Dear editor,
In the Green Party, we were interested in the Mayor’s comments about the next election, that “the town should go Green”. Whether he was talking about Bedford or Kempston, he’s right.
We do not, however, see the possibilities of Green progress as limited to the urban area. It is worth remembering, for example, that last time in the village of Biddenham, Greens were second by a mere 17 votes.
He also said that in standing for re-election, he is asking the electorate to judge him on his record.
Read: Bedford mayor plans 2027 re-election bid amid warnings of political shake-up
This seems very odd, he might as well just resign.
The council is on the verge of bankruptcy, propped up by emergency financial support and has “Best Value Inspectors” in.
- Read: Government inspectors to examine Bedford Borough Council as financial pressures continue
- Read: What is a “best value” inspection – and why does it matter to Bedford?
He didn’t have a clear plan in place before buying Debenhams. He introduced additional “free” carparking that the council couldn’t afford.
He’s presided over ratings of “requires improvement” from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for Adult services and from OFSTED for Children’s services.
Finally, his administration paid to refurbish Oasis before deciding to close it.
Read: Oasis Beach Pool site up for sale after controversial closure plan
All told, it’s a record of abject failure: we look forward to the electorate judging him on his record – and electing a Green in his place.
The mayor also claimed that sometimes other parties “negotiate in good faith” and sometimes “they don’t”.
It was the Conservatives that rejected an arrangement for comprehensive discussions to get the council out of the mess his administration created.
Meanwhile, the experience of other parties is that consistently the Conservative administration fails to respect the confidentiality it purports to offer.
Such double-dealing can itself be seen as a failure to negotiate in good faith. Going forward the ability to provide constructive input has been massively reduced by this double-dealing from his administration.
Greens will, nevertheless, continue to do what we can to look out for the whole population, including the poorest in Bedford Borough.
Ben Foley
Convenor of the Green Group, Bedford Borough Council
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