THE leader of the Conservative Group in Reading Borough Council has expressed his regret at losing Caversham Heights in Thursday’s local elections amid worrying results for the party nationally.
Cllr Clarence Mitchell commended the efforts of outgoing councillor, Paul Carnell, who yielded his seat to Labour candidate Sam Juthani by 130 votes, and insisted the Tories would look to regain the ward next year.
The Conservatives had hoped to retain their three seats which were up for re-election: Caversham Heights, Emmer Green and Kentwood.
Cllr Mitchell said: “It’s a disappointment. Paul Carnell’s a very good councillor who has served residents there loyally and faithfully for many years. It’s a shame he lost by [130] votes.
“We are determined to recapture Caversham Heights next year. If that was a message being sent to us locally, it’s a message that’s been heard very loudly and clearly.
“We are still a group of five members on Reading Borough Council. Given the large, overwhelming Labour majority, we are pleased with that result.”
He added that despite failing to achieve their goal of holding all six of their Reading ward seats, Stephen Goss’ win in Emmer Green was a success for the Tories.
The Conservative Group leader described Cllr Goss as ‘a very good candidate’ and thanked residents who voted for him, and the party’s other candidates.
Cllr Mitchell believes the party’s policies are strong enough to bring Caversham Heights voters back onside in the next local election.
“We need to keep convincing people of the validity of voting for us, and what we can do for them. We are the party of economic competence. For example, we would freeze or, if we could, lower council tax.
He also wants to introduce curbside glass recycling and abolish waste charges for garden waste collection.
“The government will learn their lesson overnight,” Cllr Mitchell explained.
“There’s still time for the economy to come good: food prices are beginning to reduce, as are fuel prices.
“The Prime Minister has pledged to half inflation as one of his key priorities – all the economists tell you that’s likely to happen. Stopping the boats clearly doesn’t directly impact us in Reading, but it’s an issue people feel very strongly about.
“The government has been in power for 13 years and there’s a natural cycle in politics, a pendulum if you like, where people say ‘it’s about time we should give the other main party a chance.’
“We will continue to work assiduously for every resident in the wards where we represent people, whether they voted for us or not. We are there to help them deal with the council, to hold Labour to account – where we think they’re getting it wrong, we’ll say so.
“Where we think they’re getting it right, we’ll actually commend them. But it’s important that there’s an alternative voice.
“The Green Party are statistically the opposition. Labour don’t treat them as such, they treat us as the official opposition, and that won’t change.”
