The Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of Bedford, Dave Hodgson, is campaigning hard for Bedford Borough and has set up a campaign website at www.daveformayor.org.uk with all the latest news from his campaign. You can also follow Dave's campaign on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DaveforMayor/
Rochdale MP Paul Rowen has welcomed the banning of the use of premium rate phone numbers for people contacting the NHS in England.
I'd like to support Linda Waltho, MP for Stourbridge, in her call to Dudley Council to make sure that every eligible voter is on the electoral roll. Everybody who is in doubt as to whether they are on the roll should contact Dudley Council's elections office. Some people do not realise that, as well as British citizens, Irish and Commonwealth citizens should be also included on the roll. So should citizens of other European Union states - although they are entitled to vote only in local and European elections. And remember that students and others who are temporarily away from home are also entitled to be incuded.
I am not often in full agreement with Les Jones of Dudley Council, but surely he is absolutely right to say that people's votes should still be counted on election night. Politics may often appear both boring and confusing. The excitement of election night, whether in town halls across the country or in people's living rooms in front of the television, is an important part of our democracy - and an important part of how new voters learn how the system works. So, stick to your guns, Les - and try to persuade your reluctant colleagues in other boroughs to change their minds on this important issue. And let's campaign in Whitehall and Brussels for an end to the farce of British votes for European elections being counted days after the election.
Chris Bramall, the Liberal Democrats' prospective candidate for Stourbridge says:
Today saw the 16th Annual Shaheedi Sports Tournament that was held at the Kempston AFC ground.
