You may recall that a few weeks ago I was invited to the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead to witness their decision to become the first transparent council in Britain by publishing details of all theri spending ove £500. I'm pleased to report that the bug appears to be catching on elsewhere, too. Cllr Andrew McConnell has today launched acampaign for Bedford Borough Council to follow suit.
This is great news. As we'd hoped, once one council demonstrated that it is possible to be open about spending without the sky falling in on their heads, others are now realising the potential of the idea.
Cllr McConell, a TPA supporter, is to be congratulated for leading the way in giving Bedford's taxpayers the right to see how their money is spent and thus to be able to hold the council to account. It is refreshing to see a councillor who puts taxpayers first.