What’s cooking dear?

Not a council meeting -

that’s for sure!

A delightful accompaniment this week’s Boston Borough Council agenda was the minutes of the previous meeting of 11th July – which gave an interesting insight into the leadership’s attitude to what it considers to be openness and transparency … and also demonstrated the use of the written answer as an escape route after one is painted into a corner by awkward questioning.
BDI Councillor Alison Austin raised the first question to leader Peter Bedford, asking for confirmation that his administration was committed to making the council’s decision making processes more accessible and transparent to the public?
Councillor Bedford – not a man to use two words when one will do  - came back with a snappy …
“Yes.”
Back to Councillor Austin, who noted that decision making processes are more transparent when they are accessible to the public, and  asked why Planning Committee meeting times had been changed to 2pm – with the barbed remark: “Is it a chance to revert to when only retired people were councillors?”
Time for the first dodge of the day.
Councillor Bedford’s reply was that Independent Councillor Brian Rush had raised a similar question to the Chairman of the Planning Committee, “and I will leave it to him to respond to that.”
But as far as accessibility and transparency was concerned, he was sure that all members would welcome more involvement from the public within the provisions allowed under the constitution, such as public questions, deputations and petitions.
If it was necessary to make a report exempt, a covering briefing note would be made available to the press and public - giving an overview of the subject matter and recommendations.
Back to the timing of planning meetings, and Councillor Brian Rush.
He asked committee chairman Colin Brotherton how and when he consulted with elected members on the move of meetings from 6.30pm to 2.pm, and why he thought it better for the people of Boston?
Councillor Brotherton said there was no significant increase in public attendance when the meetings started later, and it didn’t necessarily mean it was more convenient for the public to attend.
They also had to consider the costs to applicants if their agents or representatives had to attend out of hours and also council officers, who accumulated time off when they attended evening meetings.
But Councillor Rush wasn’t having any of it.
He pointed out that he had merely asked for an all member discussion
“You refused. You, a former independent councillor, must now be missing the sweet taste of political freedom.
“This change had nothing to do with what was best for Boston. What you did was pander to the more senior members of your party, who like to nod off after tea.
Come on, Councillor Brotherton, you are among friends, the decision was not yours was it, you succumbed to the party whip didn’t you?”
Time for dodge number two.
“I will provide a written response to the question.”
Councillor Rush then turned his spotlight on Mayor Mary Wright – with an apparently harmless opening gambit congratulating her on becoming a “member of a very exclusive club.”
It turns out that after nearly 500 male Mayors, Councillor Wright is only our ninth Lady Mayor, and Councillor Rush baited his trap by asking if she would agree that “major strides” had been made by the council, which had greatly improved the inclusion of female politicians.
Mayor Mary fell for it, and launched into a waffle about the efforts of female councillors themselves
But we doubt whether the next question was what she was expecting.
“Can I remind you what you said at Planning on the 25th May, when you also rejected my request for a discussion, as did Councillor Gunter and others of your party? This is what you said … ‘women have far more important things to do, like cook dinner and look after their husbands and families than attend meetings in the evenings.’
“Does that not dilute the importance of what we do as councillors? Is it not disparaging to the women of today, and indeed offensive to men who do share in the family and household routines, and no longer expect to be waited on hand and foot.
“All of you declared that your own convenience was more important, than that of the people you represent.
“Madam Mayor, would you agree that the implications of the opinion you gave, drags female equality back into the dark ages. Will you please explain your comment, or apologise for your thoughtlessness?”
Time for dodge number three: “I make no apology, and will provide a written response.”
For now, we are lost for words – but we’ll provide a written response in due course!

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