Reading Liberal Democrats

The Lib Dems welcome the news that Labour-run Reading Borough Council has finally agreed to back our plan for a cleaner, fairer Reading by introducing free bulky waste collections for more Reading residents, including those on low incomes.

Cllr Gareth Epps, Lib Dem Group Leader and Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Reading East commented:

“The Lib Dems in Reading have long campaigned for the introduction of free bulky waste collections for people on low incomes. In a recession with many people in Reading struggling to pay bills this plan which we first put forward is more needed now than ever”

Cllr Glenn Goodall, Lib Dem environment spokesperson added:

“We are delighted that Labour has finally seen sense and belatedly backed our scheme after they and the Conservatives rejected it last year. Only the Lib Dems have the vision to make this town a cleaner and greener place. Fly tipping is a major problem for Reading and this will help reduce it across the borough.”

Editor’s Notes:
For more background information about the Lib Dem campaign can be found at this URL victory for cleaner greener and fairer Reading

Liberal Democrat Councillors are tonight (30 March) to reveal that legal advice obtained by Reading Borough Council made it clear that all Conservative Councillors made themselves liable to disciplinary action by their failure to propose or support any budget options during the protracted budget negotiations in early March.

The Conservatives’ refusal to co-operate in the new Budget Review Group – set up to make the budget savings they say they want to see – has also been slammed by the Lib Dems.

The Council is due to agree this evening to a package of budget savings of £356,000 identified in the Liberal Democrat budget, but which Labour Councillors refused to agree to at the time – putting at risk the Council’s ability to legally set a budget.

Liberal Democrats have warned that Council red tape made the budget-setting process more difficult in 2009 and threatens to make setting a Budget in Reading a ‘war of attrition’ in 2010.

The formal legal advice was given to the Council on the day the budget was set, but not passed to Councillors for several weeks afterwards. It makes clear that all Councillors are responsible for setting a budget, and that any Councillor voting against every Budget proposal would be ‘at very serious personal risk, disciplinary, financial and reputational’. It goes on to detail the potential sanctions facing Councillors who prevent the Council setting a budget.

Commenting, Cllr Gareth Epps, Leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Reading Borough Council, said:

“This document shows that the Conservatives, by deliberately seeking to stop a budget being set, have broken every rule in the book. It proves what we said at the time about how irresponsible their actions were.

Failing to set a budget is a serious matter. We engaged in the budget process fully, negotiating a budget against Labour resistance which delivered a lower Council Tax increase and service improvements by cutting Council waste.

I would recommend the Conservatives take this advice very seriously indeed if they wish to remain councillors; it is clear that they are making themselves liable to disqualification by their shabby actions.”

Announced by the Government in November last year, the Mortgage Rescue Scheme was designed to help those most deeply affected by the ongoing recession. However, limits imposed by the Government’s own ministers mean that only 6,000 homes across the UK are protected by the plans, meaning that many in Reading will be left without support.

863 repossession claims, 66% higher than the South East average, were issued in Reading in 2008, whilst many more are expected in 2009 as the recession takes hold. Under current Government limits, the scheme will mean that only 35 (4%) of these local claims would be covered or offered any support.

Under the flagship scheme, only 1 in 25 households facing repossession will be able to receive any help or assistance, but despite this Reading Borough Council’s Labour councillors have decided to give this scheme number 1 priority in its ‘Credit Crunch Action Plan’.

Local Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Reading East, Gareth Epps said:
“Although the Mortgage Rescue Scheme was launched with a great fanfare by the Government in the autumn, this scheme is totally inadequate and simply cannot deal with the reality that many local residents are facing.

This council cannot continue to blindly adopt whatever the latest and disastrous Government policy is that comes along. The people of Reading deserve much better than slapdash Labour policy schemes.

The threat of repossession is a truly terrifying prospect and it is facing far too many people in Reading. I’m regularly meeting residents who are being threatened with the loss of their home – and they know that the Government scheme as it stands is useless. The Mortgage Rescue Scheme must be effectively expanded urgently or else thousands of local residents could face being thrown onto the streets.”

Editor’s Notes:

In 2008, 142,000 repossession claims were issued by the courts. Whilst most of these claims did not lead to homes being repossessed, this figure indicates the number of households that are in serious mortgage arrears and therefore would benefit from this scheme. However, the scheme is being restricted to only 6,000 households by the Government. In effect, only 4% of those who are vulnerable to repossession will be assisted by this scheme.

Commenting on the news that the University of Reading Council voted on Friday 20 March to close the School of Health and Social Care, Cllr Gareth Epps, Lib Dem Parliamentary Campaigner for Reading East and Group Leader on Reading Borough Council said: “The decision by the University of Reading’s Council to vote to close the School of Health and Social Care in the face of overwhelming local opposition from students, staff and the local community is breathtaking in its arrogance.

Cllr Epps continued “The plight of social care in Reading is already a cause for real concern. Recent inspections of Reading’s Childrens Services and its Adult Community Care Service revealing underlying problems in Reading that need urgent attention – including a chronic shortage of trained social workers.

The closure of this highly regarded School reflects badly on the senior management of University of Reading. They have delivered a calculated snub to staff, students and the local community.”

Cllr Kirsten Bayes, Lib Dem Spokesperson for Education and Childrens’ Services added:

“In the week that Gordon Marshall was revealed to have received an 8% salary increase the closure of the School of Health and Social Care is a false economy. Reading and the Berkshire area as a whole will be poorer as a result as we lose a vital source of highly trained social workers.

Senior management of the University should hang their heads in shame for once again taking a bad decision for the wrong reasons.”

Reading Borough Council’s Chief Executive wrote on behalf of the Council to the Vice Chancellor of Reading University, to express the Council’s concern. The letter followed a Lib Dem motion condemning the closure. The University’s response ran to two lines.

Cllr Daisy Benson, Lib Dem Spokesperson on Health and Community Care said,

“It’s clear the senior management of the University believe they can simply dismiss the concerns of local people. Their response speaks volumes about the University’s attitude towards issues beyond the boundaries of the University campus.”

Editor’s Notes:

Liberal Democrats in Reading have slammed the Conservative MP for Reading East after a Private Members’ Bill to tackle fuel poverty, officially supported by his party, fell because too few Conservative MPs turned up to vote the bill through.

The Fuel Poverty Bill, introduced by Liberal Democrat MPDavid Heath, proposed steps to make homes more energy-efficient. The Bill would have forced energy companies to offer their lowest tariffs to the most vulnerable households, but was rejected in its second reading in the House of Commons this afternoon. It received 89 votes for and two votes against – but needed 100 votes to proceed. The MP for Reading East failed to turn up alongside nine out of ten of his Conservative colleagues – in spite of his party “officially” backing the Bill. The Labour Government officially opposed the Bill.

The failure of the Bill is set against Reading Borough Council committing much-needed resources to pursuing problem landlords after a cross-party Scrutiny investigation instigated and led by Liberal Democrat Councillor Daisy Benson. Figures released by the campaign group Consumer Focus show that over 6,000 households in the Reading East constituency suffer from fuel poverty. Liberal Democrats believe that the number of residents affected in Reading East is much larger due to the number of multi-occupancy homes in the town.

Cllr Gareth Epps, Liberal Democrat prospective Parliamentary candidate for Reading East, said:
“I am going to make sure the thousands of Reading East residents living in sub-standard rented accommodation punish Rob Wilson for failing to turn up. The inaction of Rob Wilson and his Tory colleagues has cost vulnerable constituents the chance of cheaper energy bills.

People in Reading East should not have to face a choice between heating and eating. The Labour Government has done far too little in twelve years to tackle this.

Reading East needs a Member of Parliament who will fight for local people – and turn up and vote on the issues that matter. Yet again, Rob Wilson has shown he is not prepared to do the work that local people deserve of their MP.’

Redlands Cllr Daisy Benson, who as Chair of Housing Scrutiny has led a campaign for better standards in private rented housing and won extra resources to tackle problem landlords, commented:-

“Local people have worked hard to support our exercise to put rented housing into the spotlight. Far too much of Reading’s rented housing is not energy efficient – risking ill-health, wasting money and adding to carbon emissions. It is appalling that the local Conservative Member of Parliament thinks this issue is not important enough for him to turn up to do what he is paid to do and vote.”

Editor’s Notes:

A full breakdown of fuel poverty figures by (old) constituency can be found at: the Consumer Focus website.

According to their figures some 6,388 households in Reading East (16% of all households) are in fuel poverty; the figures are likely to underestimate the true figures in Reading East, where housing costs are higher than the UK average.

Liberal Democrats have condemned the announcement of the closure of Reading University’s Continuing Education public programmes as the result of Government cuts that ‘make a mockery of their so-called commitment to lifelong learning’ – and a slap in the face to workers looking to reskill to fight their way out of unemployment in the recession.

The Labour Government announced last year that they were cutting the £100 million Equivalent or Lower Qualifications (ELQ) funding, which has enabled residents to requalify in new skills. After a review, the University has announced the closure of its public programme to new students from May.

Commenting, Cllr Gareth Epps, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary campaigner for Reading East, said:-

“It is absolutely clear that these cuts in adult education relate directly to the Government’s nonsensical cut to ELQ funding. Labour’s slashing of adult education makes a mockery of their so-called commitment to lifelong learning.

Liberal Democrats are pledged to reverse this irresponsible Labour cut. The worry must be that higher education is to suffer even more as the Government tries to pay its way out of its meaningless VAT cut.”

Cllr Kirsten Bayes, Lib Dem education spokesperson on Reading Borough Council added:-

“These cuts are absurd. They come at the worst possible time for the thousands of local people being made redundant, who are looking to retrain in order to resume their careers.”

Karl Hobley, Mature Students Officer, Reading University Students Union commented:

“This is bad news for mature students, but bad news for the local economy, the region, the University as a whole, Readings widening participation agenda and staff now about to lose their jobs.

Now more than ever we need a government who think long term, who look after students and local people unlike the current lot.”

Editor’s Notes:

• Liberal Democrats at their Spring Conference in Harrogate last weekend (6-8 March) overwhelmingly endorsed new education proposals which included a specific commitment to reverse Labour’s cuts to the ELQ programme.

The news that the University of Reading’s Senate has voted to close to the School of Health and Social Care comes as a shock and flies in the face of the Laming Report.

Commenting on the news that the University of Reading’s Senate has voted to close to the School of Health and Social Care, Cllr Gareth Epps, Parliamentary Campaigner for Reading East said:

“This bizarre decision shows the disarray in Labour over child protection and social care. Today they are reacting to the Laming Report by claiming to want more, better trained social workers. But with the same breath they are turning a blind eye while Reading University closes a vital training facility for these workers – with no clear explanation as to why.

The University has just received a savage funding cut, but is still scheduled to receive over £55m of public money over the coming year. It needs to explain why a school which we are told is profitable is facing the axe. If Labour seriously want to solve the crisis in child protection and recruit more social workers, they have got to fund the training needs. Anything else is no less than dishonest.”

Editor’s Notes:

Background to the vote, including reaction from students can be found here

The Audit Commission, the independent regulator of local councils has today published it’s annual report on the performance of Reading Borough Council.

The latest independent assessment “scoreboard” demonstrates that Reading Borough Council is now moving backwards under Labour control.

Poor scores on a range of measures have meant that Reading remains an average or “three star” authority – but instead of being deemed by the Audit Commision in its Comprehensive Performance Assessment as “performing well”, it is now only “performing adequately”.

The Council has been marked down on:-

• Public satisfaction on clean streets
• Failure to tackle empty homes – despite Liberal Democrat pressure
• A worsening performance in Culture & Sport and child protection.

Commenting, Cllr Gareth Epps, Liberal Democrat group leader on Reading Borough Council and Parliamentary campaigner for Reading East, says:-

“This report shows that Reading Council is not just coasting under Labour – it’s starting to go backwards. The danger signs are clear and listed, and we have raised them in public. If Labour remain unwilling to tackle them, then they should step aside as an administration.

Reading Borough Council under Labour has been high tax for average services. The cross-party review group proposed by the Lib Dems will help deliver better value for money for local residents.

Unfortunately, the Conservatives in Reading have spent the Budget process demonstrating that they are unfit to run a whelk stall let alone the Council”.

Commenting on the news that Wokingham Council’s rating has slipped from 3 to 2 stars, Gareth says:-

“This is a reflection of the incompetent and secretive way the Conservatives have been and continue to run Wokingham. My constituents in Woodley rightly have had enough Tory trouble”.

Editor’s Notes:

Click here to view Reading BC and Wokingham BC 2008 scores .

Reading’s growing Liberal Democrat team travelled to the party’s Spring Conference in Harrogate this weekend (6-8 March) with education top of the agenda.

Liberal Democrats have released figures giving the average primary school class size in Reading as 25.7. Lib Dems will be debating a move to cut class sizes to 15 for all five to seven year olds.

The proposal forms part of a raft of measures to be debated this weekend. Other measures in the Equity and Excellence policy paper include:

• Boosting the funding of the poorest pupils to private school levels through a Pupil Premium, enabling schools to provide more one-to-one tuition and extra catch-up classes where needed;
• Replacing the rigid national curriculim with a slimmed-down minimum curriculum entitlement;
• Radically cutting back national testing and re-investing the savings in improving literacy and numeracy.

Further figures released by the Lib Dems show their proposal for a Pupil Premium would give a boost of over £6 million to Reading children alone.

Reading East Liberal Democrat Parliamentary campaigner Cllr Gareth Epps has also tabled a question calling for a further Parliamentary debate to seek national action on the crisis in safeguarding children – highlighted in the annnual council “league table” results published today.

And Reading Liberal Democrats are tipped to receive a national membership award at the conference as one of the fastest-growing groups of Liberal Democrats in the country. The Reading University group – the most successful recruiter at Fresher’s Fair and the only active political society on campus – is taking a minibus full of members for the Conference, which is expected to see the Liberal Democrats retain their popular commitment to scrap student tuition fees.

Commenting, Patrick Murray, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary campaigner for Reading West, says:

“Across Reading there are too many pupils who lose out under Labour both locally and nationally. We would – unlike Labour – put the poorest children first and make a massive investment in their future.”

Cllr Gareth Epps, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary campaigner for Reading East, says: “Labour has had a dozen years to close the gap between rich and poor children. It has failed. In Reading it has had even longer.

Smaller class sizes and our Pupil Premium will make a real difference to those Reading children let down by Labour. Free university tuition will remove the barrier to poorer children going to university, and free many thousands from obscene levels of debt.

These policies are reasons why Liberal Democrats in Reading are growing at a rate that is starting to win us awards.”

Reading’s Lib Dems have campaigned for many years for action to tackle the problem of speeding on many of Reading’s roads.

Local people in 7 of the 16 Police Neighbourhoods in the town have identified speeding as a priority for police action.

Lib Dems on Reading Borough Council campaigned successfully to get the Labour-run Council to invest £10k as part of the 2009-10 Budget in speed guns to help local communities record speeds in their areas and get action taken.

The use of mobile speed guns where speeding is a problem will mean that motorists will need to take heed or risk points on their licences and fines.

Lib Dem councillor for Tilehurst and spokesperson for transport, Cllr Ricky Duveen welcomed the move.

Cllr Duveen said: “In Tilehurst, like many areas, the local Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) registered speeding as its second key priority after anti-social behaviour.

Without any enforcement action motorists simply ignore speed limits and the biggest contributory factor on most road accidents is speed.

Up until now, NAGs have been unable to take action on speeding due to the lack of equipment but now local Police Teams will finally get the tools to enforce speed limits on our streets.”

Cllr Gareth Epps, Lib Dem Group Leader on Reading Borough Council and Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Reading East added: “Finally we can provide local neighbourhood police teams with a method of enforcing speed limits. This is an excellent result that stems from Lib Dems pushing for more action on local priorities.”