Responding to Government figures that nearly 600 homeless people died on the streets last year, Bedford Borough Liberal Democrat Homelessness Spokesperson Tim Caswell said "These deaths are absolutely tragic. As a wealthy country, we simply cannot accept people dying on our streets."
Remembrance events and activities are already underway across Bedford Borough, and on Sunday Mayor Dave Hodgson attended the Scots Society's Remembrance Service at Foster Hill Road. The service was a remembrance for all service personnel who have lost their lives in the armed forces, and it commemorates the large number of members of the Highland regiments who were stationed in Bedford prior to heading to the Front in the First World War, and who sadly lost their lives in large numbers due to infection and illness.
New figures from the Office for National Statistics have revealed the extent of the continuing fall in unemployment in Bedford Borough. The number of people claiming Job Seeker's allowance has fallen by 46% - more than 2,000 people - since February last year. Meanwhile, the age group with the highest proportion of claimants, 18 -24 year-olds, saw a particularly high month-to-month fall between September and October, with the numbers dropping by 16%. This is considerably faster than the regional reduction.
Jas Parmar has been selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner election taking place in May. Commenting, Jas Parmar said: "I'm very pleased to be selected as the Liberal Democrat Candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner here in Bedfordshire.'
Winter is certainly here! To help residents, Bedford Borough Council is working with local partners to develop a Warm Spaces network. Warm Spaces provide somewhere people can go to stay warm and maybe enjoy some company and a hot drink, or simply spend time reading a magazine or book.
Latest unemployment figures for Bedford Borough have revealed that the dramatic fall in the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) is continuing. The figures show that a further 126 people came off JSA in November 2014, meaning the number of claimants has fallen by a massive 49% since the early part of last year. The proportion of claimants now stands at 2.2%, having fallen for nine consecutive months.
