Good news about Coronation Square Post Office.

I have continually supported the Coronation Square Post Office and Mr Saleem in his quest to improve both his taxi business and the Post Office. Mr Saleem has asked for support from Reading Borough Council Housing Department for the lease of two sheds. He has received agreement for this to take place. I have written to Reading Borough Council, Planning and Housing Department and to the Regional Post Office Head Office to request that he receives full support from them. All have replied positively, stating that Mr Saleem can make the most out of his businesses. I am happy to continue to ensure that the Coronation Square Post Office flourishes and improves.

Weekend campaigning

This weekend has been busy with various campaigning activities

I leafleted Southcote Primary School with Naz and Martin Salter, talking with parents and families about the benefits of a Labour Government for families, including Tax Credits that have been valuable for parents going out to work, free childcare for 3 year olds and the record investment in education. Parents seem to like Southcote Primary and the Head Teacher has done a great job in raising standards and making the school inclusive for all. We had a good reception from parents and many were asking questions about our future plans.

Saturday morning we canvassed Granville Road flats which was an excellent morning with people prepared to discuss politics, local and national,valuing their votes.

Saturday evening we telephone canvassed the postal voters,prompting Labour voters to stay loyal and ensure they vote.

Sunday morning was the same, canvassing and telephoning postal voters. We have a promise of 500+ postal voters. Whilst some were undecided about who to vote for the vast bulk of our promise are voting for Naz Sarkar and myself. I am very grateful to Labour voters who continue to Vote Labour. Critics point to us being in the 13th year of Government and just coming out of a long global recession. However, many voters whilst considering change know that the alternatives would put the recovery in doubt and locally not actively campaign and champion Southcote the way local Labour Councillors have done so for 23 years.

Sunday afternoon I went leafletting in Southcote and writing cllr enquiries for local residents.

Must say hello to my family at some point today.

Murdoch did his best but it didn't work

Enjoyed the "razmatazz" of Thursday's debate. Thought Brown gave a decent account of himslef, but he was never going to win. Still cannot tune into what Cameron said, but I would say that wouldn't I. We can all be biased! What I enjoyed the most was the crude attempt by Sky to call it for a massive victory for Cameron and start the bandwagon rolling again when he clearly didn't impress the vast majority of people. Adam "Tory boy" Boulton did his best to signpost Cameron, such as the Telegraph quote about Clegg and the childish Kay "you lost na,na,na" Burley tried to please their paymaster and sometimes I wondered whether Murdoch was on the other end of their earpieces. But one of the good things about this current unpredictable General Election campaign is that the Tory media, led by Murdoch is not, it seems influencing this election.

Campaigning rolls on

For the last ten days Southcote Labour activists have canvassed 69% of the ward, met with Harriet Harman to voice concerns about the potential cuts to front line services and the need to look at a permanent strategy for adult community care.

I have canvassed Hatford Road and talked about speeding traffic and the need to put in small humps. Met with Mr Saleem at Coronation Square and pledged to support them having an extra shed under their lease so they can extend their business.

I have canvassed Southcote Lane and called for the whole road to be assessed for joined up traffic calming measures and measures to combat overdevelopment in the area.

This week we are campaigning with Naz Sarkar at Holybrook Crescent at 6.30pm every day. If you support Labour please feel free to come along and help out. The only way to keep in with the new political climate is to work hard representing local residents, acting as an advocate for people and giving a decisive lead.

Things just keep on going right for the Royals

I missed the Newcastle game due to election campaigning.I heard that Reading played well but Newcastle were incisive and this ended our play off hopes. However, I had the pleasure of watching the Royals take apart Peterborough with some beautiful, free flowing football. Mc Dermott is a revelation and he is getting Reading to play the same way as when Coppell was in charge and we weren't this good the season before our record breaking championship victory.

Tabb is a workhorse, freeing Macunuff, Gylfi and Kebe to roam around the midfield attacking at will and supporting Long up front. Zurab has been a great loan signing with skill, strength and experience. He needs to be signed on permanently for us to carry this good football forward to next season.

At the moment things are absolutely right and if we can keep this side and add a couple of good players then who knows what will happen next season. But with the loss of parachute payments and the need to balance the books we could lose Kebe, Gylfi, Bertrand not signing up and Mills. At the moment lets just dream about possible promotion back to the Prem next year.

The Lib Dem bounce?

The Hardest Working Councillor?

When out canvassing last week I was asked by a constituent about whether the Lib Dems will bother to canvass and deliver a leaflet. I said that I did not know, he would have to ask them. Well the Lib Dem bounce is well and truly here because the same constituent rang me today to tell me he had a newspaper delivered from the Lib Dems. I told him to keep it for me to look at in case I don't get one delivered in my street.

The resident asked what the Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate was like and I replied that she was ok. He said that the newspaper said that she is the hardest working councillor in Reading. He asked who decided that? I replied, she did.

Southcote Neighbourhood Policing update

Southcote neighbourhood update

Update for April

Here is the monthly update for the Southcote neighbourhood from Neighbourhood Specialist officer PC Peter Duffy

The three priorities for the Southcote neighbourhood are anti-social bahviour, drugs and traffic/speeding.

Anti-social behaviour – The latest crime figures available through the Thames Valley Police website show that anti social behaviour in the area has fallen by 33 per cent. Between December 2008 and February 2009 we averaged 19 incidents per month and a year later that figure has fallen to 12.7. On Tuesday 16 March two lads were stopped by Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) after they where suspected to have run away from a police officer further along the road. They were stop checked by PC Mark Giles and I on suspicion of having items used to cause criminal damage. No items were found during the search and they were let on their way. However, these types of checks help to disrupt anti social behaviour in the area.
Drugs – On Monday 1 March a man from Southcote was stop checked by officers in and found to be in possession of a bag of cannabis. He was issued with a street caution.
Traffic – On Monday 22 PCSO James Paul and I attended Shepley Drive after receiving reports of a vehicle which was parked on the pavement. Checks were carried out on the vehicle and it was arranged to have the vehicle moved from the pavement. The team is continuing to focus on the issue of parking.

At the time of writing this report there have been seven reports of domestic burglaries and two attempted burglaries in Southcote. Patrols have been increased in this area and the team has been liaising with our colleagues in Fords Farm as the areas boarder each other. If you have any information on burglaries please do not hesitate to call the neighbourhood team on 0845 8505505 or the Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

The latest crime figures show that all crime in the area has fallen by 35.6 per cent. Between December 2008 and February 2009 we averaged 40.3 crimes per month and a year on that figure fell to 30.

PCSO James Paul and PCSO Amelia Sergent have been working in partnership with the Reading Borough Council’s Street Wardens throughout the month. Together they removed 20 needles behind the woods in Hatford Road. The area was cleaned and the needles were disposed of.

The next police surgery will take place on Monday 19 April, between 10am and 12pm at the advice centre in Coronation Square and it will be led by PCSO James Paul.

First thoughts on the "Great Debate" ITV lost!

First thoughts on the "great debate". Cameron had high expectations but he said absolutely nothing about what he would cut or what he would do if the Tories won the election. Everyone wants school discipline and law and order, but how is this going to be achieved. Waste was a Thatcherite ideal that yielded limited expenditure.He talked of Daily Mail and Sun stories about waste which are not verified, such as billion pounds on civil servant food. The only policy Cameron is clear on is that he would reverse National Insurance increases but he has not ruled out VAT and public sector cuts.

Brown wasn't as stylish as Clegg but the substance was there, policies for the future and achievements of the past. Brown was the only leader to outline expenditure for the next government.Brown had the most to lose as the incumbent but he was clear on what is needed to rebuild Britain.

No doubt Clegg did well. He attacked Cameron's policies well, particularly on mythical waste. However, he had nothing to lose, was short on substance, made up figures, plucked out of thin air and the Lib Dems will still not be seen as a party for the next Government.

What was clear is that ITV and Alastair Stewart in particular were the losers. Stewart was "shouty" too much and tried to stimulate debate. Not a patch on Dimbleby!

Monday's Cabinet Meeting

There was a full Reading Borough Council Cabinet Meeting last Monday night. Here are some decisions that took place.

READING TRANSPORT LIMITED REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS

There was a report from the Directors of RTL which was discussed at length. RTL has been shortlisted for awards such as the National Transport Awards 2009 Contribution to Sustainable transport.

Business has been difficult as the impact of the recession drove down ridership. Fluctuating fuel costs have also been problematic and the rise in costs as well as a loss of income. However, the current situation has improved with the programme of management action.

A report was received on the Bio-ethanol project which was introduced in 2007/08 on the number 17 line in which 14 bio-ethanol powered buses were introduced to the fleet. This project, which was introduced to limit air pollution and promote green energy efficiency in transport was a national pathfinder project that had not been trialed on double decker buses in Britain before. The Bio-ethanol initiative was a bold and imaginative step forward in environmental terms that made the Nottingham Climate Change declaration more than good intentions and empty words. The report to Cabinet stated that there would have been a reduction in the amount of pollution in the area due to the project.

However, the cost of the fuel and the source of the bio-ethanol has raised fundamental questions.The case was based on primarily environmental issues and not on economic issues which are a serious concern for efficient and green alternative energies.Whilst evidence pointed to a marginally higher cost of bio-ethanol than diesel the actual running costs were significantly higher due to better energy qualities of diesel. The true economics of bio-ethanol fuel was not fully investigated and widely reported to the RTL board and the Council. In the drive to put the environment first questions were not asked and actions were taken before decisions were made by the Cabinet.

In hindsight decisions should have been made with a fuller grasp of the evidence of the expense of bio-ethanol as an alternative environmentally fuel that is economic and sustainable.

In October 2009 the Board of RTL decided that the bio-ethanol buses were uneconomical in the present climate and that they would be converted back to diesel.

Whilst the Tories were happy to be photographed with the new buses they now seek to see heads roll due to the costs that have not been recovered. The Tories tried to paint a picture of massive costs to the council tax payer of near a million pounds. Interestingly Councillor Willis in his blog said that he would move am motion at the next council meeting to call for resignations from the council. Presumably he has read the latest opinion polls which will keep his party out of council control and he expects to be in opposition after May 6th elections.

The true cost of the project is £154.000 not from the council tax payers but costs incorporated within RTL. The cost is lower than claimed as much of the outlaying capital spend is still valuable to RTL and is being used to good economic effect, such as the fuel station.

This is the difficult conundrum of green policies that will initially cost more than less environmentally friendly fuel. The facts are that this current Labour administration are totally committed to improving air quality in Reading and are proud of pioneering new technologies that are efficient, cleaner and will eventually cost less than fuels that are clearly damaging the planet.No new technology comes without a cost and we believe the decision was thoroughly justified at the time in which all political parties did not oppose.

It will be interesting to hear your views on this.

TREE SURVEY AND REPLACEMENTS

The Cabinet were pleased to agree a budget of £50.000 to be allocated as part of the Capital programme for the years 2010/11 and 2011/12 for the replacement and planting of trees. That a programme of tree protection is ongoing and a programme of tree felling takes place in response of health and safety fears.

CENTRAL BERKSHIRE WASTE PFI SCRUTINY

Cabinet took a report from scrutiny on the recommendations including waste minimisation and recycing food waste. In comparison to the previous report on bio-ethanol the Berkshire unitary authorities were criticised by other political parties for taking into financial constraints when not looking to involve food waste.

The discussion then went political with the empty promise of the Tories to bring back weekly non recyclable rubbish which has been strongly criticized by Bracknell Tories on the basis of reducing recycling and significantly increasing costs on introducing weekly collections bringing more bin vehicles onto the streets and increasing land fill taxes.

How are the Reading Tories going to pay for those taxes?

LANDLORD ACCREDITATION SCHEME

Cabinet were pleased to support the re-introduction of the Landlord Accreditation Scheme recommended by a special scrutiny on landlords which will subject the council to work with good private sector landlords and isolate bad landlords that fly tip and exploit private sector tenants.

CHILDREN'S HEALTH SCRUTINY REVIEW

Cabinet finally received a report that both Chairs of the Education and Children's Services Scrutiny Panel and the Chair of the Housing, Health and Community Care Scrutiny Panel could agree on. What wax left out was the blaming of single young mothers and subjecting the Sure Start to a bureaucratic target setting programme. Common sense broke out in which the Lib Dems and Labour agreed that a lot of resources had been invested in attempting to improve children's health in Reading but that there was a lot to do to break the cycle of poverty and poor health in many of our families in Reading.

DEVELOPING COMMUNITY SAFETY LOCALITY WORK IN READING

Cabinet agreed to merge the Safer Reading structure and the Neighbourhood Action Groups to a new localised structure influenced and controlled by local residents working with the various agencies such as the Police and Council staff.

Harriet Harman, A Tory Government is change we cannot afford

Harriet Harman met with local community activists and a member of the Reading Youth Cabinet to see for herself the good work that is going on by members of the local community to combat the acute problems of the global recession. The meeting, at a house in Southcote brought the realities of life together with politics. She heard the difficulties of bringing up a disabled child, the heavy workload of a social worker and the frustration of a teacher with trying to achieve high standards for children. However, she also heard about Reading's Labour council committing extra spending for Children's Services and Elderly Care in an attempt to match the increasing demand. Harriet heard about the successful campaigns to protect the environment by stopping development at Kennet Meadows and Bath Road Reservoir.

I was pleased that local community activists who are not cheer leaders for any political party came to meet with Harriet Harman to voice their concerns but also to hear about what a Labour Government and local Labour Council has achieved and will achieve in the future.

The widespread view is that whilst the clamour for change after 13 years of Labour is being considered the alternative, that of a Tory Government that will decimate public services whilst giving tax cuts to the rich is change that this country cannot afford.

Same old Tories on Gay Rights

In the past few days, more people have caught onto the Tories' game. Even their own supporters are turning away.

Anastasia Beaumont-Bott, the first chairman of the Tories’ gay rights group, LGBTory, defected from the Conservative Party yesterday. She told the Independent:

“I became disillusioned after meeting one too many people in that party who were not like what the leader was saying the party was about. If you make a comment like [those made by Mr Grayling], you should be out. This isn't a question of party lines – it is disgusting. I don't like doing this to Mr Cameron. I like him, but the insides of his party are not what the people are led to believe."

“Vote for change” is a nice party slogan – but not when you want to return our country to the same broken Tory policies that divided our country for years.

The Tories haven't changed.

The e-mail below from Peter Mandelson shows the ocntinued bankruptcy of the Tories on the economy.

The Tories say they have changed. But this week provided yet another example of how they haven’t.


In 2001 and 2005 the Tories spent the first week of their campaign proposing unfunded tax cuts – capturing headlines in the process. In the weeks following, they saw the basis of their plans for the economy unravel, and the risk they posed to the economy exposed.

In 2010 the Tories have decided to repeat the same trick but are hoping this time for a different outcome. They claim they are making the running, when actually they are making it up as they go along.

Once again, the Tories are confusing publicity with credibility.


In doing so, they are muddying their message. Deficit reduction was apparently their No.1 priority before the election started.


Now they have ditched their tough message and chosen instead to go for the ‘soft’ option of an unfunded tax giveaway at a cost of £30 billion – in addition to all the other unfunded tax promises they have made.

They will now struggle to claim that they will cut the deficit further, while arguing that they will maintain spending on public services, and find the money for the tax cuts. This three card Tory con trick – cutting the deficit further, sustaining spending and unfunded tax cuts – is all starting to look very hollow.

People in the country know you don’t get something for nothing. Common sense will tell them if you are being offered something that is too good to be true, it is, indeed, too good to be true.

The Tories’ economic plans are a slow burning fuse under their campaign

As in 2001 and 2005, the incoherence of Tory tax and spending plans is the slow burning fuse under the Tory campaign, and we do not need to rush our fences in detonating it.

This week, we started to put Tory spending plans under scrutiny.

We challenged the Tories to set out how they would pay for the £30 billion commitment to cancel next year’s NICs increase.

They want to keep it quiet until the emergency Budget George Osborne wants to give in June.

But pressure is mounting on the Tories’ spending plans. Martin Read, their own adviser, has been clear that the Tories do have secret plans for how they’d go about cutting spending – they just won’t publish them.

In the meantime, George Osborne says it will all be paid for out of “efficiencies”. Cameron contradicted him, admitting that cuts in core public spending would have to be made, only for Osborne to repeat his line a few hours later.

So it is our task to expose what the Tories wish to conceal and the risk they pose to recovery and to services. And, as in 2001 and 2005, we have the time to do it. We are only four days into a four week campaign.

The Tories’ risk to economic recovery

This week saw more encouraging signs of how we have embarked on the road to recovery.

Independent figures this week showed manufacturing bouncing back strongly in February with output rising 1.3 per cent on the month in February, almost twice as fast as economists’ 0.7 per cent forecasts and its fastest pace for five months.

Car figures this week showed a much better than anticipated first quarter in 2010 – with car registrations up by 26.6 per cent from this time last year – helped by the scrappage scheme. Land Rover announced its UK sales in March saw their monthly sales at an all-time record in their home market. My good friend, Marks and Spencer boss Stuart Rose, also announced strong growth in UK sales in the first quarter of 2010.

And the OECD predicted this week that the UK economy will grow at the second fastest rate of the G7 major economies for the second quarter of this year.

But the OECD also stressed that th! e recovery r emains fragile and that policy support should not be removed too fast.

Yet this is exactly what the Tories are proposing to do. Not planning a sensible exit for the stimulus, but a rush for the exits.

Their plan to take billions out of the economy straight away would choke off recovery before it is secured.

Just as they got the big judgements wrong on the recession they are now getting the big judgements wrong on the recovery.

And it is the British people who would pay the price in lost jobs, lower living standards, and cuts to their services.

Not a time for business as usual

As the Parliament drew to a close this week the Tories showed their true colours on some important issues. They talk of change when the camera is on and block it when the camera is off: on one-to-one school tuition for children; on the use of DNA evidence to catch murderers and rapists; on voting reform; and on getting rid of the hereditary principle in t he House of Lords.

Next week we will launch our manifesto that will set out our plans to address the main future challenges we face in our economy, our society and our politics:


Rebuilding our economy means securing the recovery and investing in future growth and jobs, for the many not just the wealthy few;
Renewing our society means further strengthening the communities that bind our country together, and continuing improvement in our public services;
Restoring trust in politics means greater transparency and accountability in a system battered by the expenses scandal.
We believe our programme for further national renewal meets the big challenges facing Britain with proposals that are ambitious but affordable, and which learn from what Labour has done well and the lessons we take from our experience to date.

It is a manifesto to further our goal of a modern, progressive Britain, based on the values of fairness, respect, decency and openness. And one thing is also clear: this is not a time for a business-as-usual manifesto. The work we have to do is too big for anyone to be complacent – or to put confidence in novices.

Reading Labour Manifesto, Building Reading's Future

LABOUR: BUILDING READING’S FUTURE

Securing a “thriving and buoyant economy”

We said when we launched our manifesto for the 2008 elections that Labour had worked hard to secure Reading’s “thriving and buoyant economy” - to guarantee the prosperity of the town on which all else depends. We said we believed the years of Labour control had been good years for Reading, and good years for Reading people.
That claim has been more than put to the test by the global economic recession that has hit Reading as it has the rest of the country and indeed the world. We believe it is thanks to the work that Reading’s Labour Council has put in, in partnership with business and with Reading’s communities, that Reading has been better placed to come through that recession better than many other towns.

So we were pleased but not surprised when the independent Centre for Cities report said that Reading, alongside Brighton, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Milton Keynes, was one of the 'five to watch’ - places with the right characteristics to succeed after the downturn. And they added that Reading had the third highest average weekly earnings of any UK town or city and the fifth most skilled workforce.

That is not to say that many people in Reading have not suffered in this recession, but we are also proud of the way the Council and its partners swung into action to offer every help they could to people in difficulty, and that - with a Labour Government also committed to that goal - the level of unemployment, the number of business failures and the number of house repossessions here in Reading have been much lower than in earlier recessions in the 1980s and 1990s when the Conservatives were in power.

“What has Labour ever done for us?”

In 2008, Labour’s key priorities were to:

• Make sure crime in Reading goes on falling – and crime fell by 4% last year following a fall of 20% over the previous four years

• Make sure every child gets the best possible start in life – we have now invested £125 million in our schools and the percentage of children with 5 A*-Cs at GCSE has gone up from 42.9% in 1999 to 70.9% in 2009

• Develop more affordable housing – and we completed 294 new homes in 2008-9

• Make sure older people and the disabled receive the help they need – we have just put £5 Million into the community care budget to maintain this commitment

• Make sure Reading benefits to the full from the £664Million we had won for revamping Reading Station – and work starts this year

• Work with John Madejski on developing the land between the station and Friar Street, and on the next phase of Chatham Place – and planning approval has now been given

• Building a third bridge, the Oxford Road relief road and other improvements to cut by half the 155,000 cars that drive through the town centre every day – and the third bridge is part of the Council’s bid to the government under the new Urban Challenge Fund and the Oxford Road relief road is incorporated into the station plan

• Deliver a new, larger, state of the art, theatre to replace the ageing Hexagon and a modern, improved central library – sadly this is on hold because of the economic downturn

• Promote access to sport for all, with the Sport Reading partnership helping Reading children participate in 5 hours of sport and exercise a week – and this is well on track and we’ve introduced free swimming for under-16s too

• Reduce Reading Council’s carbon emissions by at least 10% by 2012 and become one of the leading Councils in carbon reduction and leading the fight against climate change - and we have endorsed the 10:10 campaign which commits us to achieving that target earlier.

A full record of the Council’s achievements since the last Borough elections in 2008 is available on www.readinglabour.org.uk
In those elections Labour lost majority control of the Council but has continued in minority administration, with a Labour Cabinet working with Council officers to build a good future for Reading.

It is fair to say that the other parties have come up with very few ideas, and at the Council’s budget meeting on 23 February 2010 did not come forward with any proposal to change the Cabinet’s recommendations.
In these elections in 2010 we are asking the people of Reading to continue to put their trust in Labour, which is the only party with a vision for the future of our town.

Building Reading’s Future: Labour’s 20-point plan
In 2010 Labour’s priorities are to:

• Continue to promote the economic prosperity of the town, seeing through the huge projects at Reading Station and Dee Park that will being many jobs for local people, working in partnership with businesses large and small, seizing opportunities to get more investment in the town – including bidding for city status in order to get a higher profile for the town, and looking to help and support all those suffering hard times
• Look to the future by requiring all new buildings to be to high environmental standards, improving the insulation and so on of older buildings (including the Council’s own), encouraging the provision of wind turbines and looking to opportunities for the Council to generate sustainable power to be fed into the National Grid, continuing to replace street lights with more energy-efficient ones, greening our streets and neighbourhoods, looking to increase the number of allotments, and continuing to improve our recycling rates
• Bring about a step change in transport in Reading through the redevelopment of Reading Station coupled with our Urban Challenge Fund bid, greatly improving public transport, keeping Reading Buses in public ownership and continuing to develop its services, bringing in lower bus fares – including for youngsters, providing improved facilities for cyclists and pedestrians, reducing the number of cars on the road so cutting congestion and pollution, and - through a pioneering Low Emission Zone - keeping through lorries off our street
• Learn the lessons of last winter by improving liaison with the Met. Office and review the Council’s gritting policy, particularly as regards the supply and use of grit bins on steep-sloping streets
• Following the abandonment by PRUPIM of their plans to build 7500 homs in Kennet Meadows, seek to put the Meadows into a trust for their protection long-term, investigating the option of acquiring land there as a basis for this
• Secure long-term protection for precious areas like Kennetmouth, the Crescent Road playing fields, and Tilehurst Allotments, and continue to look to extend and enhance public open space across the town

• Work with communities and neighbourhoods across the town and with ethnic minority organisations and so on to promote good community relations, make people and communities feel safer, and banish hatred from our streets
• Work with the police and with local communities to develop and get the best out of neighbourhood policing, looking to maintain and if possible to increase the number of police officers and PCSO’s on Reading’s streets to make sure crime continues to be on a downward trend and to tackle issues like anti-social behaviour, vandalism and graffiti
• Support the proposal for the Post Office to become a People’s Bank, working closely with local Credit Unions, and hope that the Post Office in the Civic Offices can pioneer this service locally
• Retain the Council’s housing stock and, as the work to bring it up to Decent Homes standard concludes, work with tenants on a Decent Neighbourhoods programme to improve the environment on our Council estates, and take every opportunity to increase the amount of affordable housing for local people
• Work with landlords and partners to ensure that decent homes standards are achieved also in the private and registered social landlord sectors, and use the new powers available to us to police and control the spread of Houses in Multiple Occupation
• Progress our pioneering heatseekers/green warm homes initiative in which we are surveying every property in the borough and then giving those that need it advice and grants to help cut their energy bills and their carbon footprint
• Work to give a good start in life to every child, retaining and developing the thirteen Children’s Centres we have built across the Borough and working with the NHS to support families promptly and effectively
• Continue to develop the school meals service as an important contribution to children’s health, and look to take advantage of any scheme brought in by central Government to extend entitlement to free school meals
• Continue to work with the police, the NHS and others to improve child protection in Reading and keep our children safe
• Maintain and build on the improvement in GCSE and A-level results, and put extra effort in to try and secure further significant improvement at KS2
• Continue to maintain, and where resources permit improve, our schools and other buildings
• Continue to invest in our children’s play areas and work generally to make Reading a child-friendly town
• Maintain our commitment to the elderly and disabled, continue with the successful reablement programme and look to develop further extra care provision and so on to secure the best possible quality of life for them
• Maintain Reading's generous and unrivalled support to the voluntary sector and continue to help local groups and ethnic minority organisations who are keen to develop their own community facilities
Building on what we have achieved

These priorities do build on and take forward what Labour has achieved since Reading became a unitary authority, and in some areas on what Labour has done since first taking control of the previous Borough Council in 1986.
We make no apologies for that, our values have been consistent and we have worked hard to deliver for local people. But they also respond to the new situation created by the economic recession the continuing challenge of climate change, and the developing hopes and ambitions of communities across Reading.
Over the last two years, the other parties have had nothing to offer, have put forward nothing in the way of new initiatives, and had no changes to propose to Labour’s budget, which means they had no changes to propose to Labour’s programmes.
We are not complacent, we are always open to new ideas, and we sincerely believe that Labour remains the best choice for Reading.

Reading Should choose securing the recovery and support for families

READING & DISTRICT LABOUR PARTY MEDIA RELEASE
6 April 2010

“Reading should choose securing the recovery and support for families on 6 May” :

Labour
Prime Minister Gordon Brown today fired the starting gun on a May 6 General Election which Labour candidates Naz Sarkar and Anneliese Dodds say will present people in Reading with the most important choice for a generation.
“Labour will secure the economic recovery,” they say, “protect frontline services and support communities and families, while a Conservative Party committed to taking billions out of the economy would kill the recovery, hit jobs and dismantle the services families in Reading rely upon”.
Naz Sarkar says: “You know how the Tories starved our schools of resources, you know the callous way Reading’s Tory neighbours treat the elderly, you know how the Tories talk tough on crime but – as in London – slash the number of police officers. The Tory threat to our services is very real, very immediate. This is the time to stand tall and say that the Tories remain wrong for Reading.”
And Anneliese Dodds adds: “Labour took the tough decisions to take us through the recession and get Reading - and the country - on the road to recovery. Let’s not throw it all away with a Conservative Party that would cut support to the economy now – choking off recovery and shredding jobs. The Conservatives would also chop child tax credits for ordinary families whilst handing out big tax cuts to the wealthiest few”
“It is only Labour who will deliver a future, fair for all.”

Day Three Elections

After the Reading Governor's Association meeting I delivered more leaflets in Southcote, covering New Lane Hill, Hogarth Avenue and roads off New Lane Hill. One thing is for certain, the Pizza party seem to be in the lead for delivering leaflets, they are out every day. Never mind Ashcroft money get the support of the pizza leafletters and you are onto a winner.

Meeting as Lead Councillor with the Reading Governors Association

In between elections I am still ensuring that I make my commitments as a Lead Councillor for Children's Services. I attended a valuable meeting with the Reading Governors Association. We discussed ways of increasing publicity for children who qualify for free school meals are entitled to a free lap top and free Broadband. Reading Borough Council is the second best town in the South for take up of the free laptops, but more children who need IT should be getting what they deserve.

Letter from Alastair Darling

John

You know an opposition party aren't serious when they start plucking “efficiency savings” out of thin air.

It’s something that the Tories have tried at the last three elections. And now they’re trying it again.

They’re trying to win an election through a deception and that’s why I need your help.

Help expose the threat to the recovery posed by the Tories by writing to your local newspaper now

In tough times it’s even more important that Government gets its sums right. The Tories’ economic strategy, based on back-of-an-envelope sums, fails this test on every count.

They’re misleading people about what the Government is doing, double counting fi! gures and ex pecting us to believe that they can double savings over the next nine months from a standing start. And they’re promising National Insurance changes they can’t afford.

It’s just not credible and we need to make sure everyone knows it – write to your local newspaper now

So when you see a Tory on TV saying that Labour aren’t, like families and businesses across the country, making efficiency savings this year – tell someone that it’s not true. We’re saving £15bn this year.

And when you read in the papers of a Tory claiming that they can afford to make their changes to National Insurance – tell someone it’s not true. It’s based on a back-of-an-envelope doubling of our savings in only nine months – the equivalent of half the education budget.

And when you hear a Tory on th e radio, claiming that this all adds up – tell someone it’s not true. At the last election, even the Tories themselves said it would take three years to make this amount of savings.

This really is the ‘Word of Mouth’ election – the millions of conversations going on across the country really are what will make the difference. Tell someone about the Tories’ deception now.

This election could hinge on letting people know the truth behind the Tories' claims.

Please get involved and let people know the truth

Thanks

Alistair

When are the Tories going to come clean about how they are going to pay for tax cut promises?

The Tories both nationally and locally have made rash promises that they have not attempted to cost. The Tories nationally have u turned from "got to cut the deficit now" to tax cuts for business, the inherited rich and married couples. Question is how are they going to pay for those promises and cut the deficit?

The Tories are complaining about Labour making up Tory cuts, but the facts are clear the promises have to be paid for somewhere and if the Tories are not being truthful and trying to deceive voters that it is only 'efficiencies' that will bring about a sizable amount of finances. The only way to end speculation about potential Tory cuts is to come clean and tell the truth and publish a full manifesto and not just empty promises that have not been costed.

I note that Cameron and co are not ring fencing Education and Policing spending. Therefore what does this mean for potential cuts in these budgets?

Locally the Tories have promised a zero increase in Council Tax for one year, in which millions of pounds will have to be found and to restore weekly bin collections which will cost at least £1.5m.

These uncosted promises are coming from the Tory group, who were scared to come out of their room when it came to a crucial vote in the Full Council Budget Setting meeting. They state that it was not "cuts across the board" but efficiencies and yet, like their national counterparts they have not been specific as to how these efficiencies can be achieved. As a Cabinet Member for Children's Services we agonised for hours and days over what constituted an efficiency saving and what was a cut. The notion of back office staff is a very difficult concept to identify. The Labour Administration has identified over £7m of savings with no impact on front line services and more to come. But not enough for a zero percent council tax increase. Selling off Council Houses, stopping full elderly care and cutting Children's Services, such as Sure Start will get a one off council tax zero percent increase.

Tell the public the truth now, it is the least they deserve!

Weekly grey bin collections

The fact is that Reading already has a weekly bin collection. A grey bin and a red bin, and also a green bin. This has contributed to one of the best recycling rates for a council in the country. The Tories only pay lip service to recycling and the environment and they have gone back on their full support for environmentally friendly bin collections in Reading. I don't believe for one second that the public will be duped by this gimmick that will adversely affect recycling and will cost millions of pounds in restructuring the bin collection service and millions of pounds in landfill taxes that will penalise this council.

They are clearly not fit to run Reading.

Day Two

Two hours leafletting around Southcote, Ashampstead Road, Gainsborough Road and Worcester Close.

General Election Campaign Day One

Day one of the campaign ,which in reality started 18 months ago. I spent two hours tonight leafletting around the Gainsborough Road and Circuit Lane area of Southcote.It feels like it will be a close fought campaign despite what the media are trying to portray.

Our leaflets are highlighting the good work that has been done for Children's Centres and combatting unemployment and homelessness that are not as bad as the last recession under the Tories. A Tory Government would not have intervened in the economy, apart from protecting the tax breaks for the rich.

The General Election is finally called.

At last the election has been finally called by Gordon Brown. He made the choices clear. The economy is improving it is not the time to change to a Tory party that has not got the big decisions on the economy right and have promised more than outlined to cut the deficit.

Below is the message from Gordon Brown.

Today I visited Her Majesty the Queen to ask for a dissolution of Parliament and a General Election on May 6th.

From now until polling day I will travel the length and breadth of Britain with a simple message - Britain is on the way to economic recovery and now is not the time to put it at risk. But this is going to be a different kind of election – one where we the politicians throw open the doors to grassroots activists and the wider public.

That’s why I’ll be holding a People’s PMQs tomorrow – let me know what questions you’d like answering

Britain's future success will be shaped in the next few months.

It is a time of big challenges and tough decision! s.

Big questions need to be answered by all parties – click to ask me yours

From the big calls on the economy - securing the recovery and creating future jobs - to tackling climate change, succeeding in Afghanistan, restoring faith in democracy and the other issues that face our country, only Labour has the credible answers.

And we’re going to prove it.

Tell me what you want answered at People’s PMQs

Thank you & I’ll see you on the campaign trail

Gordon

Last week's Full Council meeting, councillors Allowances and Kennet Meadows

Some good policy initiatives came out of last weeks full council meeting. The Labour Group put forward a freeze on all councillors allowances which the other parties supported. This makes Reading one of the lowest councils for paying out allowances in the SouthEast. Far lower than our Tory counterparts in Berkshire. The pattern of events normally run that the Tories oppose a rise in allowances whilst they are in opposition and then when they obtain power the allowances rise way above inflation. Examples of this are in Wokingham and Bracknell Forest. Mind you they won't get the chance to do this in Reading as they won't be in power after May.

Kennet Meadows.

I moved a motion that was unanimously supported by councillors for the Kennet Meadows to be made into a Trust for all the people. Cllrs instructed the Chief Executive to work with West Berkshire council to acquire land to create an environmental trust. This is currently a vision but will be possible, given the motivation and passion of environmentalists and local people and the leadership of our current council.

Ipswich Away, Coventry home

IPSWICH TOWN 2 READING 1

It was a mixed weekend for the Royals. I took the trip to Ipswich confidently predicting victory. However, after a bright start we lost Mills, sent off for a rash challenge that deserved yellow more than a red card. This changed the game and Ipswich without dominating the game took advantage of the dismissal. Whilst we still played well in the second half they missed several good chances. Looks like goodbye to the play offs.

I enjoyed going to Ipswich. They are a family club who gave opposing fans no problems whatsoever. It was a good atmosphere, even though we lost. Best part of the day was watching Man Utd and Chelsea in 3D.

READING 3 COVENTRY 0

Possibly the best first half of football Reading played for a long time. Excellent passing and moving football with every player on form. Tabb and Karacen looked good together and Coventry had no idea how to handle Kebe and McAnuff. Second half was a bad tempered affair with little goal chances. Not sure what happened with Mills and Morrison but there was a tussle with all 22 players involved. Not good for football. Best remember the first half.

Anti -Bullying Strategy, working with the Youth Cabinet

Both Anna Wright and myself as Lead Councillor for Children's Services were invited to attend the recent Youth Cabinet to discuss the forthcoming Anti-Bullying Strategy that will be completed in the autumn. The Youth Cabinet advised us that the strategy needed to be widely consulted in all schools, with scholl councils taking a lead. We heard some good practice from some schools how pupils take the lead in monitoring bullying incidents and acting in a pro-active manner to cut out any bullying by encouraging inclusivity and joint activities of all pupils, particularly at recreation and play times.

I believe it is a priority that strategies have to be understood and owned by the people they are aiming to assist. This is why it was good to meet with the Youth Cabinet again and to work to provide services with people, not to them or for them, but with them.

Keep the play off dream alive!

Reading's recent performances have been nothing short of an inspiration. Last week's performance against West Brom was good enough to beat anyone in the division, but chances weren't taken. I still believe the Royals can make the play offs, injuries barring and a collapse by Leicester City. Reading need to win against Ipswich Town on Saturday, which I believe they will, 2-1 and to beat Coventry on Monday. The good times have returned to the Mad Stad and it feels good to watch Reading again, with strength in depth throughout the team.

St Patricks Day Rugby London Irish 38 Sale 0

It was an excellent day all round last Sunday when London Irish returned to winning ways and there was mass celebration of St Patricks Day, all be it a couple weeks late. London Irish found their early season form and style with their fast running power rugby. The return of Hodgson to boss the game and Delon Armitage, to run at the opposition.

The good thing about Rugby is that although there is friendly rivalry both sets of opposing fans sit together and banter about the game, with a lot of alcohol consumed as well. The St Patricks day event is an excellent party that is well attended by rugby fans with over 21.000 attendance figures. Reading is fortunate to have the excellent Madejski Stadium and its facilities for both rugby and football.