16 October 2026
Bedford Ian has been looking at recent goings-on across Bedford Borough and tells us what he thinks of it all…
Shape up or ship out
We have been waiting months for the Best Value Inspection report on Bedford Borough Council. It was finally published this week.
The inspection was called when the council basically admitted it had no money left. Inspectors were sent in to see if the people we pay are actually doing their jobs.
- Read: Damning inspection reveals bullying and leadership collapse at Bedford Borough Council
- Read: ‘Combative’ Bedford Borough Council slammed for ignoring reports of bullying and misogyny
- Read: ‘You are all to blame’: Government inspectors’ stark message to all political groups at Bedford Borough Council
Take a deep breath. I am about to go off on one…
The report confirmed what anyone with a pulse already knew. Our council is a mess, and our elected officials will not stop squabbling.
So I am speaking directly to you, the councillors of Bedford Borough.
Party politics has absolutely no place at a local level. You are not in Westminster. You are not performing for soundbites on LBC or for rapturous applause on Question Time.
Your job is to make Bedfordians’ day-to-day lives better.
You live here too. We drink in the same pubs, walk the same streets, and use the same bins. Consistently trying to score points over political enemies is not why we voted you in.
The report is, as expected, highly damning.
It highlights positives among the lower-level officers, but the behaviour of councillors (and senior managers) is frankly shameful.
Inspectors even pointed out that Mayor Tom Wootton (Conservative) tends to avoid difficult decisions. They claim he lacks the leadership skills needed for the job.
With that assessment, he now has a moral duty to step down, but I don’t think he should be the only one.
I think it is time for every single party leader in Bedford Borough to resign. We do not have time for this petty playground politics that has been allowed to fester under their watch.
Voter turnout for mayoral elections has tanked to a dismal 35%. Why do you think people feel voting is a waste of time?
I will tell you, it is you.
They don’t think you are worth their time because they don’t feel they are worthy of yours.
You do not listen to the electorate; you just make endless excuses. “It wasn’t me. Blame them. It was like that when I got here. They ruined it when they took over”.
You act like toddlers trying to avoid a telling off.
We have massive investment coming to Bedford. Be they rollercoasters or rail, we need a council that can not only mitigate the challenges investment brings but also realise its full potential for us all.
Private investors do not want to deal with people who pass the buck like a hot potato. They want professionalism, and they’ll go elsewhere if they don’t see it here.
Ask yourself if you became a councillor to make Bedford better or just to get your ego stroked.
Maybe you did start with honourable intentions, and perhaps you’ve lost your way a bit. That happens, but it’s time to get back on track and remember why you give up your time and put your head above the parapet.
If, however, you are doing it for other reasons, and it would be a brave person to admit that, stand aside and let someone else who does have the right passion and professionalism get the job done.
I fully expect some of the councillors reading this will be furious; that will essentially prove everything the inspectors and others have been saying all along.
But before you write an angry email to my editor, this segment has simply been inspired by or is a repetition of all the comments made across social media or to our editorial team in the last few months; this opinion is not just from me, it’s from Bedfordians all over.
The taxpayers, the electorate, your Bedford Borough neighbours have had enough.
Happy hedgehog
I almost turned my back garden into an episode of Silent Witness last weekend.
I was just clearing leaves and doing some normal winter prep when my garden fork went into a pile and hit something ominously soft. I pulled it back, and the leaves fell away.
There it was, a tiny spiked ball. It was a sleeping hedgehog.
I instantly assumed the absolute worst. I was convinced I had just committed a terrible crime against local wildlife; I genuinely panicked that I might have hurt this beautiful creature while it was peacefully hibernating.
My brain immediately scrambled for emergency protocols. I tried to mentally access decades-old episodes of Blue Peter. Did they ever cover accidental hedgehog impalement? If they did, my memory totally failed me.
I frantically searched online and found the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. They have a list of emergency numbers. I dialled one like I was calling 999.
A wonderful lady answered the phone. I babbled at her about garden forks and ruined habitats. She actually had to tell me to take a deep breath. I have never been very good at hiding my worries.
She calmly brought me down from the ledge and explained the hedgehog wasn’t hibernating yet because it was still too warm. It was just having a daytime nap. I had basically just ripped the duvet off a sleeping teenager.
She told me to double-check for visible injuries; thankfully, there were none, and to cover it back up and leave out some pet food at dusk. I did exactly as I was told, and it felt like I was serving a formal apology dinner.
I crept out later that night to check the scene, and thankfully all that was left was a hedgehog-shaped hole. Apparently these little guys are incredibly resilient.
A major gardening tragedy was officially averted.
So if you do uncover a prickly sleeper in your garden this weekend, please don’t panic as I did. Just check the British Hedgehog Preservation Society website for some excellent advice.
Insightfully inciting
Typos are annoying; we all make them, but the Conservative’s social media manager might want to ask a colleague to check posts before they’re published
I’m sure they wouldn’t want anyone to think the mayor was up to no good ‘inciting’ something…
See you soon,
Bedford Ian.
PS: If you see anything Bedford Ian might find amusing, let us know at news@BedfordIndependent.co.uk.
