Mayor Dave Hodgson has described the recent news of the government's closure of the Employment Tribunal Court in Bedford as part of a 'a fully-fledged assault by the government on local services in Bedford Borough.'

Mayor Dave said: "First the Government announces the closure of our Magistrates' Court, now it's cutting access to justice locally even further with the closure of the Employment Tribunal Court. The fact that people are already being forced to travel to Suffolk or inside the M25 for their tribunal hearings is a disgrace. This will cause huge disruption and costs for individuals and organisations."

The Government has announced the cancellation of the project to electrify the full length of the Midland Mainline, despite huge disruption having been suffered by local communities in Bedford Borough already, with more to come.

Local communities on and in the vicinity of the Midland Mainline north of Bedford have had to put up with extraordinary noise and traffic disruption for a project to electrify the line through to Sheffield, meaning only cleaner, quieter, fully electric trains would run on the line. Now it has said there will be no further electrification north of Kettering.

With gas main replacement works by Cadent Gas causing the closure of Bedford High Street to traffic through the week until Friday 21st July, Mayor Dave Hodgson has issued a statement reminding people that the High Street is open to pedestrians and very much open for business.

The gas main replacement works by Cadent involve the full closure of the High Street from Monday 17^th July through to Friday 21^st. Single lane closures will follow during further works between July 31^st and August 18^th. With the High Street open to pedestrians throughout the closures, Mayor Dave Hodgson is issuing a rallying cry for people to visit and use its wide range of high quality traders.

Mayor Dave Hodgson's 2017 summer village tour across Bedford Borough is underway, following the first group of visits to rural communities last night.

Mayor Dave has held a village tour every summer since he was elected in October 2009, and this year's tour will see him holding walk-up street surgeries in 58 different villages across the Borough.

Mayor Dave Hodgson has called on the NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) programme for Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes to scrap its idea of downgrading local hospitals, after its own report revealed overwhelming public, patient and NHS staff opposition.

In March, the STP published a 'discussion document' which featured 'ideas' including reducing A&E services in at least one of the three hospitals, ceasing consultant-led maternity care in at least one hospital and removing higher-risk births, and reducing paediatric care at two of the hospitals, with care for the most unwell children concentrated at one of the three sites.

Mayor Dave Hodgson's Cabinet has a new member, with Goldington Ward Councillor Anthony Forth appointed as the new Portfolio Holder for Adult Services at Bedford Borough Council with immediate effect.

Cllr Forth replaces fellow Labour Cllr Mohammad Yasin, who stood down as Adult Services Portfolio Holder on the Executive following his election as MP for Bedford and Kempston at this month's General Election.

Mayor Dave Hodgson has contrasted the £1 billion in extra spending for Northern Ireland the Conservatives have announced to buy the support of the DUP with the ongoing cuts and closures the government is imposing on Bedford Borough and elsewhere.

Commenting, Mayor Dave Hodgson said: "What an utter disgrace. While the government threatens a Bedford Hospital downgrade, underfunds our struggling police force and slashes funding for care for the vulnerable, it can bung £1 billion to Northern Ireland to buy votes under its grubby political deal.'

Mayor Dave Hodgson has thanked Cllr Mohammad Yasin MP for his work as Cabinet Member for Adult Services, after he stood down from the role following his election as MP for Bedford and Kempston in the recent General Election.

Commenting, Mayor Dave said: "I want to thank Cllr Yasin for all of his hard work as Portfolio Holder for Adult Services. I have congratulated him on his election success, and look forward to continuing to work with him, in his capacity as the MP for Bedford and Kempston.'