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Council leader labels committee chairman’s resignation as ‘political game’
News from the Boston Standard, Lincolnshire: bostonstandard.co.uk, on Twitter @standardboston
The leader of Boston Borough Council says he is ‘sorry’ that a committee chairman has resigned from his post over the way the authority is run but accused him of ‘playing political games’.
Independent councillor Richard Leggott stepped down as chairman of the council’s Audit and Governance Committee following a meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee the previous night.
His resignation letter was critical over the way the borough council is run.
Council leader Peter Bedford told the Standard he was ‘very sorry he was going down the road he was’.
He said: “Councillor Leggott has been an excellent chairman of audit and is a very experienced councillor.”
However, he refuted claims the Conservatives objected to the cabinet system when the Boston Bypass Independents, and said they had objected to the way committee chairmanships had been appointed and said that was the reason they didn’t take those positions on principle.
He added: “I’m sorry that Councillor Leggott is going down the lane he’s going down. I thought he had far, far more about him than at the first obstacle, to revert back into the olden days was rejected, and his resignation was forthcoming accordingly.
“Richard and myself have been friends for many, many years and I’m sure that will continue both inside and outside the council, but playing political games is not good in anyway for the people of Boston.
“We need a strong member from the opposition to be leader of the committee.”
Coun Leggott said this morning (Monday) that rather than protesting against the cabinet leadership system, he was distancing himself from the way local government is operating in the town.
He said: “Since my resignation as Chairman of BBC Audit and Governance Committee I have heard it expressed that I am protesting against the cabinet system of governance at Boston Borough.
“Whilst I do not think that the cabinet and leader system operating in Boston is the best system for local government, I can live with it although there are, I believe, variations and other systems that would serve the people of the borough better as far as democratic representation is concerned.
“My resignation was to distance myself from the present exclusive way that local government is being operated in Boston.
“The BBI [Boston Bypass Independents] operated somewhat similarly after their first year and I declined then to be part of that system, taking no chair or vice-chair positions offered, on principle.
“The present administration has become so like the last administration in its decision making process that I again felt it necessary to adopt the same position.”
It is believed Coun David Witts may step up to the role of chairmanship when the Audit Committee next meets on January 28.
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Weather for Boston, Lincolnshire
Saturday 25 May 2013
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Temperature: 6 C to 14 C
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