Kingsbrook Labour

04/11/2026

☕ East PCN Wellbeing Support Coffee Morning

Come along and enjoy a friendly coffee morning. An opportunity to meet others in the community.

🏛️ Labour Councillor Surgery with Cllr Ralley Rahman

If you have any local ward issues, concerns or need help and advice, come along to speak with your local Labour Councillor.

📍 Venue: Christ the King, Harrowden Road, Bedford, MK42 0SP
🕙 Time: 10am – 12 noon
📅 Date: Thursday 5th November 2026

Everyone is welcome! ☕

01/11/2026

It was an absolute pleasure to attend the 16th Festival of Lights celebration! ✨🪔

It was a wonderful occasion, filled with joy, positivity and a fantastic spirit of togetherness. The performances were truly impressive, showcasing incredible talent and bringing people together to celebrate this special event.

A big well done to Bedford Indian Community (BIC) for organising such a fantastic celebration. My sincere thanks for the kind invitation and to all the performers, volunteers and everyone involved whose dedication and hard work made the event such a memorable success.

Events like these reflect the very best of our society – celebrating diversity, embracing our differences and promoting unity, friendship and mutual respect.

It was lovely to see so many people coming together. Let us continue to strengthen these bonds and work towards a brighter, more inclusive future for everyone.

Thank you for such a memorable celebration! 🪔✨

29/10/2026

DEVOLUTION DEADLOCK: BEDFORD BOROUGH RESIDENTS DESERVE ANSWERS!
The Government set a deadline of 26 October 2026 for the decision by the four authorities of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK) regarding setting up a Strategic BLMK Authority ie devolution.

Regrettably, the deadline passed without agreement on devolution. This is deeply disappointing and raises serious questions about Bedford Borough's future.

Without consulting with other political parties and disregarding the opportunity for cross-party discussion, Mayor Tom Wootton unilaterally rejected the proposed BLMK arrangement and sent his own decision to the Minister.

The Mayor did this as an Executive decision, on behalf of Bedford Borough Council, yet his was a minority view. The Mayor was well aware that the majority of Bedford Borough councillors all support the BLMK footprint.

Cllr Abu Sultan, Leader of Bedford Borough Labour Group, said:
“Bedford Borough Labour Group and I strongly support the BLMK footprint because we believe it offers a realistic opportunity to secure greater investment, better transport, jobs and more local decision-making powers. This is the view of Luton and Milton Keynes councils too.

“The Government had publicly indicated that BLMK was the only realistic option within the current timetable. Yet the Mayor continued to pursue an alternative six-authority model which included Northamptonshire and sent that as his decision to the Minister.

“The recent Best Value Inspection highlighted serious concerns about governance, leadership and cross-party working. Decisions of this significance deserve openness, proper scrutiny and meaningful engagement.

“I respect that different views exist, but residents need to know this has happened. They deserve answers and an urgent explanation of what happens next.

Cllr Sultan added: “I am calling on the Mayor to publish a clear plan setting out his next steps, the assurances received from Government and any relevant ministerial correspondence that can lawfully be disclosed.

“Bedford Borough's future is too important for uncertainty. Our residents deserve transparency, accountability and clear answers.

“The Labour Group will keep pressing that the opportunity is not lost.”

28/10/2026

A reminder that East West Rail will be hosting two public events in November for people to find out about our revised plans for parking at Bedford station, including a multi-storey car park.

These sessions will allow people to view the updated designs and speak directly with the EWR team to learn more about the proposals and next steps for the project.

📆 3 November & 12 November
📍 Trinity Arts & Leisure Centre, Bromham Road, Bedford MK40 2BS
🕜 6-9pm

EWR are aware that I do not believe that the revised proposals will address the parking congestion on both sides of the station and without further measures will make traffic flow worse.

Everyone in Bedford and Kempston is invited to attend the meetings in November to discuss concerns and raise queries about all aspects of EWR but I have also asked for a further community meeting in Queen’s Park which EWR has agreed to organise in the new year alongside a walk-around.

Find out more information about public meetings see here: https://eastwestrail.co.uk/news

28/10/2026

06/10/2026

Some visits are more personal than others. Yesterday was one of them.

I was grateful to accept Suneeta Sahota’s kind invitation to visit Blue Sky Carers Support at the Bedford Carers Hub and spend time with unpaid carers and parent carers.

I have been an unpaid carer myself and have accessed carers’ support. So I know that behind the words “unpaid carer” are real people trying to look after someone they love, while often trying to keep their own lives going too.

Today I listened to carers speak about their experiences, the pressures they face and the difference that the right support can make. Those conversations are important because carers themselves are the people best placed to tell us what is working and where more needs to be done.

As a Councillor and member of the Adults Committee, I want to make sure those voices are heard when we look at adult social care and support across our community.

I was very grateful to Suneeta and the Blue Sky team for their welcome, and especially to the carers who spoke so openly with me.

My own experience of caring is something I will carry with me throughout my public service. It is a reminder that support for carers isn’t an abstract issue — it can make a real difference to someone’s everyday life.

If you are an unpaid carer or parent carer, or know someone who may need support, Blue Sky Carers Support can provide information about the help available:

https://blueskycarerssupport.uk/

Cllr Ralley Rahman
Councillor | Member of the Adults Committee

02/10/2026

🤝 Community Support & Partnership

Cllr Ralley Rahman, joined by Mohammad Yasin MP for Bedford and Kempston,held her councillor surgery at the NHS Wellbeing Support and Coffee Morning.
It was fantastic to see so many organisations coming together under one roof to support our local communities. Residents were able to raise concerns, seek advice and receive support, with some matters signposted to bpha and CAB.
By working together, listening and collaborating, we were able to answer many queries and resolve issues on the spot. ❤️
🎂 To make the morning even more special, we also celebrated two birthdays! 🥳🎉
A great example of what can be achieved when our community and organisations work together!

30/09/2026

Kingsbrook residents — I’d love to hear from you!

Do you have a local issue that needs raising, a concern you’d like support with, or an idea that could make our community better?

Come along to my Councillor Surgery for a friendly, informal chat. I’m here to listen, help where I can, and make sure residents’ voices are heard.

📅 Thursday 1st October
🕙 10:00am – 12:00pm
📍 Christ the Methodist Church, Harrowden Road, Bedford, MK42

No appointment needed — just drop in and say hello.

I look forward to meeting you and hearing what matters to you and your family.

Cllr Ralley Rahman
Labour Councillor for Kingsbrook Ward

03/09/2026

📍 Kingsbrook Councillor Surgery

It was great to spend the morning meeting with residents at today’s Councillor Surgery in Kingsbrook.

It was a very productive morning, with lots of residents coming along to discuss local concerns and issues. We picked up a good amount of casework, which we’ll now be following up and working to get resolved.

Being available to residents, listening to their concerns and making sure their voices are heard is an important part of being a local councillor.

Thank you to everyone who came along and took the time to speak with us. We’ll keep working hard for Kingsbrook and its residents. 🌹

02/09/2026

Kingsbrook residents — I’d love to hear from you!

Do you have a local issue that needs raising, a concern you’d like support with, or an idea that could make our community better?

Come along to my Councillor Surgery for a friendly, informal chat. I’m here to listen, help where I can, and make sure residents’ voices are heard.

📅 Thursday 3rd September
🕙 10:00am – 12:00pm
📍 Christ the Methodist Church, Harrowden Road, Bedford, MK42

No appointment needed — just drop in and say hello.

I look forward to meeting you and hearing what matters to you and your family.

Cllr Ralley Rahman
Labour Councillor for Kingsbrook Ward