At this week's final Full Council meeting before the Council elections on May 2nd, Mayor Dave Hodgson paid tribute to all Councillors who are standing down at this election, thanking them for their service on behalf of their communities.
The tone of the meeting was in stark contrast to the blame and the rancour taking place in Westminster, as Mayor Dave commented on Facebook on the day after the meeting:
Direct from their duties at Buckingham Palace, the Band of Her Majesty's Coldstream Guards returns to The Corn Exchange on St. George's Day, 23rd April.
The very finest of English regiments performs an unashamedly emotive programme of musical excellence taking you on a journey from Westminster to Warmington-on-Sea and from Pageantry to the Proms. This varied and interesting show will have you tapping your feet and wiping a patriotic tear from your eye.
Mayor Dave Hodgson has thanked everyone planning to volunteer and support any of the large number of Great British Spring Clean events taking place across Bedford Borough. They kick off this weekend, with community clean ups on Saturday 23rd March in Stevington, Stagsden and central Bedford, and on Sunday 24th March in Wilstead and Wootton.
I'm on the train returning home from Brussels after a day speaking to European liberal leaders, ahead of the European Council, and then briefing the gathered media on the Liberal Democrat campaign for a People's Vote, to stop Brexit.
Given that the United Kingdom has caused such huge difficulties and tumult in the European Union, the warm reception given to us by our sister parties - patient, rather sad - is always impressive. I emphasised to the danger the Prime Minister is placing both the UK and Europe in, by arguing for a short extension which simply postpones the cliff edge we have been facing. What is needed now is a long extension to Article 50, to permit a real rethink and a final public say on the deal.
Vince Cable, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, talks about his meetings with the Prime Minister and meetings in Brussels - and why the Lib Dems will campaign to revoke article 50 if we get to close to crashing out of the EU without a deal
By Vince Cable
I'm on the train returning home from Brussels after a day speaking to European liberal leaders, ahead of the European Council, and then briefing the gathered media on the Liberal Democrat campaign for a People's Vote, to stop Brexit.
Given that the United Kingdom has caused such huge difficulties and tumult in the European Union, the warm reception given to us by our sister parties - patient, rather sad - is always impressive. I emphasised to the danger the Prime Minister is placing both the UK and Europe in, by arguing for a short extension which simply postpones the cliff edge we have been facing. What is needed now is a long extension to Article 50, to permit a real rethink and a final public say on the deal.
It is very important on these occasions that we get the chance to remind liberals in Europe that the Brexit story is far from over domestically: government ministers will always say they are 'delivering the will of the people'. In truth, the 'no deal' exit Theresa May is threatening us with would be a total distortion of that result, abandoning many Leave voters as well as the 16.1 million who voted Remain. Now, around 60% say they would vote for Remain rather than the deal or 'no deal', so the will of the people is changing.
Perhaps the biggest surprise for my European counterparts was when I articulated our own position - agreed at conference just last weekend. If there is no extension, and we are approaching the 'No Deal' cliff edge, Liberal Democrats are clear: we should revoke Article 50 rather than crash out.There was a ripple of applause in the room when I said as much. Revocation would be a major step, causing huge unrest, but it is preferable to leaving without a deal.
The biggest non-event of the week was my meeting yesterday (Wednesday) with the Prime Minister. No 10 called my office mid-morning, asking to meet in the evening. There was a frisson of excitement around the place: might she have something really significant to say? In the event, the only thing that really happened was that Jeremy Corbyn stalked out before anyone had sat down: a childish display of pique when he discovered Chuka Umunna would also be in the room.
Once the discussion got going, it became embarrassingly clear that the PM just wanted to repeat to us all the things she has already said a hundred times in public. She doesn't seem to appreciate that finding a way through will involve some change in position on her part, and she is needlessly dismissive of the proposition that attaching a referendum to the deal might be the best (and the only) way to get it through Parliament.
These circumstances create a dizzying rollercoaster. Some days it's clear the PM is on the backfoot, and the People's Vote is in the ascendant. Other days she seems to regain initiative. It's our responsibility to make sure this weekend puts fresh wind in the sails of the People's Vote campaign - one I am determined we should win. I will be leading our troops on the march on Saturday and speaking to the crowd at the end. I hope to see you there too.
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In the news this week, it was announced that an increasing number of schools across Birmingham have stopped their LGBT+ relationship education directly as a result of protesting parents.
This should be a national scandal.
A select few parents have protested against teaching children that same-sex relationships exist and are ok.
Petition to cancel BREXIT passes 1m 3m signatures on Parliament site
THURSDAY 21ST MARCH 2019
A petition calling for Theresa May to cancel Brexit by revoking Article 50 has passed a million signatures and was approaching 1.1m at 4pm on Thursday. By 3pm Friday 22nd the figure had passed 3.3m. Most of the Suffolk constituencies had recorded around 5k signatures; someway to go to beat Bristol West with over 21k signatures and running.
Mayor Dave Hodgson has launched the 2019 Bedford Borough Liberal Democrat Manifesto with a pledge to Stand up for Bedford Borough and maintain their proven record of action.
The manifesto is headed 'Standing Up for Bedford Borough' and has four key themes:
Mayor Dave Hodgson has thanked all those who attended the first Mayoral election hustings, which took place on Monday. Commentingafter the event hosted by the Mature Citizens Action Group, Mayor Dave said:
"Thanks to everyone who attended the election hustings event this morning at the Salvation Army's Congress Hall, hosted by the Mature Citizens Action Group.'
