Liberal Democrats have slammed the growing inequality in our schools following the release of an Education Policy Institute (EPI) report. The report shows that it would take over 500 years to close the gap between disadvantaged secondary school pupils and their peers at its current rate.
Mayor Dave Hodgson welcomed the Maldives Ambassador to the UK to the Mayor's Parlour in The Old Town Hall in Bedford this week, where they discussed the welcome given to the Maldives 2012 Olympic Team while it used Bedford as a base, along with a range of other topics.
Responding to the Home Affairs select committee report into the youth violence epidemic, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Ed Davey MP said "Youth violence is an epidemic, and the Home Affairs Committee is absolutely right to say that the Conservative Government's response is woefully inadequate. As this report makes clear, the Government's 'Serious Violence Strategy' is neither serious nor a strategy. Tory Ministers pay lip service to a public health approach, but don't seem to even know what it means.
In his July column for the Bedford Indpendent, published earlier this month, Mayor Dave Hodgson wrote about the disruption caused by Network Rail's closure of Bromham Road Bridge. Mayor Dave writes that the works, which will be followed by a rail service downgrade due to the Government's decision that intercity trains should not stop in Bedford, contrast with the Council's congestion-busting scheme for Britannia Road, which is causing disruption but will at least be followed by clear improvements for local road users.
Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse has urged the new Justice Secretary to adopt a better approach to criminal justice, as new official figures show assaults and self-harm in prison rising to record highs.
There is lots on for the whole family at The Higgins Bedford during the summer holidays, with activities and workshops for both children aged 5 and above and teenagers aged 12 to 16 years old.
