A vote of no confidence in Bedford’s Conservative mayor Tom Wootton, calling on him to resign, was passed by a 28-to-12 majority at a borough council meeting.
But the man at the centre of this commotion has ignored the motion, which doesn’t force the Mayor to resign, and has vowed to continue serving the Borough’s residents until the electorate decides his fate in mayoral and council elections in May.
Independent Sharnbrook cllr Doug McMurdo was philosophical in telling last night’s (Wednesday) meeting at Borough Hall: “You know we can’t remove you. But please do the honourable thing for Bedford residents.”
Four senior Conservatives were absent from the council chamber proceedings.
Presenting the motion, Liberal Democrat De Parys cllr Henry Vann explained: “It’s about Bedford Borough Council, its survival, its ability to continue to provide residents with the services they expect.
“This petition was organised on a cross-party basis. It’s been a response to a demand from a growing number of residents genuinely alarmed at the direction the council is going in and they want change.
“The motion reads: ‘This council has no confidence in the mayor and calls on him to resign’. Our borough has the chance of a brighter future, with new jobs on the horizon and massive investment coming.
“Despite this optimism, I really feel that deep down the current mayor is distracted by politicking. The council in so many of these national and regional conversations risks becoming an irrelevance.
“Basic services need to work and they’re not. Our vulnerable people need to be looked after. We’ve heard quite clearly how people feel left behind and not listened to.
“There have been disappointingly shallow attempts at meaningful cross-party working. Much, if not all, of what I’m saying has been broached, first in private, not just by me but by colleagues across this chamber.
“Creative ideas for being a radical, efficient and competent council seem to be missing in action. We’re hopelessly adrift at this point. We need change urgently in some form or other.
“There seems to be a lack of confidence in the mayor’s own group, with three resignations from a cabinet, which is running out of people to fill it. Challenging questions are being asked. Change at the top is needed.”
The right to express views
The mayor acknowledged that “every resident has the right to express their views”, including through such petitions, saying: “Public engagement is one of the strengths of our borough and should always be respected.
“However, this petition has been brought forward by the leader of the Liberal Democrats, who’s campaigning to become mayor next year. That’s his right, but we should see what this really is … a political campaign.
“It’s not a genuine attempt to bring this council together.
“At a time when families are worried about the cost of living, and we’re fighting for public investment, improving public services and standing up for Bedford’s residents, is a vote of no confidence really the best use of the council’s time?
“While the motion has been prepared, this administration has been getting on with the job. It’s always easy to criticise. It isn’t always glamorous this job, but it’s what the residents elected us to do.
“What concerns me is not that the opposition disagrees with me, because that’s part of democracy.
“What concerns me is the growing habit of choosing confrontation over cooperation, headlines over hard work and political theatre over practical delivery. I believe our residents deserve better than that.
“They deserve an opposition that spends as much time talking about Bedford’s future as it does talking about political manoeuvres.
“It’s only next May when the residents of Bedford and Kempston will have the opportunity to decide who they have their confidence in, and that’s how democracy works.
“Until then, this administration will continue doing what we’ve been elected to do, taking responsibility, making difficult decisions and delivering for the people of Bedford borough.
“I urge you to reject this motion and allow us to get back to work that really matters.”
“Scrutiny is vital”
Labour Harpur cllr Zara Layne suggested it was the longest she has ever heard the mayor speak in the chamber, and thanked the “many hundreds of residents” who signed the petition.
“This isn’t about one side refusing to work with another or trying to undermine some grand vision for Bedford,” she said. “Let’s be clear, there’s no shame in party allegiances and politics.
“I’ve a huge respect for the commitment and the effort many of our colleagues bring to the table. We all need to have our perspectives challenged and need to work collaboratively for the betterment of the Borough and its residents.
“I want to disabuse anyone that this motion is about brinkmanship, game playing, sour grapes or political theatre. It’s absolutely not. It’s about responsibility.
“Scrutiny is vital, and this council has an excellent record of committee working. But that scrutiny can only work if it’s respected.
“When questions are planted, or met with promises of written answers which never arrive, when answers are given to questions that weren’t asked, and when legitimate concerns are brushed aside, or when cross-party correspondence is ignored or responded to with platitudes, trust begins to erode.
“I want my children to grow up believing public services mean something, that integrity matters, that leadership is about accepting responsibility, not avoiding it.
“There comes a point where we have to draw a line because it’s our duty. if we stop holding leadership to account, we lose something far more important than votes.
“We lose the public’s faith that this council is capable of holding itself to the same standards it expects of everyone else.”
The Green Party Greyfriars cllr Ben Foley warned, “The qualities required to be elected mayor aren’t the same as the qualities you need to be the mayor.”
Deputy mayor and Conservative Great Denham cllr James Weir described the petition as “politically motivated” by opponents of the mayor.
He added, “This is an effort to weaken an elected administration ahead of future electoral contests.”
By Euan Duncan
Local Democracy Reporter
