It seems that Wrangle farmer Tom Ashton misunderstood that great epigram of Abraham Lincoln’s* which is often wrongly attributed to P T Barnum and thought that it was possible to fool all of the people all of the time.
Not so.
In a letter to last week’s local papers  he spoke of how he was “privileged to observe as a member of the public” the debate on bumping up elite councillors’ allowances to the tune  of 20% over two years – and went on to roast  non-Conservative councillors who opposed the plan on “narrow minded and populist grounds.”
As we said last week, Mr Ashton conveniently overlooked the fact that whilst – yes, he is a member of the public – he is also chairman of Lincolnshire branch of Conservative First, where he is described as “an assured Conservative supporter since his earliest political memories.”  He is a parish councillor in Wrangle – which is in the ward represented by Boston Conservative leader Pete Bedford on Lincolnshire County Council. According to Conservative First Mr Ashton is also secretary of the Boston Tory party branch, and sits on the Boston and Skegness Association executive.
Fortunately, his glittering blue credentials were also spotted by two members of the opposition that he tried to maul so badly.
Independent group spokesman Councillor Richard Leggott criticised Mr Ashton for his lack of political experience, and said he looked forward to seeing him campaign either for the County Council next year or the borough Council in 2015 – “when, I feel sure, the electorate will tell him exactly what they think of his liking for large pay increases for borough councillors.
“The public are not fools. They will have noted Mr Ashton’s silence on this issue in the past, right up to the time the Conservatives would be the biggest beneficiary of such profligate distribution of their council tax.
It is, however, possible for members to forego any part of their differing allowances.
I am hoping that many of those select councillors awarded these latest 10%  plus10% increases will choose to do so.  We shall see!”
Fellow Independent Councillor Carol Taylor also had harsh words for Mr Ashton for “stating among other things that the opposition – which  includes me – are  a disgrace and ‘utterly betraying every hard working man and woman in regular employment who might ever seek to become a councillor.”
Councillor Taylor points out that she works full time and on her two days off deals with ward issues and people who may need help.
Her allowance for this is £203 a month, which pays for petrol, broadband use,  and computer supplies.
“I chose to become a councillor in order to serve the public and it is here where the word ‘privilege’ comes in to play. There are several other very hard working councillors who have day time jobs and they manage to attend many of the evening meetings as well as working for their ward members.
“A few of our Borough Councillors are County Councillors, so two lots of pay – and quite right too. A few of them are also in well-paid jobs and/or successful businessmen. A few are retired and financially comfortable, as you would expect with a long work history. So a combination of financial security and time on their hands allows them to lead a very comfortable life. These are the people asking for even more money!”
Councillor Taylor adds: “This pay rise was awarded at a time when so many people are suffering financially through job losses and pay freezes and the churches in Boston are having to assemble food parcels for those who are struggling to make ends meet and unable to feed their families.
“We have heard the following so many times before – ‘We don't get as much as South Holland or Lincoln’ ' or ‘they haven't got this or that in Lincoln. We don't care about other places........We are BOSTON.”
“This pay rise is a result of greed!”
Hopefully these responses may dissuade Mr Ashton and his ilk from trying to pull the wool over our eyes in the future by proclaiming himself just an ordinary Joe as a beard for a hidden political agenda.
And one other interesting point. The big beneficiaries of the 20% pay rise are members of Boston Borough Council’s seven strong cabinet.
Of these four are also county councillors.
In the case of Boston Leader Pete Bedford,  his allowance for the job will rise to a maximum of £7,322 next year and £8,054 with another 10%  increase the year after – not far off £9,000. At the current year’s allowance rates for Lincolnshire County Council, Boston’s councillors each receive £8,184.
In Councillor Bedford’s case he receives an extra £1,683 for special responsibilities at county level – plus of course, travel and subsistence.
Ignoring the latter, his county pay is almost £10,000 a year – and with an extra £9,000 to come from the day job in West Street fairly soon.
And for doing exactly ….what?
Average full time pay in Boston last year was £20,840 – which makes a part timer  earning £19,000, and who probably has a pension or two as well – seem pretty well off already as far as we are concerned.
*You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.

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