Are we nearly there yet...?

It’s now two weeks since the election that saw the Conservatives seize control of Boston Borough Council.
Yesterday, we said that it was time to see some movement, to give us something of a clue as to the direction that the Tories planned to take the town.
If memory serves us well, by this time four years ago the BBI had a cabinet named and in place – and presumably involved in behind the scenes discussions.
Sadly, at the time they sought election, they forgot to ask the second question … with the result that they had nothing on their agenda other than the bypass issue – and we all know how that ended up.
Whilst the Conservatives appear to have a number of issues they plan to address, on the admission of their own leader, Councillor Peter Bedford, they were wrong-footed by the outcome of the election.
“We thought that we would win but we honestly did not expect to win by the majority that we did,” he said. “We thought that Boston would go back to a no overall control council.”
Well, as we now know, it didn’t - and it’s now time to talk the talk.
The Conservatives’ five election pledges were to maintain front line services, introduce accountability and transparency, restore the green waste collection, improve community safety, and to share resources with other authorities.
We hope that this was a summary, limited in scope only by the size of a sheet of A4.
In terms of what now needs doing, some of the promises have already been addressed.
If the BBI was telling the truth – and who could think otherwise? – then all the cuts that needed making have been made, and as a result, Boston is leaner, more efficient and more cost effective – and without the need for redundancies.
Apparently, we can put a “job done” tick in that box.
Also, shortly before the election, the council announced the restoration of the green waste collection service – another “job done” tick in that box … although much more could be done in this important area, and the County Council has said is may have a scheme in mind.
Whether accountancy and transparency becomes the norm will only emerge with time – but as the initial roles of leader, deputy leaders and that of Mayor were apparently decided over tea and crumpets – when they have still to be the subject of formal approval by the full council suggests that this pledge is already on shaky foundations.
Community safety and policing is always an emotive subject for the punters and a good vote-winner – although again, Boston Borough Council is boasting big improvements in crime reduction … and there is only so far that you can go.
That leaves shared working with other councils. The sole evidence of this to date came after the borough appointed a senior officer at £100,000-plus a year and a few months later decided that they could hire him out for half his working week to East Lindsey District Council – which led us to question why the vacancy was filled on a full-time basis in the first place.
Let’s not forget that the opportunity to make really big savings by merging some key back office services with East Lindsey and South Holland District councils fell by the wayside because of Boston’s parlous financial state.
Although the borough’s accounts are now being scrutinised by deputy leader Councillor Raymond Singleton-McGuire, there is no way he can conjure fifty pound notes from thin air, and generating income is a key task.
Stripped down to the bare bones then, it looks as though the Conservatives must do some quick thinking about how to give Boston a much-needed shot in the arm.
We really do need some imaginative policies for the borough. It is not enough just for the reins of the on-going committee business to be placed into a new set of hands.
The last ride was a bumpy one and we don’t want to see it repeated.

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