Reading Liberal Democrats

Reading Lib Dems applaud the news that MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of Equal Marriage Rights on the third reading. We know that the outcome will make many people in Reading very happy. This is a positive step forward towards true equality for all in the UK.

Georgina Hughes, Chair of Greater Reading Liberal Democrats said:

“I’m delighted by this news and want to thank all MPs who had the courage to vote for equal marriage rights. I’m particularly proud that the vast majority Liberal Democrat MPs voted in favour. This is a great day for equal rights in Britain”

The stats

Of all the MPs that voted:

• 7% LibDems voted against
• 9% Labour voted against
• 51% Conservatives voted against

There has been much talk of the seven Liberal Democrat abstentions. Of this seven, four were on government business, one had just given birth, another was looking after a seriously ill family member, and there was one true abstention. Also much has been made of Sarah Teather, who voted against. Sarah has supported and campaigned for improving gay rights throughout her political career, however she holds strong Catholic beliefs and so this may have been a step too far for her. The Liberal Democrats are a party of equality and freedom, and we respect people’s points of view. This was a free vote and thus we respect her decision.

Locally in Reading, our Tory MPs voted very differently. Ex Reading Councillor Glenn Goodall said:

“Reading West MP Alok Sharma showed real courage in voting for Equal Marriage rights, but the same cannot be said for Reading East MP Rob Wilson who voted for and against (signifying he abstained). He’d already refused to show his hand at various public meetings and then hid behind an abstention – this is shameful in my opinion”

A look at theyworkforyou.com shows that throughout Rob Wilson’s political career he has mostly voted against improving gay rights.

Overall we can be very proud that we live in a liberal and forward thinking country. Yes there is still a long way to go, but we are travelling in the right direction.

Prof. John Howson

The Lib Dems across Berks, Bucks & Oxon have selected a leading campaigner and magistrate as their Thames Valley candidate in the Police & Crime Commissioner election on 15 November – Professor John Howson.

John Howson knows a thing or two about crime. Businessman, Academic, Licensing Justice, and victim of crime, as well as a former government adviser.

Commenting on his selection, Professor John Howson said: “Although the Lib Dems were happy with the existing arrangements for scrutinising the police, the new role has become much wider than just its original intention of holding the Chief Constable to account. Commissioners will play a strategic role in the management of the fight against crime across the Thames Valley, and this embraces discussions with many different agencies as well as the police.”

He continued: “As a businessman and former university head of department, I am used to the scrutiny of budgets, and have written about concepts such as activity based costing.

“Policing in England is a matter of consent. Currently, too much crime is linked to addiction, whether drug or alcohol related. Helping to stop re-offending is the best way to keep down police spending in the future.

“As a victim of a classroom stabbing when a teacher, having experienced four burglaries in my adult life, and been involved in two road traffic accidents, I know the effects crimes can have not only on the direct victim, but also on others in the wider community.”

A resident in Oxfordshire for more than 30 years, he also knows the diversity of the Thames Valley police area having been involved with training teachers across the three counties for more than ten years.

Lib Dem Regional Chair and West Oxfordshire councillor, Liz Leffman, said: “We are delighted to have such an experienced campaigner, with an excellent knowledge of policing and crime, as our candidate for Thames Valley.”

Commenting on the relocation of the Civic Offices, Cllr Daisy Benson, Group Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Reading Borough Council said:

‘Our top priority remains protecting vital Council services to vulnerable people in Reading.

“However, regarding the Civic Offices doing nothing’ is not an option either for taxpayers or staff.”

“Remaining in the current Civic Offices was the most costly of all the options proposed and based on the information Reading Borough Council officers have provided Plaza West represents the best value for money option and therefore the one we support.”

“But the Council must not sign a blank cheque: with public finances under huge pressure at the moment in Reading the Council needs to keep a tight rein on costs for the Civic relocation project to ensure that an extra burden is not placed on local taxpayers.’

“The Labour administration must bring forward regular progress reports on the civic offices relocation including costs associated with the project to Cabinet meetings to ensure costs are kept under control and to improve transparency and accountability: after all this is public money being spent.”

Meri O'Connell (in red), Daisy Benson (to the right) and Duncan Hames MP (to the right) with Lib Dem Campaigners in Tilehurst

Following a visit from a Catherine Bearder MEP last week, Duncan Hames – Member of Parliament for Chippenham – paid a flying visit to Tilehurst this Tuesday to show his support for local Liberal Democrat candidate Meri O’Connell.

Whilst helping Meri on the doorsteps of Tilehurst Duncan said “It’s clear Meri is working hard. She lives here and people already know Meri and her team in Tilehurst. We have a shared experience in that she’s a school governor, as was I for my Local Authority. I can see she will be a strong voice standing up for her community.”

Meri added “Even though my focus is on local politics it was great that Duncan offered his support in Tilehurst. Duncan gave up his business when he was elected as an MP and his campaign, like mine, wasn’t funded either by unions or big business. It’s that kind of ‘no strings attached’ commitment to democracy that I want to offer to Tilehurst.”

Meri, Peter and Catherine in Tilehurst

Liberal Democrats were delighted to host Catherine Bearder MEP as she came to town to help their new Tilehurst candidate with a spot of campaigning last Monday.

Meri O’Connell is hoping to take up the baton from current Tilehurst councillor, Peter Beard, who is stepping down from the Council this year after more than a decade of continuous service in Tilehurst.

As she was helping Meri on the doorsteps of Tilehurst Catherine commented “People in Reading need more local councillors like Meri who are passionate about improving their communities – people they can rely on to work hard and speak up for them and I was happy to come down and support her on the doorstep.”

Meri added “When I heard that Peter was retiring from being a councillor I decided that I wanted to carry on the long tradition of active councillors who really are local and who don’t take Tilehurst for granted.”

“As a local councillor I will focus on the things that matter in my ward, like safety railings on busy roads, cleaner streets, and providing a strong voice in the Council for the resdients of Tilehurst.”

Peter commented further “I was first elected to Reading Borough Council in 1974 and had to stand down in 1983 for work-related reasons. When Liberal Democrat Jim Day retired as a councillor in Tilehurst I was elected in his place in 2001 and I’d be overjoyed to see a continuity of the hard-working spirit that I inherited from Jim be passed over to Meri.”

Following earlier selection of Meri O’Connell in Tilehurst, Janel Blattler in Katesgrove and James Moore in Redlands, Greater Reading Liberal Democrats are delighted to announce the remaining Liberal Democrat Candidates for the Local Elections.

Abbey – Kirsten Bayes. A long-time campaigner, as Deputy Leader of Reading Borough Council in 2010 Kirsten delivered the first 0% Council Tax rise ever seen in Reading, along with a budget that cleared the way for a second 0% Council Tax rise this year. Kirsten lives in central Reading and works in IT.

Battle – Mark Whiley. Mark is a former graduate of the University of Reading where he was active as a Community Warden for 2 years in the University area. Mark currently lives off the Oxford Road and works in Reading for an IT firm.

Caversham – Jenny Woods. Dr Jenny Woods is a trained scientist and professional administrator, currently coordinating a national network of researchers looking at how science can improve our lives in future. She is passionate about building a fair society where everyone has the chance to make the most of their lives and is a strong believer in accessible learning and new technologies to help bring this about.

Church – Annette Hendry. Annette has been a Reading resident for over 30 years and a long-standing community activist and is a Trustee of various voluntarty organisations. Annette was formerly a Councillor in Peppard ward.

Kentwood – Jon Walls. Jonathan Walls first moved to Reading in 2001, when he started working for a small, young, entrepreneurial software company. He has lived in Kentwood since 2009 and has just joined another new venture as a senior consultant. Jonathan also enjoys music, and his band plays regular gigs around Berkshire.

Mapledurham – Chris Burden. Chris, a business support professional and long standing resident of Caversham, takes an active interest in environmental and quality-of-life issues. A keen supporter of the Reading Tree Wardens, he has planted trees in Richfield Avenue, Christchurch Meadows, and Westfield Rec., and is involved with Caversham GLOBE.

Minster – Georgina Hughes. Georgina joined the Liberal Democrats to fight for a fairer society for us all. She is currently Chair of Greater Reading Liberal Democrats and commutes to London for her work in web development.

Norcot – Margaret McNeill. Margaret worked for many years in local government, so has lots of experience of how councils work.  Now retired, she takes an active interest in the community and wants residents to have a bigger say in what happens in their neighbourhood.

Park – Hoyte Swager. After having moved to Reading in 2008, Hoyte currently lives in Park near Cemetery Junction. Hoyte works in Dinton Pastures Country Park at the Hurst Golf Course as acting Head Greenkeeper and is studying for NVQ in Sports Turf.

Peppard – Mustafa Chaudhary. Mustafa was born in Reading and has lived in Caversham since 1978. His history of community activism speaks for itself. He has served as a trustee with Reading Voluntary Action, was a member of both Thames Valley Police IAG and Caversham NAG. He is currently Vice-Chair of Reading SACRE and a member of Reading Inter-Faith Group. Mustafa runs his own architectural practice.

Southcote – Dave Warren. Dave was born in Reading and has lived in the area ever since. A former postal worker he is now a tireless campaigner for carers rights and a community activist in Southcote.

Thames – Guy Penman.  Guy is a history graduate and works in London at The London Library. He has lived in Thames ward since 1974 and stood for election there in 2010. As well as being interested in maintaining and improving the provision of library services in Reading he is also concerned with such issues as community policing , public transport , planning  and the environment.

Whitley - Rebecca Chester. Becki is a former journalist who became interested in Liberal Democrat policies after working on the election campaign for the Bournemouth Daily Echo. Being a long-standing resident of Reading, Becki wants to ensure that decisions made regarding its community benefit all concerned.

Georgina Hughes, Chair of the Reading Liberal Democrats and Minster candidate said “With the announcement of our remaining candidates, the strength of our local team is clear. Our candidates offer a diverse range of talents and a great mixture of experience from across Reading along with the energy to deliver great things for our communities.”

Statistics revealed by Reading Lib Dems obtained from Reading Borough Council’s Highways Department via a Freedom of Information Act request appear to show higher spending over the past year in wards with Labour councillors.

• The top 5 wards by spend are all either completely Labour controlled or, in the case of Katesgrove, have one Labour Councillor and are looking to make it two.
• 3 out of the bottom 5 wards are Conservative held, with 2 being jointly held by with either Lib Dems or Greens.
• Little or no funding was spent in Kentwoood or Mapledurham (both Tory strongholds).

Commenting on the figures Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesperson Cllr Ricky Duveen, said:

‘These figures appear to show a bias in spending decisions by the Labour controlled Council towards improving areas with Labour councillors. If so this is totally wrong.”

“Yes there may be more traffic on some town centre roads but that does not explain all these figures.”

“Spending should be on the basis of need not party politics.”

“The Labour Administration needs to explain these figures to the people of Reading.”

Lib Dem councillors in Reading have helped deliver a budget which protects services to people who need them most whilst also responding to concerns expressed by residents over the state of streets.

Lib Dems on Reading Borough Council tabled an amendment to the Labour administration budget:

• Enhancing the Council’s graffiti-removal service
• Increasing the number of Dog Wardens in the Borough to help tackle the problem of dog fouling
• Scrapping Labour’s planned 25% rise in charges for a second Residents Parking permit

Lib Dem proposals were within budget and meant that Council Tax could be frozen for another year in Reading.

Lib Dem Group Leader, Cllr Daisy Benson said:

“Our top priority remains protecting services to vulnerable children and adults in Reading and we are prepared to work with any party who can help deliver that.

“However, these are not the only services which matter to local residents.”

“Council survey after Council survey makes it clear that people in Reading want to see their council tax money to pay for cleaner streets, which is why we put forward our proposals to beef up graffiti cleaning teams and dog wardens – to make a visible difference to the street scene and neighbourhoods.”

“In addition, when family budgets are already stretched we did not feel Labour’s proposed 25% increase for second residents parking permits was justified.”

New figures reveal that in Reading, 720 people benefited from an apprenticeship last year, an increase of almost 73%.

This news comes as the Coalition Government has launched the National Apprenticeships Week, which will seek to build on last year’s success with events in schools and businesses.

Commenting, Councillor Rebecca Rye, Education spokesperson for the Reading Liberal Democrat Group, said:

“This dramatic growth in apprentices is welcome news for young people in Reading. Apprenticeships equip our young people with the skills needed to get jobs and build prosperous careers.

“Our apprentices are putting businesses on stronger ground to be successful and create jobs and growth in our area.

“As a Liberal Democrat, I believe that the Coalition Government is doing the right thing by giving employers even further encouragement to train young people and create opportunities for apprentices.”

“They are essential in our efforts to rebalance the economy away from financial speculators in the City of London, as we clear up Labour’s economic mess.

Commenting further, Liberal Democrat Business Secretary, Vince Cable said:

“National Apprenticeships Week is the time to celebrate the countless achievements of learners and employers, and to call on more firms to hire an apprentice and enjoy the competitive advantage they can bring to a business.

“I am very proud of the fact that at a time of financial constraint this Coalition Government has prioritised investment in apprenticeships. This has led to the creation of record numbers of apprenticeships combined with tough new standards to drive up quality.

“Apprenticeships are at the centre of the Coalition’s skills policy because we know that they work. Not only do they provide individuals with the skills they need for prosperous and rewarding careers, they also boost businesses’ profits and drive growth in the wider economy.

“We are providing extra help to enable small employers to hire their first apprentices. We will also continue to develop new advanced and higher-level apprenticeships to deliver the world-class skills individuals and firms need to get ahead.

Reading Liberal Democrats have gone straight to the top over concerns from residents about Tesco Express planning applications across the Borough after worries that residents’ views are being overlooked.

Councillor Warren Swaine first raised matters in September with David North, Communities and Government Director for Tesco about their Tesco Express store applications in Reading and more recently, after Liberal Democrat success in securing the dismissal of the Whitley Street appeal, with Michael Kissman, Head of Property Communications.

Liberal Democrats have a track record of community engagement over new Tesco stores. Cllr Swaine said: “We held a public meeting in 2008 about the Crown Street application to gauge residents’ views. As a result we raised their concerns over deliveries and noise.

“Unfortunately neither the council or Tesco acted on them, which all too predictably led to a noise abatement order and a new lay-by which is only now being constructed after three years of delivery vehicles blocking a bus lane. It would have been far better for long suffering residents if legitimate concerns raised by ward councillors at the time had been taken into account. This is why I decided to speak directly with senior people in Tesco.”

After Cllr. Swaine, who is also a member of the planning committee, raised concerns about their record of community engagement, Tesco acknowledged that their pre-planning consultations with residents could be better and gave Cllr. Swaine assurances that from now on Tesco would seek the views of ward councillors of all parties at the earliest opportunity in order to reduce potential future problems.

Janel Blattler, the Lib Dem candidate for Katesgrove said: “We have always stood up for the community and won’t sit on the fence and allow things to happen. I’m pleased that residents and businesses across the town will now benefit from our hard work in Whitley Street.”