May 14, 2007
Labour defeats lead to U-turns
This years council elections saw Labour lose 5 seats to the Tories and 2 to the Lib Dems, reducing their majority to just 4 on the council. Equally importantly, Labour are set to lose their majority entirely in 2008, assuming they continue to lose seats to the opposition.
The fallout from Labour’s debacle is already being felt. Labour Leader David Sutton has signalled a major rethink on the one-way IDR scheme that cost them thousands of votes this year across Reading.
He has also had to think again about the fortnightly refuse collection, and especially about how it has worked out for the many residents around the town centre who live in houses of multiple occupancy, and whose streets are now blighted by the sight and smell of overflowing bins.
The Lib Dems want to see the one-way IDR scheme consigned to the dustbin, it will do nothing to reduce traffic in our town centre, it will do precious little to improve public transport and it will cause widespread havoc during its construction phase and also when, inevitably, it gets blocked. It is a large waste of public money.
Reading Lib Dems support efforts to increase recycling in our town but the council’s ‘one size fits all’ policy has created chaos in many areas around the town centre and still the council have no policy to collect glass or kitchen waste from the doorstep, issues that Lib Dems have been campaigning on for some time.
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Cllr Gareth Epps agrees and comments: “Our position is clear -
The IDR is not wanted.
Bin collections cannot be worked as ‘one size fits all’ in densely-populated areas.
We must seriously press for workable glass and food waste recycling at the doorstep.”
Gareth added “This is the right time and place to start discussions – for the benefit of the people of Reading.”
Reading Lib Dems welcome Labour’s rethink of its two most unpopular policy planks and we salute the signs of approaching u-turns. This may be one fantastic example where lots of individual voters have protested against an arrogant, non-listening council and given the ruling party a well-deserved kick up the backside. Well done to you all!
