Bedford Elections: Conservative candidate hopes to help build a Bedford the next generation wants to stay in

Friends’ jibes about Bedford are the drivers behind a council election campaign.

Dylan Simmons is standing alongside Robert Rigby as the Conservative candidates for Bromham Ward

“About a year ago, I was having a conversation with some very close friends, all in their early twenties,” Dylan said.

“And without fail they were telling me the exact same thing, ‘why would we stay in Bedford when we could live somewhere else?’, that just deflated me.

“I’ve lived in Bedford borough since I was nine-years-old, and I love the place.

“I’m standing so I can make a difference and because I believe that Bedford’s best days are ahead of us,” he explained.

“I want to build a Bedford which the next generation wants to stay in with jobs, opportunities, and amenities for all.

“The response to our message has been overwhelmingly positive across all four villages in the Bromham ward, ” Dylan said.

“People want a council that does the basics right, which means giving them a council that has a functioning planning department that fights for them, a council that deals with potholes where they live.

“And most of all, a council that is working hard for, and is honest with, them,” he said.

Residents can catch up with Dylan and Robert’s campaign on Facebook or they can email [email protected].

Dylan said he has been a parish councillor for approximately six years, serving as deputy chair of the finance and general purposes committee for most of that time.

“I have already been able to deliver for Broham residents by fighting for a lower rise in the village precept, which I managed to successfully pass through both the finance committee and the full parish council,” he said.

“If elected, I look forward to being able to work with the rest of my group, and indeed the rest of the council, to try and improve the standard of our services across the borough.”

A full list of the candidates standing in Bromham can be found here.