Local elections 2023: Boston councillor kept heart attack secret during campaign

An independent councillor says she kept a heart attack secret in a bid to not distract her colleagues from local election campaigning as her group won control from the Conservatives.

Cllr Anne Dorrian's Independent Group ousted the Tories from control of Boston Borough Council.

She broke news of her heart attack in a speech to the Peter Paine Performance Centre in Boston after counting had taken place to confirm her group's victory.

Ms Dorrian told the room: "I'm just going to tell you a secret now. Six weeks ago today, I had a heart attack. I was rushed to Lincoln for heart surgery."

Speaking to ITV News, she added: "I decided I didn't want to tell the rest of my team because I didn't want their heads to drop.

"I wanted to keep them buoyant and upbeat and really in the mood for campaigning.

"We told a little white lie that I got Covid and that was why I was off the scene for four or five days."

The result means the council consists of 24 Independents, five Conservatives and one Liberal Democrat.

On Boston Independent Group's victory, Cllr Dorrian said: "I'm overjoyed that the voters have put their trust in me and returned me with such a huge majority."

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