a manifesto of getting Boston moving by getting a bypass built for Boston. We were accused by our opponents of being a single issue party but the electorate soon saw through this political smokescreen, voting the old guard out and a virtually brand new council in to power.
"The BBI firmly believes in having no sacred cows, no person nor issue immune from scrutiny or criticism, and questioning all aspects of the council's work. We want to reflect the views of the electorate and promote Boston as a good place to work and live.
"The BBI also stand for:
"Short-term traffic-flow improvement, a better bus service, a review of car parking charges, better public toilets, more recycling, less litter, reducing anti-social behaviour, more off-street parking for residents, and full investigation of the affairs of the Princess Royal Sports Arena."
Strange, we don't seem to see any mention of changing the way the the former council was being run.
Councillor Austin, it would seem, would have us believe that we dreamed that part of it.

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