Tim Farron Visits Bedford and Makes Powerful Case for 'In'

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron MP visited Bedford this week, and had a powerful message about the importance of the UK's continued membership of the EU for communities like Bedford.

Mayor Dave Hodgson took Mr Farron to the site of the Riverside North development, which is seeing £36 million of investment in Bedford Town Centre as part of a scheme which will create 200 new permanent jobs as well as exciting attractions such as a new cinema and riverside restaurants and public squares.

After that, he and Mayor Dave visited the offices of the Polish British Integration Centre, a local community organisation which provides advice, support and runs courses and events to help immigrants from Poland, and other parts of Central and Eastern Europe, to settle in Britain.

Mr Farron also met local Liberal Democrat party members to discuss the EU campaign and the array of reasons why the country's EU membership is important to Bedford Borough's continued success.

Commenting, Tim Farron MP said: "Bedford is a successful, thriving town and rightly proud of its multicultural heritage with well-established communities from Italy, Poland and other countries across the world. The economic and social benefits of EU membership to Bedford, and communities like it across the country, are crystal clear. We should not be turning our back on the world's biggest market and at the same time moving away from our closest neighbours in facing the challenges of a global economy, international security, climate change, and the refugee crisis."

Mayor Dave Hodgson added: "Tim Farron is making a powerful case for our continued membership of the EU, and how we are stronger, safer and more prosperous within it. It's been great to welcome him to Bedford Borough, which has seen record jobs growth over recent years and huge investment from outside. Bedford Borough's continued economic success is much safer within the EU, rather than outside it on the other side of trade barriers and other obstacles."

You can see an album of photos from the visit on Mayor Dave's Facebook page