As was widely-reported earlier this month, Bedford Borough Conservatives sadly broke their pledge to cast aside party politics and deliver a joint budget for the benefit of local residents, and instead didn't even vote on the most important decision the Council takes. This was extremely disappointing as, as I've said many times before, the extraordinarily tough times we are in require everyone to work together to get the best for our borough. My monthly column in last week's Times and Citizen newspaper was on the subject of the difficult financial climate and the need to stand up to the challenges we face, and if you haven't seen it yet, the article follows below: