Bedford’s elected mayor, Tom Wootton (Conservative), has today (Tuesday) announced changes to his cabinet, following three high-profile resignations.
He has reduced the number of portfolio holders from 10 to eight, causing opposition councillors to accuse him of running out of suitable candidates.
Bromham councillor, Roger Rigby (Conservative), cllr Philippa Martin-Moran-Bryant (Conservative, Great Barford) and the councillor for Shortstown, Sarah Gallagher (Conservative), all stepped down from the mayor’s cabinet in the last 10 days.
But the situation has been described as a “crisis” by the leader of the Liberal Democrats, cllr Henry Vann (De Parys ward), and “chaotic” by the Bedford Labour Group.
Read: Respected senior councillor quits Mayor Wootton’s cabinet with immediate effect
Read: Second senior councillor quits Mayor Wootton’s cabinet in days
Read: Councillor resigns over “unethical and corrupt behaviour” on Borough Council executive
Read: Third cabinet resignation sparks questions over mayor’s East West Rail interest
Council in crisis
Bedford’s Green councillors told the Bedford Independent: “The fact that the mayor has run out of competent members of his own party willing to serve in his cabinet is yet more evidence that the system of having a directly elected mayor does not work reliably.
“We need to swap to a system where the council leader is someone who can get enough support in the council chamber, just like the Prime Minister is the person who can get the most support in the House of Commons.”
Cllr Vann said: “Three resignations in less than three weeks is shocking.
“This is now a crisis, which the Government Inspectors won’t fail to miss.
“Whilst I wish the new portfolio holders well, the fact is that the Mayor is running out of people to appoint. Whilst he is rearranging deckchairs, the council is sinking deeper into financial ruin.
“It is residents who will pay the price, both literally and figuratively, for this chaos.”
Describing the adjustments as an effort to “deliver savings”, the mayor says he has “streamlined leadership” by reducing the number of portfolio holders from 10 to eight.
However, the leader of Bedford’s Labour Group, cllr Abu Sultan (Cauldwell ward), has said the changes are out of “necessity”.
“The mayor really had no choice but to streamline his Cabinet, as he has been faced with three resignations from it in the past few weeks,” said cllr Sultan.
“This isn’t a move made to save money or to be more efficient or effective; it is a move made out of necessity as he desperately clings on to his chaotic mayoralty.”
Additional roles
While a number of the remaining seven members have taken on additional roles, cllr John Wheeler (Conservative, Wootton & Kempston Rural) has joined the cabinet with responsibility for customer experience (including leisure, recreation and culture), a role left vacant by the departure of cllr Gallagher.
Other changes see deputy mayor, cllr Jim Weir (Conservative, Great Denham), take on corporate services and external relations.
Cllr Andrea Spice will add housing and regulatory services to her town centre and economic growth portfolio, following the departure of cllr Martin-Moran-Bryant.
Cllr Martin Towler (Conservative, Riseley) assumes the responsibility for adult service following cllr Rigby’s resignation, adding this to his existing health and wellbeing remit.
The new portfolio arrangements take effect immediately.
Updated cabinet
- Mayor Tom Wootton (Conservative): elected mayor, covering service improvement, inward investment and communities
- Cllr Jim Weir (Conservative, Great Denham): deputy mayor, covering corporate services and external relations
- Cllr Marc Frost (Conservative, Wixams & Wilstead): portfolio holder for financial services and financial sustainability
- Cllr John Wheeler (Conservative, Wootton & Kempston Rural): portfolio holder for customer experience (inc. leisure, recreation and culture)
- Cllr Andrea Spice (Conservative, Wixams & Wilstead): portfolio holder for economic prosperity, planning, housing and regulatory services
- Cllr Nicola Gribble (Independent, Renhold & Ravensden): portfolio holder for environment
- Cllr Martin Towler (Conservative, Riseley): portfolio holder for valuing families: adult services, health and wellbeing
- Cllr Jane Walker (Conservative, Clapham): portfolio holder for valuing families: children’s services.
A statement from the mayor’s office said that the “cabinet adjustments [are] designed to strengthen the Council’s ongoing improvement journey and ensure the right, streamlined leadership is in place to maintain stability, strengthen accountability across key service areas and meet the challenges identified in recent external assessments.”
The statement went on to say that the Mayor has reduced costs to the Council at a time when the organisation is required to deliver significant savings under the Improvement Plan.
Read: Improvement panel warns Bedford Borough Council over budget risks and delays in Children’s Services
Pressure on council services
The mayor says he has “refreshed portfolio responsibilities” in areas that have been highlighted as requiring extra focus in the Improvement Plan, particularly Adult Services and Children’s Services.
Bedford Borough Council’s independent improvement panel has warned that slow progress in Children’s Services reforms and mounting savings pressures are raising “significant concerns” about the authority’s ability to deliver a balanced budget.
The warning comes from a report due to go before the council’s Finance and Improvement Committee tomorrow (Wednesday, 3 June).
The Mayor said the revised structure “reflects the financial reality facing the Council and the need for a more efficient, more focused Cabinet team capable of driving improvement at pace.
“The revised portfolios are designed around the Council’s long-term priorities: service improvement, financial sustainability, economic prosperity, community wellbeing, environmental responsibility, and support for families.
“The structure ensures that each of these areas has clear political leadership.”
Bedford’s Green councillors said: “Most residents probably don’t care who exactly is in the mayor’s cabinet, but they do want decent and stable services, rather than chaos which risks further harming delivery of vital services, some of which are those that the most vulnerable people depend on.”
Mayor Wootton has expressed his thanks to all cabinet members for their continued commitment to delivering improvements for residents and reaffirmed the Council’s determination to drive positive change across all services.
Update: This article was updated on 2 June 2026 at 17:38. We clarified that the quote was from the mayor’s office rather than the Conservative Group.
