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What made you want to be a councillor?
I love the area I live in and want to improve things for the people who live there.
What's the best thing about it?
The best thing about being a councillor is being able to remind those running local services that there are real people being affected by their decisions, and to make sure that they take local people's views into account.
What's surprised you most?
I'm surprised by how much control is exerted on local government from Westminster: the way that our own money is handed back to us with so many strings attached.
What's so great about Reading?
Reading is a thriving commercial centre, which lots of people visit to work, shop or be entertained. What fewer people realise is just how
beautiful the parks and riverside walks are in the town, and that we have over a thousand years of history, with many old churches and listed buildings.
Why did you join the Liberal Democrats?
I believe in a pluralistic society, that there should be in our country more than one creed or set of beliefs. That power should not be held in one place, but distributed, and that it should be held accountable by the people. That while government should serve the needs of the many, and work towards equality and social justice, this should never be at the expense of individual liberty. The Liberal Democrats exist to promote these values, and to give ordinary people the chance to serve their communities. That's why I joined.
Which non-Lib Dem politician do you most admire?
I am a big fan of an American President from the last century, Franklin D. Roosevelt. His four freedoms - freedom from fear, freedom from want, freedom of speech and freedom of worship - continue to inspire me.
Everyone gets to be Prime Minister for a week and this week is your turn. What do you do?
I would end the restriction on local councils that stops them building new social housing.
You can invite any three living people to dinner. Who do you choose?
I would probably choose Clive James, Stephen Fry and Alan Rickman.
How do you relax when you're not being a councillor?
I love an evening at the cinema, ideally watching a very slushy romantic comedy.
What's your favourite book?
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. The private reflections of a Roman Emperor on morality and the nature of life.
Do you have any pets?
No.
What was the first record you ever bought?
It was the soundtrack to the film, "Oliver".
What was the last?
The Stamping Ground, by Runrig.
If I randomly turned on your TV, what channel would it be tuned to?
Probably BBC News 24
What websites are in your Favourites folder?
Quite a few, but BBC News, Livejournal, Facebook and Google Groups are well used.
How many Facebook friends have you got?
I have 38 friends in Facebook, most of whom I do actually know!
Who's the most famous person you've ever met? (Lib Dems don't count!)
I once literally bumped into the author Armistead Maupin, on Oxford Street.
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