Well, the worst kept secret has happened. Local Lib Dems have been ordered by national team LibTory to get together locally and run Reading. For the first time in 25 years there will not be a Labour Administration in Reading.
Whilst Clegg and Cameron are getting on so well together, they are now almost joined at the hip locally it is common knowledge that there is an intense dislike, personally and politically between the Lib Dems and the Tories to such an extent that this hatred spilled over after the Reading East count. Willis and Epps in one cabinet? interesting thought. I hope the people of Reading don't have to pay the penalty for the coalition of losers.
I have spoken to a number of residents in Southcote who voted Lib Dem because they felt Labour had lost its radicalism and support for working people. They are perturbed and perplexed, firstly by the national events and secondly at the thought of voting Lib Dem and getting a Tory council. I have always believed that the Lib Dems talk radical but act in a conservative manner and this has confirmed my views on the Lib Dems.
I have rarely ever disagreed with the Lib Dems in their policies whilst on the council and I have often felt that the Lib Dems have contributed well to the debates, just like Clegg in the televised debates. However, whilst I respect politicians like Richard Willis and Mark Ralph I have hardly ever agreed with their political views, often coming from a totally different perspective than myself, which I found fair enough, that is why we are in different political parties.I wonder how well this "new politics" will progress when Reading Lib Dems claim to be more radical than ourselves and yet will go into coalition with Reading Conservatives that take their lead from right wing councils such as Hammersmith and Chelsea in cutting back services. It will be interesting to see how they square this conundrum with their voters, many of which are public sector professionals who voted Lib Dem to protect public services.
Reading was well run under Labour, with a fine record of balanced accounts whilst not cutting any front line services whatsoever. Don't let the Condems lie about financial deficits and poor services, the budget was there for all to see.
My major concern is that the Tories did not present a budget to the Budget setting full council and they did not even have the courtesy to turn up at the vote as they had no answers. The Lib Dems had no budget of their own and they did not even produce a manifesto at election time. So what do they stand for, your guess is a good as mine.
I would bet that there won't be any emergency budget in 55 days time but that the Labour minority administration budget agreed by ourselves as the others did not vote or turn up will be the only balanced budget to go forward in running Children's Services, Adult Community Care, Transport, Leisure, Cultural Services, Housing and the Environment. The concern will be 2011-2012 when the chase for cuts in public services will take place.
I, as your elected councillor for Southcote will endeavour to work with any administration whatever its political colour. What I will not do, however, is to stand idly by and watch services in Southcote get brutally cut because the ward continues to vote Labour. The voices of 20.000 people in Reading need to be heard and I promise that I will do the talking on your behalf.
Councillor Swaine let the cat out of the bag in his blog when he said the Lib Dems were not a progressive movement, too right councillor Swaine, you said it! Labour are the only legitimate opposition to the Tories, both nationally and locally and if you want to oppose Tory cuts and right wing policies there is only one way to do this politically, support Labour.
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