Dear editor,
I noticed on the Facebook page of Mayor Tom Wootton (Conservative) that he recently attended a meeting of the Bedford Borough Water Management Partnership, which he described as a “wonderful gathering.”
Read: Tom4Change Facebook post
The meeting discussed water pollution and flooding, issues of real concern as we enter the flooding season.
Council officers were present, along with outside organisations such as Anglian Water and the Environment Agency. Even Richard Fuller MP (North Bedfordshire/Conservative) attended, taking photos and, we’re told, offering valuable input.
All of this sounds encouraging. Yet something was missing: the public.
Most non-confidential Council meetings begin with “questions from the public.” Residents can raise concerns, listen to the debate, or watch virtually via a livestream. That democratic presence was absent here.
Equally troubling is that elected members of the Council weren’t invited either. Many of us represent wards directly affected by rivers or watercourses, and our constituents expect us to speak up on their behalf.
I wasn’t able to do so for Kempston West, nor could any of my colleagues for their wards.
Will we at least see minutes of this meeting, assuming any were taken? If it was a private gathering, then why advertise it on social media?
Democracy matters. It is not always comfortable, and sometimes residents ask difficult questions, but listening and responding is what politics is for. Without openness, accountability, and participation, this becomes less a Council and more a club.
Flooding and water pollution are everyone’s business, not just that of the Mayor and his friends.
Cllr James Valentine
Kempston West Ward Councillor, Bedford Borough
Committees: Children’s Services OSC (Chair): Pensions: Rural Affairs
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