Delighted to be re-selected - determined to continue our crucial, ongoing work

You may have read in the local press that I was re-selected as the Liberal Democrat Candidate for Mayor of Bedford Borough at a meeting of local party members last week, and I am obviously delighted to be selected. It has been a tremendous honour to serve as Mayor of Bedford Borough over the past year. During what are extraordinarily difficult economic times we have begun the fight back against years of chronic underinvestment in road and pavement maintenance, cut Council waste and have protected front line services while keeping Council tax down. Each of these vital tasks is ongoing, and I want to carry on the job of working to make sure the Council is working for all local residents across Bedford Borough.

Just this week we allocated an additional £1 million for road and pavement repairs, and are continuing to aim for a council tax freeze for local residents in spite of the vast cuts to local authority funding announced this week by the Government. Meanwhile, we are set to deliver the final phase of the western bypass and have put the funding package in place.

We have made great strides in turning around the years of high taxes and poor services under the old Conservative County Council. I want to continue in this essential task, and will keep working to make Bedford Borough an even better place to live and work for local residents.