I'M A COUNCILLOR GET ME OUT OF HERE! - FIRST EVICTION

Cllr Dave Lewis, Leader of the Borough Council Labour Group was the first Councillor evicted from the "I'm a Councillor Get Me Out of Here" contest this afternoon. There are 5 Councillors left - 2 Conservative, 2 Liberal Democrat and 1 Independent and by Friday afternoon there will be only one - the new Youth Champion.

This morning I was interviewed on BBC Three Counties Radio about Local Democracy Week and "I'm A Councillor..." and the interview was repeated so there was some good publicity for me and John Bunyan Upper School, which is a rapidly improving school. The Bedford Times & Citizen also quoted my comments in an article last Thursday.

I have answered 83 questions online so far, including one today asking me "Obama or McCain?" My choice is Obama as I think it is time for a change in America and Obama is very intelligent, thoughtful and has more international appeal than McCain.

At 72, McCain has had 3 cancer scares and could die in office, leaving the gun toting 'hockey Mom' with her finger on the nuclear trigger - a scary prospect.
My vote would not be swayed by either gender or race as I assess politicians on their ability, and have read Obama's inspiring book "The Audacity of Hope".

This morning I went back to school and shadowed a bright 16 year old GCSE student at 4 lessions - PSHE, Mathematics, Science and ICT. After my early start this morning, and a weekend spent looking after small grandchildren, by 12 I was exhausted!

In the PSHE lesson, the students asked me lots of questions about Local Democracy.
I was very impressed by the lively and intelligent students I met. The dynamic new
new Head of School, Ursula Byrne, believes that in 2009 John Bunyan School will continue to improve its GCSE results which were the best ever this year.

Tomorrow I shall be going online at 10am to have a live chat with more students.

BBC 3 COUNTIES RADIO INTERVIEW

GOOD MORNING ALL!

I have just been interviewed by Stephen Rhodes on BBC 3 Counties Radio for 8 minutes - a long time by radio standards. The interview was about Local Democracy Week and I'm A Councillor Get Me Out of Here! and went out live at 6.20am - a bit early for most people - and was repeated later in the morning.

Stephen Rhodes has a reputation as a tough interviewer but he allowed me free rein because I knew my subject well. Steve asked me about the contest and local politics and I mentioned my John Bunyan Upper School visit three times in the interview.

Today I am going back to school on "Take Your Councillor to School" day and will be shadowing a student at 4 lessons at John Bunyan Upper School - Maths, ICT, Science and PSHE - Personal,Social and Health Education. Last week Toby Reid, Head of Humanties had a Citizenship Class in PSHE. Toby and his students asked me several questions online. I have had 80 questions from the nine Bedford Borough Schools involved in Im A Councillor Get Me Out of Here - more than any other candidate.

Today the first Councillor will be voted off. I aim to survive and become Bedford's 2008 Youth Champion. I am the only "twinhatted" candidate out of the 6 Councillors, ie I am both a County and Borough Councillor and the only one who is taking part in the school vists and the Political Speed Dating on Thursday.