The Speaker
The Speaker of the Council is a sitting Councillor elected to the office for a period of one year by Members of the Council at their Annual Meeting. This is usually held in mid May each year.
The Speaker chairs meetings of Full Council and also represents the Council on formal occasions and at external functions with the Mayor and/or Deputy Mayor and otherwise as the Mayor determines. As one of the principal members of the Council’s Civic Team, the Speaker attends a large number of events during the year including church services and religious festivals, graduation ceremonies, fetes, sporting events and concerts and major civic events.
The Speaker for the period to 14 May 2008 is Councillor Randolph Charles
The Council also appoints a Deputy Speaker who, this year, is Councillor Anita Gerard
The Civic Team are always pleased to receive invitations to functions around the Borough and will try very hard to ensure that they are represented. They are also pleased to host visits to the Mayor’s Parlour at the Town Hall in Bedford, where visitors can learn much about Bedford’s history and its civic regalia.