Bedford Elections: Conservative councillor hoping for reelection is "still passionate" about helping families

A Conservative councillor seeking reelection in the new Clapham & Oakley Ward said she is still passionate about working to help the borough’s children.

Jane Walker, who is standing alongside Phillipa Simms in the now a two councillor ward, was first elected in 2005 as a county councillor.

She became a borough councillor in 2009 after the county council was abolished that same year.

“I just wanted to do something for families in my area,” Jane said, explaining why she first ran for council.

“I don’t come from Bedford, but I’d lived here for quite a while and I saw that there needed to be a focus on families around that time.

“It was at the time of the three-tier to two-tier conversion, there were lots of arguments about the schools and I wanted to be involved in the decision making,” she said.

“I’m still very passionate about the schools, and I’ve been involved in children’s services committees since 2005.

“That’s still an area I love on the council,” she said.

Jane has always represented Clapham, “When I was on the county council I covered five villages including Clapham and Oakley,” she said.

“When the borough council came, the ward shrunk to just Clapham.

“I stayed with Clapham because I loved working in Clapham, my first house was in Clapham when I moved to Bedford, so I had Clapham in my heart – I just didn’t want to give that up.

“Now it’s going back to nearly how it was with the county council, so that will be interesting,” she said.

Jane has also been on the Oakley Parish Council since 1995, including being chair for 11 years.

“So I’ve still kept very much involved in Oakley, and that was the compromise, I could keep in the borough council with Clapham and also help Oakley too.

But why is she standing again?

“I think I make a difference in Clapham, and I love the ward work, so that’s why I want to try to carry on,” she said.

Jane said she is “quite excited” that the ward will be represented by two councillors.

“I have worked on my own in the ward, but now if I’m elected when somebody comes to me with an issue that is not in my area of expertise, I’ll have someone else to talk to,” she said

“I hope that is Phillipa as we’ve worked together at parish council level for a long time, and we know how to get the best from each other when working for the residents,” she said.

Residents can follow Jane and Phillipa’s campaign on Facebook (facebook.com/janeandphillipa) or they can contact Jane via email, [email protected], or call 07952 879587.

“As a councillor I don’t care what people’s politics are in the village, I’ll help anyone – it doesn’t matter to me whether you voted for me or not,” Jane said.

“If I’m your councillor, I am here to help and on the Borough Council I work very closely with councillors from any party as long as we’re going to get the job done.

“Because I think local councillors should be about their local area rather than party politics,” she said.