Bedford Borough Labour Group has set up a petition to give local people a say on how their Council is run.
We believe the time has come for a referendum on the system of Governance and whether people still consider that a directly elected mayor is of benefit to the residents of the Borough.
Read: Labour councillors declare no confidence in Bedford mayor as opposition pressure grows
The Petition reads:
‘We, the undersigned residents of Bedford Borough, express a loss of confidence in the leadership of mayor Tom Wootton and call on elected councillors to recognise this position and to explore, at the earliest lawful opportunity, the option of holding a referendum to review and potentially change the current executive mayor system, in the interests of accountability and local democracy.’
It can be found online here: Petition · I have no confidence in Mayor Tom Wootton. – Bedford, United Kingdom · Change.org
When Bedford Borough residents voted for a Mayoral system in 2002, it was in response to a campaign that said it would improve leadership and allow politicians to deliver on their promises.
With responsible leadership and a collaborative approach from the mayor and cabinet, this could be the case.
However, in recent years, Bedford Borough has been badly let down by this mayoral model.
Tom Wootton was elected by a tiny majority when the Conservative Government changed the rules to first-past-the-post rather than the previous, fairer 2nd-preference system of voting.
He then chose an almost entirely Tory Cabinet, allowing a minority administration to make most major decisions without consultation.
Should the system be replaced?
The Council is now in receipt of Exceptional Financial Support from the Government and is the only Local Authority in the country to be the subject of a Best Value Inspection.
It is now time to ask the people of Bedford Borough what they think about the system, and whether it should be replaced.
A possible replacement would be the committee system, which more accurately reflects the votes cast in the council elections. Our petition calls on all options of Governance to be considered and put to a vote.
The present Conservative administration, led by mayor Tom Wootton, may, of course, oppose the idea of giving residents this say in how their Council is run.
Read: Mayor hits back after Lib Dems warn proposed council constitutional changes could limit public voice
However, the cost of such a referendum – estimated to be £350k – is dwarfed by the annual sum paid by Council Tax payers to maintain the dilapidated Debenhams building, purchased in 2023 by a Mayoral decision during his ‘kid in a sweetshop’ phase of leadership.
All residents have a right to express their concerns and opinions: they do so by electing councillors who will put them forward for debate and are accountable to them.
We do not need a directly elected mayor who can make decisions without consultation, which has wasted residents’ money and destabilised the finances of the Borough Council.
This is a monthly guest column provided by
Cllr Abu Sultan, leader of Bedford Borough Labour Group.
It is published unedited and does not reflect the
views of the Bedford Independent.
