Warning of Boston "betrayal"

Yesterday’s blog about the merger of services between South Holland and East Lindsey District Councils, and comments by Boston’s Interim Chief Executive Richard Harbord, has produced an angry reaction from South Holland’s Leader Councillor Gary Porter.
He was particularly incensed by a report before tonight’s meeting of Boston’s cabinet in which Mr Harbord says: “I am informed that at a presentation to all staff at South Holland their Leader told the staff we would be joining them after the election next year but that we would have to pay a large joining fee to recompense them for their start up costs.
“I believe their start up costs have been very large indeed and when I met the Managing Director of the new company recently I told him we would be happy for them to tender competitively for work that we advertised but we would not be prepared to ever pay an ‘entrance fee.’”
Councillor Porter does not mince his words in his response to this in an e-mail to Boston Bypass Independents Leader Richard Austin and copied to all members of the council:

Richard,
I have been given a copy of your report to your Cabinet. I am surprised (only a little) that you can try to misinform your Executive members by feeding them rumour and ill informed gossip in a Cabinet report.
I never told my staff that Boston would be joining the MSO ( Merged Services Organisation) in May (an accusation RH knows that I have denied before, because he has been copied in to emails between Raymond and I.)
I was asked why Boston pulled out of the deal and I said because most of the members were misled and ill informed (you know this to be true) I was also asked if there was a chance for other councils to join the company later and I said yes but this would cost them, I also said that I was confident that a near neighbour beginning with B would be joining next year. A prediction that I remain confident on delivering given the urgent item* (that you are aware of) that I will be taking to my Cabinet today.
As for the rest of your report, you know after Friday’s meeting you will have to find significant savings and none of those proposals will deliver them for you. If you do not convey the seriousness of your financial situation to your members you will be betraying them and more importantly the people of Boston.
Disappointed but not surprised,
Gary

What do readers between the lines make of this?

• misinform Executive members by feeding them rumour and ill informed gossip
• members misled and ill informed (you know this to be true)
• If you do not convey the seriousness of your financial situation to your members you will be betraying them and more importantly the people of Boston

These are not allegations to be lightly made, and it is high time for someone to ask what on earth is going on.
Boston Eye has on many previous occasions highlighted the secrecy of the ruling party, and the considerable number of papers that are discussed outwith the public domain.
If warnings of a perilous financial future facing Boston are apparently being minimised then someone, somewhere needs to stand up and be counted.
Boston has been badly ruled for too long.

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*We imagine this is a reference to the move for SHDC Chief Executive Terry Huggins to take over management at Breckland District Council in Norfolk. Sharp eyed observers will note that Breckland and Boston share the same initial letter.