So, what do we make of the new cabinet?

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Will it rise phoenix-like from the ashes of its predecessor …? 

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Or will it cast the leader in the role of Wile E Coyote and blow up in his face?

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Time will tell – but the fact is that the cabinet has now increased in size from six to eight members, with leader Councillor Paul Skinner hinting that another new cabinet position was “likely” to be created in September.

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So, who are the new brooms that will be giving Boston a much-needed clean sweeping?

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Let’s do this back to front, and tell you first what hasn’t changed.

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The leader is still the leader – with the Herculean task at the top of his list that of “Performance and Improvement”

The deputy – Councillor Nigel Welton (who actually seems to have been leader in all but name for some while) remains the deputy.

Councillor David Brown remains in charge of tourism, arts and culture – which peculiarly includes allotments as part of the brief.

Councillor Martin Griggs stays with housing – which once included allotments – and Councillor Yvonne Stevens continues with the portfolio for rubbish and death.

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So, who’s new?

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Enter Councillor Jonathan Noble – a one-time UKIPper who even stood for parliament for the party in Louth in 2017.

He takes on finance – one of the most important portfolios – from Councillor Martin Howard … and will doubtless find that 27 years as a history teacher followed by teaching the guitar between writing music, poetry, plays and short stories will stand him in good stead for overseeing a multi-million-pound budget.

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Interestingly, at the “extraordinary” council meeting which saw Councillor Skinner’s leadership challenged, Mr Noble was nominated by Councillor Stevens for leader in the event that the meeting’s choice – Councillor Stephen Woodliffe, failed to get elected … which of course, he did.

Pay attention, please – we’ll be asking questions afterwards.

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Next among the newbies is Councillor Tracey Abbott, who takes on the town centre portfolio previously held by Councillor Chelcei Sharman.

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Finally – and perhaps appropriately – a new cabinet role covering heritage has been given to  a member who almost counts as part of the borough’s heritage after so many years as a councillor … Richard Austin.

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So – will the new-look cabinet be Chippendale or IKEA?

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A number of things about it strike us as interesting.

The membership has risen from six to eight – with the hint that a ninth post will be announced next month.
If  that happens it will cost taxpayer an extra £16,830 in special responsibility allowances.

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We can take an educated guess at what the ninth  job might involve, since we understand that Councillor Peter Bedford – who told last week’s extraordinary council meeting that he had declined the deputy leadership – is also believed to have been offered a role dealing with the proposed Government reorganisation that would presumably come with the creation of unitary authorities.

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Whatever the job – we might soon have a situation where the odd man out at Worst Street will be the one who isn’t a member of the cabinet!

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Raising cabinet numbers to eight sees 26% of the 30 members in a commanding post – and adding one more next month will bring this to 30%

At last week’s meeting, Councillor Paul Goodale stayed awake long enough to express the wish that Worst Street would ditch the cabinet system in favour of the old committee structure.

At this rate his wish may be granted sooner than he thinks!

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Looking behind the job descriptions, we have to ask how the new cabinet members might get along.

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New member Jonathan Noble ought certainly to work well with Councillor Yvonne Stevens ... another former UKIPper.

Not only did she nominate him for leader last week, but we understand that she also circulated his name ahead of the meeting as means to allow Leader Skinner and Deputy Welton “to stand down with as much dignity as possible”.

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Oops – they’re still standing up – moreover, they haven’t budged an inch from the cabinet posts they held previously.

To us, it’s more of a surprise that Councillor Stevens remains in the cabinet.

But there you go.

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Councillor Tracey Abbott becomes the second consecutive town centre portfolio holder not to represent a town centre ward which – whilst it doesn’t make the job impossible – certainly must make the learning curve steeper.

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And a fellow cabinet member – David Brown ... another Kipper turned Tory – is the man she beat by four votes in Wyberton Ward 15 months ago, leaving him in political isolation until a by-election at the end of last year saw him make a comeback in Kirton and Frampton.

We seem to recall that he was more than a little miffed soon after he lost Wyberton in May 2019 when Independent Councillor Abbott subsequently announced her alliance with the Tories

So, can he forgive and forget?

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And now we come to councillor Richard Austin.

Leader Paul Skinner has reportedly said that Councillor Austin’s move had been planned prior to last week’s meeting but COVID-19 had delayed the changes.

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As he doesn’t mention dates, we have to stick with our thought that this appointment has the tang of a deal about it.

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It was only a month ago that Councillor Austin was stirring things up with the circulation of a letter signed by all non-Conservative councillors declaring: “We will not support any alliance without first having adequate time to analyse the proposals in depth.”

He was referring, of course to the alliance with East Lindsey District Council – which was a fait accompli even then … and is now meeting to plan a way forward.

Talk of launching a judicial review to challenge the way the alliance was created without much consultation with councillors at large turned out to be so much hot air.

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Then – voila – Councillor Austin appears as a member of the cabinet.

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Heritage has always found a place on the portfolio list in the past, without the need to make it a specific brief.

And normally, portfolio roles cover a number of areas.

Paul Skinner has eleven, Nigel Welton nine, Jonathan Noble eight, David Brown eight, Yvonne Stevens seven, Tracey Abbott BTAC liaison plus four, and Martin Griggs covers eight areas

But Councillor Austin only has “heritage and conservation” – two words where really one will do.

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But it puts him in the cabinet, and if you’re in the cabinet then you really have to go along with the leadership.

We are reminded of the impolite expression that says it’s better to have someone inside the tent pi**ing out than outside the tent pi**ing in.

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But Councillor Skinner shares none of our concerns.

His official line is: “I have been very lucky to have a vigorous and inspiring cabinet since becoming leader and the change of portfolios is intended to clarify roles as we come out of lockdown and into the recovery phase of the coronavirus crisis.

“We are a motivated council who deliver to all of our residents and I want to make sure that we continue to do this in an appropriate manner.

“I would like to welcome our three new members on board who will all bring their own special skills to their cabinet areas.

“This is a strong cabinet and we will deliver for our borough.”

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Clearly a Chippendale rather an IKEA man!

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Finally, our last blog struck a chord with former Councillor Carol Taylor – who quit the Tory group soon after her election in 2011 to become Independent – in the days when the name meant what it said.

She e-mailed Boston Eye from her new home in Cornwall to say: “I still keep in touch with what is happening in Boston. This is through my family who live there but also through your blog.

“I was a hopeless political councillor, but when I became an Independent, I worked so very hard to achieve many things with the people of Witham ward.

“When I decided to leave the Conservative group, some of them were so very, very cruel.

“I am saddened to see that some current councillors are suffering the vitriolic rants of their peers.

“During my time as an Independent, I wanted to be chair of one of the scrutiny committees, and I was convinced that I had a really good chance of getting this.

“I spoke to several other councillors who were more than happy to support my nomination.

“The night before the meeting, I received a phone call from a councillor to say that he was so sorry but I wouldn't be getting his vote because he had been offered a chairman’s position in the future.

“Another councillor, whom I had tea with the day before, assured me that I had their vote.

“The next day when the meeting started, this councillor came into the room and didn't acknowledge me at all.

“When it came to the voting......yes, you've guessed it, I didn't get their vote after all. 
“As it happened, the chair went to the best choice – but it was the sheer cruelty of other councillors which made it so hard for me to handle.

“It is very disappointing when councillors are offered sweeteners just to feed the egos of those in ‘higher office’

However, whilst they are self-adulating, the ones who accept these are worse than them, that they choose to take what they see as a better offer rather than go with their so-called strong beliefs and opinions and what is in the best interest of those who voted for them.

“Thank you for mentioning the ‘Maverick Incident’.  It’s good to see that my film is out later this year!

“Finally, I would like to appeal to all councillors to stop voicing your anger, spitefulness, disrespect for each other and ultimately betraying your constituents on social media. Use your qualities to serve the people of Boston,

“I'm sure you will find it very rewarding.”

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