Columns

The Bedford Independent carries regular columns submitted by various political leaders and organisations that work within Bedford Borough.

For 2026, columns will be each month as follows:

Week one*

  • Monday: Bedford Borough Mayor’s office (Conservative)**
  • Tuesday: Bedford Borough Council opposition (shared between Labour and Liberal Democrats)**
  • Wednesday: Bedford Borough Council opposition (shared between Greens and Independents)**
  • Thursday: Bedford Borough charitable organisations arranged by Pritti Sagi, Creating Memories
  • Friday: Bedfordshire PCC (Labour)

Week two

  • Monday: Bedford & Kempston MP (Labour)
  • Tuesday: North Bedfordshire MP (Conservative) – offered but no response
  • Wednesday: Bedford Borough communities arranged by Queen’s Park Community Organisation
  • Thursday: Mid Bedfordshire MP (Conservative)
  • Friday: Beds GOVET (Environmental).

 

These columns are published unedited and do not reflect the views of Progress Publishing, its staff or its publications.

If you have an idea for a regular column, please email news@BedfordIndependent.co.uk.

*From the first full week of the month
**So that the number of columns reflects the size of each party on Bedford Borough Council, the number of columns per party is as follows: Conservative (current council leadership) x 12, Liberal Democrats x 6, Labour x 6, Green Party x 4, Independents x 1 (each).

Monthly column: Town Deal success for Bedford

As you may have seen the Government has announced Bedford Borough was successful in securing £22.6million in our Town Deal Bid. This money will help regenerate the Station Quarter and Midland Road...

Monthly column: Council to hold public meetings on EWR consultation response

As you may know, the East West Rail Company is currently consulting on the route alignments for the Oxford to Cambridge route. This consultation covers a number of different areas including...

COVID-19 pandemic reveals stark workplace inequalities

A report from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has revealed that workers in so-called ‘insecure’ jobs – i.e. agency workers or those on zero-hours contracts – are twice as likely to have died from COVID-19...

Monthly column: East West Rail Company launches next phase of their consultation

Last week the East West Rail Company launched the next phase of their consultation on the route from Oxford to Cambridge and we have received the details of EWR's proposals...

Getting the show on the road: Is your vehicle post-lockdown ready?

As we gradually move to more unlocking of restrictions, we will be seeing an increase in vehicle movement, whether that be for the school run, commuting and in the ever-important logistics sector. The logistics...

Monthly column: Why I’m voting against the Police and Crime bill

The tragic death of Sarah Everard and the Met Police's handling of a vigil for her has instigated a national demand for action to tackle violence against women and girls and sparked a renewed focus on...

Dispelling the myths around criminal defence solicitors

Mike Hayward and Nathan Taylor-Allkins, Criminal and Regulatory compliance solicitors from Woodfines, provide an insight into common myths surrounding working in a life of crime. The popularity of...

Monthly column: The virus exposed an unequal economy – we will not go back

Keir Starmer gave his most important speech yet laying out Labour’s vision for the future. “The Conservatives say they want to build back. But I don’t want to go back. You can’t return to business as usual. And certainly not back to...

Dealing with digital assets in an increasingly virtual world

For many years, we have lived an increasing proportion of our lives online. Never has this been truer than over the past year, with face-to-face socialising...

Mayor’s monthly column: Vaccination video and roll-out update

Today we have seen a new national vaccination centre open at Bedford Heights. This new centre joins Kings House and the Gurdwara...

Get the latest Bedford news first

Subscribe to our free daily email for our lead story each morning before we publish it anywhere else, plus the key Bedford Borough headlines from the last 24 hours – without having to log into social media.