New Lib Dem Mayor of Bedford - Dave Hodgson

Today was the count for the biggest election since Norwich North and before Glasgow North East, the Mayoralty of Bedford.

Nothing on Iain Dale's blog nor Guido Fawkes which I was a wee bit surprised about, although Iain is a little busy in Bracknell, even missing PMQs this week, but even so......this was a major victory for the Liberal Democrats in an area where there is a Labour MP.

It really is time for the Liberal Democrats to replace the Labour Party.

I have known Dave for many years, in fact he was on of the three people in the "National" party that influenced me and made a major impact in my very early days in the party some twelve thirteen years ago - there was Dave Hodgson, Neil Fawcett and Gerald Vernon-Jackson.

So, Bedford has a Labour MP but yet the Mayoral race was between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives - in the final result, Labour came 5th - I bet Patrick Hall is a worried man tonight and rightly so.

So, this evening Bedford has a Liberal Democrat Mayor, Dave Hodgson, well done to Dave, Christine and the team - you have done the party proud.

The pundits that right our party off do so foolishly, we are capable of replacing the Labour Party in the House of Commons and we are confident and our targeting strategy is bigger than ever before. As Dave Hodgson has proved, right us off at your peril.