27 days to the elections
They weren’t kidding at Worst Street when they warned of the
lull before the farce in the run up to
the general and local elections.
We were told that the
powers that b’aint would not be saying much – nothing new there – and so the
bulk of the election thrust is now being err, shouldered by the Westminster hopefuls.
Having said that, we are sure than somewhere behind the
scenes, the Worst Street cameras are rolling to name, shame and criminalise
unwary people who extinguish their ciggies by dropping them on the ground and
treading them out – just as everyone did since the fag end was invented.
Doubtless too, excrement both canine and human is
accumulating in fetid heaps waiting to be photographed and paraded before our
watering eyes in the borough’s endless and futile drive to stamp out
anti-social behaviour.
But, between the circus coming to town and its actual
arrival, the clowns are putting on their make-up in readiness to entertain us
all.
***
Here at number 1 Eye Street, it is difficult to fathom out who
plans to do what if elected.
Nationally, we have received bumph from UKIP (on many
occasions) and the Conservative candidate – and that’s all.
Locally, we have received one leaflet from the Tories – from
which we note that the number of tired old promises being made this time around have
reduced from five to three, and become increasingly vague in the
transformation.
For instance, precisely what is “ensuring that the Borough
of Boston continues to grow its economy and develop in a way that is both
sustainable and supported by our local communities?”
We note a promise to “protect services on which our local
community depends – such as the green waste collection and the Into Town bus
service” … neither of which were under any kind of threat as far we were aware.
Reading between the lines, we think that is paving the way
for the introduction of charges for the green waste collection – despite a
number of promises to the contrary,
And the pledge about the buses is a far cry from what we
heard in the run up to the last election during a local radio debate.
The then Conservative group leader Raymond Singleton-McGuire
– remember him? – damned the service with faint praise, saying: “… it is a long
overdue service that Boston really required. Disappointingly there were six
options on the table which we all agreed and the option for the buses to go
through the town centre itself was not put out to open debate or even to other
councillors. It was a decision made in private behind closed doors by the
leader of which we knew nothing and it was actually implemented and I think
it’s disgusting.”
Not disgusting enough to change during the past four years –
in fact the Tories have let the issue slide quietly under the carpet.
But they are not alone.
In the same debate we heard the Labour group’s Paul Kenny
say: “The issue you’re talking about is going through Strait Bargate. Thousands
of people when I talk to them are horrified by this and it seems to me that it
was a decision that was not good for Boston …
“Thousands of pounds worth of damage is being done to the
pavements there so I’d like a structural engineer’s report on it, but more
importantly, older people and disabled people are being terrorised by the buses
going through. That is really uncomfortable for the people of Boston, and those
are not my comments, those are the comments of the people of Boston.”
And Independents’ spokesman Richard Leggott was of similar
mind.
“… taking it through the centre of town is causing damage,
it’s also quite unnecessary. There are routes which could have been looked at
without going through the pedestrian area.”
Chris Pain – then a UKIP candidate – added: “Going through
the town centre is totally wrong and it’s dangerous to old people, children
will get injured in future. It’s wrong and it needs moving.”
You might imagine with such unanimity of views that
something would have been done as a result.
But this is Boston – and what you have read above typifies
the Worst Street style of politics … oppose something – but do nothing about
it.
Having covered two of the Tory promises, we may as well
mention the third.
Beneath the headline: “Delivering value for money” we are
told that the Tories have not raised council tax for four years, accompanied by
a promise to keep it “as low as possible while protecting services.”
As we have often said previously the freeze on council tax is a
dance to a government tune backed by a bribe of central government cash.
The wording of this new pledge is as close as you can get to
admitting that taxes will rise in future – but without saying so.
And anyone who casts their mind back over the past four years
will surely notice the absence of some services that previously existed.
***
Doubtless more by way of flexible and indecipherable promises
will be emerging soon, as yesterday teatime saw the deadline for delivery of
nomination papers by wannabe councillors.
All things being equal a list of candidates should be out
later today – and we can tell you of at least one surprise in store.
It concerns St Thomas Ward, where the appointment of a new
Tory contender is sure to raise some eyebrows at Worst Street.
We also hear that one
senior councillor was unable to find enough people to acquire the ten signatures
required for nomination, another threatened to quit then had a change of heart,
whilst yet another is busy playing
Machiavelli behind the scenes.
Why are there so many calls for younger councillors when so
many of the older ones are acting like children, we wonder?
As far as nominations are concerned, watch this space.
If things go according to timetable we’ll bring you the headlines in a special
blog on Monday.
***
Although they say that the camera cannot lie, in certain
cases it is not being asked to for the benefit of some candidates for Worst
Street.
With a number of septuagenarians, and at least one
octogenarian standing for the council there have been suggestions that some of
them are relying on the photograph they used four years ago as their image
again this time around.
What they’re forgetting is that they may be unrecognisable to voters if they pitch up on the doorstep looking like Father Jack when their photograph depicts them as a Rudolph Valentino lookalike, or Margaret Rutherford when they are expecting Marilyn Monroe.
***
Nationally the election campaign for Boston and Skegness
remains as lethargic as ever.
The first of two poorly promoted “Hustings” was attended in
Boston by six of the eight candidates – the absentees being the Lib Dems and
the BNP. Perhaps they have seen the writing on the wall at this early stage and
opted for a night in front of the TV set instead.
The other half of this event takes place tonight at The
Storehouse church in Skegness.
We can’t speculate on attendance but feel that there may
well be a better candidate turnout at Blackfriars in Boston on 1st
May for a debate on BBC Radio Lincolnshire.
***
Meanwhile, collectors of election trivia might like to know
that according to the Press Association list of declaration times, the result of
the Boston and Skegness seat will be at 5am on Friday 8th May – the
same time as Louth and Horncastle, Grantham and Stamford, and Gainsborough.
Early birds are
Sleaford and North Hykeham at 3am and Lincoln half an hour later –
whilst South Holland and the Deepings is
the last county result expected at 5-30am.
***
Two candidates had problems with their election literature.
In one case, Conservative Matt Warman posted 100 of a run of
25,000 leaflets through letterboxes before realising that they did not carry the
imprint required under election law which gives details of the printer, the
promoter and the candidate.
He reported the error to Boston Borough Council – which
typically was unconcerned.
Meanwhile, a leaflet posted through our door by UKIP
candidate Robin “Boy Wonder” Hunter-Clarke declared: “Promoted by Douglas
Carswell on behalf of Douglas Carswell both of 105 Station Road, Clacton on Sea" – UKIP’s first elected member of parliament, based more than 120 miles away.
We know that overprinting election leaflets with local
details saves money – but it might be an idea to check the small print to avoid
such clangers in future.
And what did we hear about this little hiccup?
Nothing at all.
***
Meanwhile UKIP’s man opened up the big guns by inviting a
Ronald Reagan lookalike to the constituency to support his campaign.
At least that’s what we thought until a superannuated Radio
1 fan told us that the visitor was, in fact, former DJ Mike Read – writer of
the celebrated UKIP calypso which was withdrawn from sale following criticism that it
was racist.
He said he was sorry for “unintentionally causing offence”
with the tune sung in a fake Caribbean accent, featuring lyrics about “open
borders” and “illegal immigrants in every town”.
Read initially defended his song after some objected to his
use of calypso music to promote an anti-immigration argument.
“It was never meant to be remotely racist,” he said. “It’s
an old-fashioned political satire … you can’t sing a calypso with a Surrey
accent.”
***
We hadn’t realised until recently that the Transport
Minister for the past ten months is none other than John Hayes, MP for South
Holland and The Deepings.
Surely, a borough with road problems like ours has missed
out rather seriously by not trying to make the most of a neighbour with such
influence.
***
As Boston basked in the acquisition of some new distinctions
– the constituency has Britain's fourth highest overall road casualty rate … 42
per cent above the national average – and the town recording the highest levels
of neuroticism in the country – the tired old clichés were being trotted out in
the national newspapers.
Principal among the offenders was the Independent newspaper, which – in a UKIP leaning feature –
resurrected the sobriquets “Little Poland” and “Boston Lincolngrad” – branding
them as creations of “parts of the right-wing press” … which means “we like the sound of them but
aren’t brave enough to use them on our own.”
Perhaps one of the first tasks that a newly elected MP and
borough council could address it how to drag the town’s image out of the gutter.
***
Whatever the outcomes on 7th May, we can sleep
easier in our beds knowing the Lincolnshire Police are seeing fair play for
all.
An entertaining news release recently declared that some comments about candidates standing in
the election become criminal offences.
“Detective Sergeant Jarman the lead for Electoral Malpractice
in Lincolnshire Police advises that the public should be careful in regards to
what they say on social networks, in regards to candidates at the forthcoming
elections, whether national or local.
“‘It is a criminal offence for a person to make or publish
any false statement of fact about a candidate’s personal character.
“‘This could lead to that person being prosecuted under the
Representation of the People Act which imposes a fine of up to £5,000.
“Making such comments requires police time to carry out an
investigation and will impact on other crime enquiries.
“‘Additionally such comments could lead to civil action for
slander being made.
“‘Lincolnshire Police are committed to ensure that elections
are run in a fair and free manner to ensure the democratic process is
unimpeded.’”
Well, that’s a relief – although we would have thought that the warning was of such common-sense that it would scarcely need a reminder. Not only that, but we would have thought that the offences described would be applicable at all times – and not just during elections.
We wonder whether the job description “lead for Electoral
Malpractice” comes with a higher pay grade – and also what
the post holder does for the rest of the time.
And if telling lies is to be outlawed in politics, we suspect that it may well lose a lot of its appeal to those who currently take part.
And if telling lies is to be outlawed in politics, we suspect that it may well lose a lot of its appeal to those who currently take part.
However, we would like to say at this stage that we think
all the candidates, from whatever party, whether standing nationally or locally,
are a fine, upstanding group of people – and we will be voting for all of them as often as possible on 7th May.
***
YouGov, the opinion
pollster, has put UKIP such a fraction ahead of the Conservatives in Boston and
Skegness as to be too close to call.
But away from the ballot box, the preferences of the 70,509
voters make for interesting reading.
YouGov says that the
top celebrities of people in Boston and Skegness are Stephen Fry, Robin
Williams, David Jason, Queen, Trevor McDonald, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, Sid
James, David Attenborough and Graham Norton, whilst their favourite TV fare is
the regional news and weather, The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins, Britain's
Got Talent, Dancing on Ice, The Taste, The X Factor, Jonathan Creek, BBC News
at Six, Britain's Got Talent Results and Coronation Street.
***
Such a list might explain why Paul Kenny – Labour’s
parliamentary candidate as well as a borough council hopeful – apparently thinks that lavish entertainment
might be a vote grabber.
On his party blog and in a letter to the local “newspapers”
he says: “Sadly in the last few years people in Boston have been disappointed
that the famous Boston Party in the Park was scrapped by our independent and
Tory councillors.
“We know from talking to hundreds of people in our town that
people do want such an event to be restaged, but we are aware that we need to
set up a new events team who have imagination and drive as well as a ‘can-do’
attitude, working together with local police, local businesses and the
voluntary sector to deliver this unique event that gave Boston a buzz when it
happened.
“We can even work with organisations like Transported to find a sustainable format
that would deliver the aspirations of our town.
“We hope you agree with us that we should seriously put this
issue at the top of our public engagement strategy and bring Boston alive again
in the summer.”
Transported is, of
course, the arty-farty group that has £2,500,000 to waste on “developing
inventive ways of getting people involved in the arts where they live, meet and
work, providing inspirational experiences and empowering local people to take
the lead in shaping their own arts provision.”
Given that their latest stunt is decorating Boston’s six
dustbin lorries, we are sure that they would be perfectly happy to spring a few
thousand on a free for all knees up in Central Park.
And although Councillor Kenny’s bring back the party in the
park blog was published on 1st April, we somehow don’t think that he
was joking
***
Having said that, it’s possible that we have misunderstood
the benefits of painting dustcarts.
When the announcement was made it was hailed thus by Councillor
Yvonne Gunter, Boston’s portfolio holder for leisure services: “This is a great
opportunity for people who live in, work in and visit Boston and the borough to
look beyond the everyday, towards the horizon, and be reminded of all within
reach which gives life bigger purpose.
“It is all too easy to be absorbed by the pressures of the
here and now and sometimes we miss the positives we can engage with through our
local culture, landscape and communities – all things which can deliver real
inspiration.
“Who knows what might occur through looking at the side of
an everyday bin lorry going about its everyday business when the view is a
window on a world close by but sometimes far distant.”
By an eerie coincidence, those self-same words tiptoed
poetically through our mind when we recalled the last time that Boston bin
lorries were similarly decorated.
It was way back at the turn of the century, when Boston United’s
then goalkeeper Paul Bastock joined a campaign “to put the town top of the re-cycling
league.”
Bazza, in his goalkeeping kit, appeared in a logo on a new
re-cycling vehicle, at re-cycling centres, and on a number of other council vehicles beneath the slogan "Bazza's
saving for Boston.”
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose …
***
Lots of trumpeting in the last week with the news that the
first of the presumably four-part Quadrant development for Wyberton had been
given the go-ahead.
But we have to say that we wonder what will actually emerge at
the end of the day.
The only concrete
item in the planning application is for a “community” stadium for Boston
United, along with what is being called a “distributor” road connecting the A16
and London Road.
Everything else – trivial things such as 500 new houses, a food
store, filling station, restaurant, pub, and a sixty bedroom hotel – are at
this point merely applications “in outline with all matters except access reserved.”
A cynic might think that once the new stadium is built, and
the land where the present pitch is sited in York Street is vacated, that the
thirst for new building might move into town, leaving the rest of the Quadrant
scheme wafting in the breeze.
***
A major critic of the plan is Sue Bell, who is the petition leader
of the Wyberton Quadrant Action Group.
A critical comment that she sent to one of our local “newspapers”
was heavily cut – but had it survived the blue pencil, this is what it would
have said: “The decision may have been given, but as we were told “this was a
robust application,” why has it taken so long to reach a final decision?
“Why is Mr Newton (David Newton, managing director of
Chestnut Homes, the development company) still chasing money?
“We are informed two million from Sport England, so finances
were not satisfactorily in place!
“… why do all these announcements come out just before a
holiday break? ....
... “Once again the Boston Borough Council are making a decision
to meet a deadline, rather than with the best interest of Boston, or for that
matter, Wyberton, at heart. “There is the likelihood to be over 200 existing
houses at greater risk of flooding because of this development.
“Serious matters like this should not be overlooked for
political gain.
“We (WQAG) never wanted to stop BUFC getting a new home.
“We have always believed that the best site has always been
Great Fen Road, with all the facilities in place to start with.
“This area was known as the ‘Sports Village.’
“We were told this area had been looked into, but no one was
approached on either of the two charity sites. That area would be ideally
suitable.
“Many properties in Wyberton will be blighted for several
years now until Mr. Newton admits his sums do not add up and he lets the ship
sink gracefully.”
***
The funding question is an interesting one.
Mr Newton is quoted as saying that having the necessary
funding in place for not only the community stadium, but also the project as
whole “has been something that we have been working on in tandem with the
planning process, and we are making good progress in that respect."
He said details on two pots of money allocated to the
project under two new Government initiatives were “becoming clearer.”
Some funding has already been allocated by the Greater
Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership. A total of £4.75 million is being granted under something called the “Growth
Deal” and is “specifically towards initial infrastructure provision, with
support for affordable housing being contributed in a future phase under the
Unlocking Rural Housing Programme.”
Mr Newton says that” grant funding is also starting to fall
into place,” and his priority now is to ensure that the balance of the
necessary funding “is in place as soon as possible.”
“When this is all secured, initial infrastructure can then
go in ahead of development commencing on site.
“We can also now move forward with an application for £2
million of funding via the Sport England Strategic Facilities Fund, which will
help deliver the sports hall, and community facilities which are an intrinsic
part of the new stadium.”
This isn’t how we remember things used to be done.
We always thought that a developer acquired land, drew up plans for it, then
built homes and facilities to sell to recoup the cost and make a profit.
Now it appears that the government and other organisations
bend over backwards to fund the developer – who presumably still gets to keep
the profits.
Nice work if you can get it.
We also think that the term “community stadium” has
something of a worrying ring to it.
It sounds like the next PRSA in the making.
***
Don't forget to join us again on Monday for our initial analysis of the local election candidates.
You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your
e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.
Our former blog is archived at: http://bostoneyelincolnshire.blogspot.com
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