We will manage the Council's money responsibly, help residents struggling with the cost of living, and make sure every eligible household gets the financial support they're entitled to.

We will also introduce a local capital grant scheme for Reading's small businesses - giving independent traders real support to invest in their premises, create local jobs, and keep Reading's high street alive. Liberal Democrat-run Chelmsford City Council has already shown this works, with over £100,000 in capital grants helping local businesses invest and grow.

Labour's own Government gave Councils new powers in December 2024 to bring long-term empty shops back into use through High Street Rental Auctions - yet Reading's Labour Council has done nothing with them, while other towns have already started reopening units left empty for years. We will use these powers to tackle Reading's empty shops and bring our high street back to life. The Government has also given councils new powers to shape what actually opens on their high streets - requiring planning permission for new vape shops and adult gaming centres, and strengthening councils' ability to block betting shops and shut down premises selling illegal tobacco. This is a genuine opportunity to stop empty units filling up with the same narrow set of shops while independent businesses struggle to find premises. Reading Liberal Democrats would use these powers proactively wherever residents raise concerns, and would push for clear local guidance on how the Council applies them - so decisions are consistent and transparent, not made case by case with no public standard to point to.