Voting by post

Some people vote by post instead of voting on the day, and if you are a postal voter your postal ballots should arrive soon.

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

Speaking about the election 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. 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 amount of debt we inherited from the Conservative Country Council from £90 million by over £30 million and have plans to reduce this further."

Mayor Dave and the Liberal Democrats will continue to:

• Prioritise bringing new businesses and jobs to the Borough.
• Protect and support people, especially the most vulnerable in our Borough.
• 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.
• Stand up for Bedford Borough in the face of government cuts to transport and health services and to 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.

When your postal ballot arrives, remember to fill in the form and return it straight away. When you have voted, please let us know at www.libdems.org.uk/voted.

You can find a list of Liberal Democrat candidates at www.bedfordlibdems.org.uk/listofcandidates

You can also read the Bedford Borough Liberal Democrat manifesto here.