Councillors' Remuneration

As Bedfordshire County Council heads into oblivion, the new Central Bedfordshire Unitary Authority prepares to take over. It will supplant Mid Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire District Councils.

It seems that the councillors on the new authority, who will be elected in June, will come out of this shake-up quite well. Basically, they're getting a pay hike.

But one of the current Mid Bedfordshire councillors, Ken Lynch, is taking a stand. He says he is planning to donate his extra remuneration to a charity. Councillor Lynch was elected as an Independent councillor, but he has joined the Green Party, and will contest his seat as a Green Party candidate.

Councillor Ken Lynch joins the Green Party

Today Mid Bedfordshire Councillor Ken Lynch has announced he has joined the Green Party. Ken represents Pinnacle Ward in Sandy. On the council he has been a member of the Independent group.

Today's news means that Ken Lynch joins his Green Party colleague Gareth Ellis on Mid Bedfordshire District Council.

Ken says: "Two Green councillors in Mid Beds means a better voice for Sandy now. Sandy can't ignore global problems. Hard times require strong action".

I spent today in Sandy, with Green Party activists from Bedfordshire, Norwich and Cambridge. We delivered thousands of leaflets to Ken's electors in Sandy. Rupert Read, the lead Green Party candidate in next year's European elections, and local European candidate Marc Schiemann helped get Ken's message to Sandy people.