Thank You!

I want to give a huge thank you for the support I received in the mayoral election on Thursday. For those reading this who are not yet aware of the result, I was re-elected as Mayor and am already getting to work on putting together a Cabinet which will work together for the good of the whole Borough. It is humbling to receive the support of so many people across the Borough, and it will be an honour and a privilege to continue to serve as Mayor. I take the result not as a message that there is any sense of a 'job done,' but rather that the hard work of protecting key services and delivering jobs, investment and vital developments for our future such as the completion of the western bypass must continue. The final result of the election was as follows:

First Round:

Dave Hodgson - 19,966

John Guthrie - 17,501

Michelle Harris - 11,197

Tony Hare - 3,133

Greg Pasynski - 1,211

Second Round (second preferences of all but top two transferred):

Dave Hodgson - 24,291

John Guthrie - 19,325

As I say, it is a huge honour to serve as Mayor, and it is a responsiblity I do not take lightly. In these difficult financial times for local authorities, I will work with all who have the Borough's interests at heart to do the best for our communities. I will continue to talk to local residents in our communities across the Borough, to ensure we are making the right decisions for our future.

Here's to a successful future for Bedford Borough, as we move forward together to achieve our shared ambition of making Bedford an even better place to live and work for everyone.