13 February 2026
Bedford Ian has been looking at recent goings on across Bedford Borough and tells us what he thinks of it all…
Teflon Tom?
There comes a point in leadership when certain excuses won’t wash.
“It was like that when we got here.”
“It wasn’t me.”
“Let’s blame the new girl.”
Bedford Borough is now facing the embarrassment (and deep scrutiny) of a Best Value inspection.
And the Mayor’s response?
To call for the chief executive’s resignation.
Read: Bedford Borough mayor calls for CEO’s resignation over “systemic mismanagement” at council
Now, senior officers do carry responsibility. They are also accountable. But councils aren’t run by officers alone; they implement the direction set by elected members.
And who leads that side of things? You guessed it, mayor Tom Wootton (Conservative).
Almost three years in the job, not three weeks, not three months, three years. You don’t run the council that long and then, at the first sign of formal scrutiny, reach for the nearest life raft while crying “it was them wot did it”.
We’ve heard the “we inherited a mess” refrain before. Perhaps we should blame former chief executive Phil Simkins, who was in post for 12 years? Or go further back and pin it on Frank Branston for creating the elected mayor position?
Shall we see if the Domesday Book is to blame while we’re at it?
At some point, the buck needs to stop rolling backwards through time and sit with the person currently in charge.
That’s the job the mayor campaigned for, the one he asked the electorate to trust him with. His promise was to get the house in order and take control for the benefit of all Bedfordians.
And now frustration is spilling beyond comment sections.
Just this afternoon, a petition calling for the Mayor to resign was launched. The Liberal Democrats were quick to jump on the bandwagon; is anyone surprised they did? *sigh* But, let’s face it, cross-party petitions like this are indicative of patience running out.
Read: Breaking news: Councillors launch joint petition calling for Bedford Borough mayor to resign
Unfortunately, a petition or even a resignation at this point won’t fix the council’s problems. In fact, it may make them worse. So, it’s all just political BS at the end of the day.
But Mr Mayor, what isn’t BS is that you asked for this job and campaigned to sort the mess.
So stop passing the buck and own it.
Ghost writer
The Epstein scandal is horrific. It involves real victims and real crimes, which makes this week’s local political point-scoring attempt all the more difficult to ignore.
Bedford and Kempston Conservatives issued an ‘open letter’ to Labour MP Mohammad Yasin, demanding answers over the Prime Minister’s knowledge of Lord Mandelson’s associations with Epstein before appointing him US ambassador.
But there was only one problem: they hadn’t actually sent the letter to him.
It went to a local journalist instead, no doubt in an attempt to manipulate some outrage.
When the journalist asked Yasin’s office for comment, the reply was simple: we haven’t received anything. So, the local Tory party posted it on their Facebook page.
Asked again for comment, Yasin’s office said they don’t respond to social media posts. Only then was the letter finally sent directly.
All of which might be faintly amusing if it weren’t connected to such a serious subject.
So here’s my question to whoever was in charge of this campaign. If the concern about Mr Yasin’s opinion was genuine, and not an attempt to jump on some international news for your own benefit, why involve the media at all?
Why not ask the question and release your disappointment (if needed) once he replied or didn’t?
Yes, Epstein’s crimes and those who carried them out alongside him need to be highlighted; no one should be allowed to get away with what they have done.
But, if you’re going to demand accountability, try not to do so with a political stunt that turns sexual abuse into cheap political point scoring.
After all, there are serious local issues that might need more of your attention.
Apostrophe apathy
Just as I’d started getting over the lack of apostrophes in businesses’ promotions of their Valentine’s Day offerings, I stumbled upon this gem.
Of course, it’s wrong, it should be Mother’s Day.
I don’t care if you think I’m being pedantic; it’s not difficult to get right, and professionals should know better.
And for those wondering why it’s a singular possessive, it’s because modern Mother’s Day creator Anna Jarvis insisted on this particular punctuation placement.
She wanted the day to use a singular possessive to highlight that it should be dedicated to each family, honouring their particular mother.
So, please try to get it right. It’ll make your mother proud.
Heroes among us
I’m told the nominations for the 2025 Bedford Independent Everyday Heroes Awards are coming in fast, so don’t miss the opportunity to highlight someone who makes Bedford a great place to live, work, and play.
There are multiple categories to recognise those who do everything from raising money for charity to promoting Bedford, for achieving something remarkable as a young person, to supporting someone in education.
It’s free (and easy) to nominate someone, and if they reach the final, they will be invited to a special awards ceremony with all the other nominees and will be in with a chance to be recognised as an Everyday Hero.
Find out more at the story below and make your nomination before midnight on 1 March.
Read: Make your nomination: Celebrate Bedford Borough’s everyday heroes as awards return for a sixth year
See you soon, Bedford Ian.
PS: If you see anything Bedford Ian might find amusing, let us know at news@BedfordIndependent.co.uk.
