Working With All Parties for the Good of Bedford Borough

With my first comment upon being re-elected being that I will work with everyone who has the Borough's interests at heart, I am delighted that I have been able to appoint an all-party Cabinet. We have a very strong team, featuring Councillors from the Liberal Democrat, Labour, Conservative and Independent Groups, and they are all committed to working together for Bedford Borough.

In these extremely tight financial times, which are due to get even tighter over the next few years for the Council, it is crucial that we all pull together to get the best for Bedford Borough. I will be reporting the appointments to the Council's Annual Meeting, which takes place tonight. The full list of members of my new Cabinet, together with their portfolios, is as follows:

Mayor Dave Hodgson - Economic Development, Rural Affairs and Partnerships

Cllr Charles Royden - Environment and Transport. Deputy Mayor

Cllr Colleen Atkins - Performance and External Relations

Cllr Michael Headley - Finance and Asset Management

Cllr Shan Hunt - Revenues and Benefits, Customer Services and ICT

Cllr Roger Rigby - Adult Services

CllrDoug McMurdo - Leisure and Culture

Cllr Sarah Holland - Community and Regulatory Services

Cllr Sue Oliver - Children's Social Care

Cllr David Sawyer - Education