Easy to preach when you don't practice!

Isn't it funny how democracy becomes your monopoly when you become the party that holds the reins?
That's how it seemed to us after Boston's opposition councillors combined to present an alternative budget to last week's full meeting of the borough council.
"This is a deliberate attempt to disrupt and cause mayhem to our democratic process," stormed Council leader Richard (Papa Dick) Austin - whilst his ton ton macoute nodded warningly in support.
So what had these opposition agitators done that left such a dirty taste in Papa Dick's mouth?
They had the temerity to propose a small increase in council tax rather than a freeze - which they claimed would have salvaged some of the services that the BBI planned to cut ... unfortunately including the Party in the Park, which no-one in their right mind can continue to justify.
Councillor Austin's Chief Executive was at his side as the leader thundered against the opposition, warning in no uncertain terms against adjourning the budget.
And to deliver the coup de grace to the opposition, the leader sneered at their alternative.
"This information has been available for months. Handing it (the alternative budget) to us at this late hour just goes to show how inefficient they (the opposition) are and how badly they are serving the people of Boston."
Tough stuff - though let's not forget the adages about people who live in glass houses, and pigeons coming home to roost.
If the budget information really had been available for months, we wonder why was it that the Joint Committee charged with discussing it had to be adjourned because the papers the committee needed to consider failed to arrive in time for them to digest them properly.
And whilst headmaster Mick is right to threaten the cane if the budget were adjourned, the proposal at that stage was merely to discuss an alternative - something successfully blocked by the ton ton macoute.
It is always interesting to be lectured on democracy by a party that can afford to do so because it doesn't have to practice it.
And talking of opposition - isn't it time that Labour and the Lib Dems had more to say about what goes on at Boston Borough Council.
They are represented at county level even though their presence is not felt in Worst Street, yet somehow, we never seem to hear their comments about what goes on at grass roots level in Boston.
For Labour, only Paul Kenny - whose memorably lacklustre campaign to be our local MP in the 2005 general election saw almost 10% slashed from the party's vote compared with the elections of 2001 and 1997 - writes occasional letters to the local press .... but usually without stating his party affiliation.
He also bobbed up in last week's papers waving a leaflet.
Whilst Boston remains in the grip of an Orwellian nightmare, we need a vocal opposition more than ever.
We applaud the combined efforts by Conservative, Independent, BBG and BNP councillors to try to break the BBI mould.
And we decry the leader's carping, jeering rejection of their efforts.

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