Blogs are letting in air and light

This time last week, we made our first mention of the blogs being run by our borough and county councillors.
And in the short time that's elapsed since then, we can see just what a difference they are making by way of letting light and air in the council chamber and local democracy.
Take the blog run by Conservative Raymond Singleton-McGuire (http://www.smgblog.co.uk/)
On it, he has posted the copy of a letter "inadvertently" put into the wrong pigeon hole in the Members' Lounge at Boston Borough Council.
The letter, signed "Ray" (and we can think of only one) sets out the writer's view on the strategy being adopted by the opposition members on the council.
Words like "destructive", "derail" and "scam" are hurled around like confetti.
The writer seems somewhat naive, both in his surprise at what in many cases are standard political tactics to achieve what the opposition wants, and in his claim "our local position is strong given our reforming achievements, but they must continue."
The truth is that that the BBI is leaking authority like a sieve. It has failed over the PRSA, the Merchants Quay development is now out in the long grass, and now the only development likely to be a feature of West Street for the foreseeable future is a car park where the Regal Centre once stood.
The Geoff Moulder Leisure Centre debacle is just that, and we have no confidence in the BBI to resolve it.
Another council blogger, fellow Conservative Myles Larrington (http://myleslarrington.wordpress.com/ ) writing about a bid to amend a resolution to show that councillors needed to send a message that they had an ‘open mind’ about the future of the Training Pool, reports that the BBI voted en-bloc to defeat it, even though many of them didn't bother to express a view.
And he highlights some of the double standards he's encountered so far.
"The Bypass Party say one thing in public and vote another way in the Council Chamber. For example, Councillor Alison Austin voted against the amendment despite stating at the public meeting of the Boston Swimming Club, 'I think we need to look again at this issue,'” he writes.
Councillor Singleton-McGuire ends his blog by saying: As the letter states, we, the Opposition are attempting to damage some of the BBI as individuals and destroy the BBI as a Party. I believe the BBI are doing a very good job of that themselves and certainly don’t need help from anyone else."

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