Why Lincolnshire council leaders have been getting kicked out

Usually top politicians only have to fear the voters at the next election – but the leaders of both West Lindsey and Boston have been dethroned by their former allies.

West Lindsey District Council’s Trevor Young was the first to go, along with his deputy, followed by Boston Borough Council leader Anne Dorian this week.

Relationships between leaders and councillors seem to have broken down in scenes reminiscent of Westminster drama.

Dissatisfied politicians said the revolts were about ensuring the councils were running properly, rather than political manoeuvring.

These fights played out in public rather than behind closed doors, giving a glimpse into the frustrations bubbling underneath.

So why have these once-in-a-blue-moon political events happened twice in a short time?

At first glance, there are plenty of similarities between the two administrations.

Both the Liberal Democrats in West Lindsey and the Boston Independents managed to seize power in 2023 by overthrowing Conservative leaders.

Both were led by highly-experienced councillors who had been elected for years (since 1995 in Coun Young’s case and 2007 for Coun Dorian).

And both parties had plenty of fresh faces who were getting their first taste of politics.

But both parties seem to have bristled at the leadership in recent months, and finally resorted to working with their political opponents.

Off-the-record complaints about West Lindsey’s leadership began earlier this year, with councillors unhappy about how power was allegedly being centralised between the top two leaders.

Coun Young claimed after he lost his post that it was “inexperience” which led his party to turn on him, saying: “We had ten new members with very little experience and a degree of frustration crept in.”

But these weren’t brand-new councillors anymore – they had been in the job for two years, and were frustrated at how little responsibility they were being given.

Opposition leader Coun Jackie Brockway (Con) said the council had become “dysfunctional” and there was concern across all parties about the “combative” leadership style.

Coun Young strongly denied that the authority was being badly run, however a coalition made up of all parties was enough to force him and his close deputy from power.

Less than a fortnight later, the majority of the Boston Independents resigned en masse, leaving just three in the ruling party.

The timing is noticeable – the Boston coup began after they had seen the success of the West Lindsey one.

Once again, former allies came together with opposition members to remove the leader and paved the way for someone new to step in.

Coun Dorian accused her deputy – who she’d brought into politics just a few years ago – of “drip-feeding venom into eager ears”, and complained that the fight had played out in public rather than private.

In reply, Councillor Dale Broughton simply pointed to the overwhelming numbers who were apparently unhappy with her leadership.

One councillor remarked there was a need for more “collegial leadership”, hinting at bad blood within the former party.

Both meetings turned heated, with accusations of betrayal and disloyalty.

Boston councillors were able to choose a successor that night, while West Lindsey representatives will elect one at a meeting in September.

Sabotaging your own political leader can be a risky move, with the public sometimes seeing it as pointless and chaotic infighting.

The new leaders will have to prove that they’re able to restore stability and deliver for residents, and show that the drastic measures were worth it.