Week ending 28th January

Our Friday miscellany  

of the week's

news and events

Silly asset - 1… Spencer Pearson, the prospective candidate for the Boston Bypass Independents in the Staniland North seat, confesses to a flirtation with the British National Party in a previous life. “I joined because I felt that the BNP shared my concerns about the erosion of the democratic and liberal traditions of our nation,” he says, somewhat disingenuously. When he left, he claims that he worked to expose the reality of the general view of the BNP and “undermine” the leadership. Assuming that there are not too many people named Spencer Pearson with connections to the BNP, we were interested to read the party’s “Birmingham Patriot” blog. The shortlist for “Birmingham Patriot’s Activist of the Year” for 2007, read: “It is rarely an easy decision to decide the one person to whom such a title to go, especially with such a generous pool of talent from which to choose. This year there have been some excellent turns from relative newcomers, notably Karen Lawrie and Spencer Pearson.” Hmm. Oddly enough, BBI Leader Richard “Papa Dick” Austin - who promised reaction to the election of Boston’s first BNP candidate many moons ago and then forgot all about it - managed to proclaim that Mr Pearson’s experience “is a very valuable asset in countering the BNP threat in Boston …” If Mr Pearson is so concerned about “the erosion of the democratic and liberal traditions of our nation” he might do well to avoid association with the BBI, whose track record on democracy makes that of Joseph Stalin look good!
Silly asset - 1– addendum… It is perhaps ironic that Mr Pearson should be standing in the ward named after one of Boston’s most notable families (although they apparently do not merit mention in the laughable “Roll of Achievement” which Councillor Austin recently drew up on the back of a cigarette packet.) Meaburn Staniland and his brother, Geoffrey, were killed within weeks of each other during the First World War. Meaburn had been Boston’s youngest “Town Clerk” which is the title that today’s overpaid and under-employed “Chief Executives” now enjoy – although his aging father resumed the post during his son’s army service. His widow – and mother of his four children – died shortly afterwards of what people at the time called a “broken heart.” We may laugh now – but in those days loyalty really meant something!
Sand and deliver … It was good to see a Lincolnshire County Council highways team hard at work in Strait Bargate last Sunday, making good some of the damage caused by the wretched Into Town bus service by packing more sand beneath the sunken slabs to restore them to something like a level surface once again. However, that won’t make the problem go away. What will it cost to maintain the former pedestrian area every year or so – ad infinitum - when the solution is to reroute the damaging buses so that they no longer intrude into and poison our lives with fumes and noise pollution? We wonder whether any of the parties hoping to replace the Bypass Independents in May have any plans in this regard – but we somehow doubt it.
Bad news … and worse news … Given that council offices almost everywhere tend to be a focus for dislike and disdain, we find it hard to celebrate the borough council’s enthusiasm to incorporate the HM Revenue and Customs tax office in the Worst Street reception area. Perhaps opening a local police office might be a shrewd move in case of trouble.
And the question is? … The questionnaire issued by Boston Borough Council during its consultation sessions on the market place is now available online, and we would urge as many people as possible to make their feelings known. In fact if you feel very strongly about the plans you can complete the form as many times as you like, as there is no bar to multiple submissions. Aside from the fact that this makes the consultation totally worthless, there is one section that made us smile. It concerns the reintroduction of the Five Lamps feature, and asks: “If both versions are achievable, I would prefer: The first version (which would be a replica of the original, as it no longer exists) or the second version (which would be the original, refurbished to a good standard.) Hang on a mo … if the first version is a replica of an original that no longer exists, how is it then possible to refurbish the original ….. ?
Miles out … In the past we have accused the borough council of exaggeration when it comes to publicity. But for once, when they could have used a big number rather than a smaller one, they missed the opportunity. Under the headline “Nation's first council hero” the borough website reports that the Guardian newspaper has hailed its first national local government hero – who works for the borough. The report tells us that the paper is seeking “council workers who have gone the extra yard.” The common usage of this phrase is going the extra mile – and given the nature of the achievement, would have been wholly appropriate.
Last grasp … We note that a couple of BBI councillors voted in favour of an 85% increase in members’ allowances at a meeting earlier in the week. Looking on the bright side, we can only assume that they realise that their expectations of re-election are nil, and that the vote was nothing more than an early last hurrah.

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