Election Day is next Thursday

Next Thursday we have elections in Bedford Borough for Mayor, Borough Councillors and Parish Councillors where there are contested elections.

These are important elections and will determine the future of the Borough.

Mayor Dave Hodgson said "It has been a privilege to serve the people of our Borough and to work to get the best for residents. This was never more important than the time spent in the last few years leading the council response through the COVID-19 pandemic and the current Cost of Living and energy price crises. Whatever the challenges ahead, I remain ambitious for Bedford Borough and our shared future. It has been a tough few years financially for councils but I have been determined that vital local services should be protected - such as caring for the most vulnerable and protecting our libraries and children's centres which other councils have had to close."

Mayor Dave added "We have had many successes, including creating and protecting over 8,000 new jobs, reducing the Council's carbon emissions by over 62% and supporting those most in need by offering a 100% Council Tax Reduction Scheme and free school meal vouchers for families. We have also reduced the £90 million of debt we inherited from the Conservative Country Council by over £30 million and have plans to reduce this further."

There is still much to do:

• Mayor Dave and the Liberal Democrats will continue to prioritise bringing new businesses and jobs to the Borough.
• Mayor Dave and the Liberal Democrats will work to keep protecting and supporting people, especially the most vulnerable in our Borough.
• Mayor Dave and the Liberal Democrats will continue to tackle climate change and protect our local environment by investing in sustainable technology and reducing carbon emissions to achieve a Net Zero Carbon Council by 2030.
• Mayor Dave and the Liberal Democrats will continue to stand up for Bedford Borough in the face of government cuts to transport and health services. Mayor Dave and the Liberal Democrats will lobby government to ensure that our current and future communities have the necessary infrastructure to allow them to thrive.

This election is between Mayor Dave and the Conservative candidate, Labour came a poor third last time and the Greens were even further back in fourth place. You only get one vote for Mayor and voting for anyone else will just help the Conservatives slip back into power here.

If you want a Mayor and Councillors who will work hard all year round and get things done for our area, vote Liberal Democrat on both ballot papers.

The Liberal Democrats are standing 46 candidates across the Borough, with a candidate in every ward in every part of our Borough, you can find your candidate(s) for your area at https://bedfordlibdems.org.uk/en/page/bedford-liberal-democrat-2023-election-candidates

We are currently the only party that represents both the urban and rural areas and the other parties have not put up a 'full slate' of candidates - it is only the Liberal Democrats that are standing everywhere!

Please do support both Mayor Dave in the Mayoral elections and the Liberal Democrats in the local elections. A strong team of Liberal Democrat Councillors will ensure that we can deliver our manifesto and continue to be ambitious for Bedford Borough.